National parks of Montenegro, according to the planned budget for 2012, will receive 500 thousand euros, that is, almost half less money than they were allocated from the state coffers last year, when they received 900.000.
Representatives of that institution announced that with so much money they would not be able to perform their basic function of protecting the parks.
Director of NPCG Rade Gregović said that they were informed about the Government's proposal unofficially, because they are not direct budget beneficiaries, but receive funds through the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism.
"We immediately responded with letters to the Ministry of Finance, indicating that the parks will not be able to fulfill their basic function, which concerns protection," he said at the session of the NPCG Board of Directors.
He pointed out that the company, based on its own income, generates about one million euros annually.
The company will vegetate
Gregović assessed that "the drastic drop in the money they receive from the budget must put them in a problematic situation", which, he said, they explained to the authorities.
"The calculation is simple, the biggest item is gross wages and at the level of all parks, including Prokletije, they amount to one million and 300 thousand euros. In order to provide money for fuel, maintenance of equipment, without any procurement of new things, an additional 280 to 300 thousand is needed," he added.
Gregović said that it is possible to save money if the costs of fuel and telephones were to be significantly reduced... but in that case "the company would vegetate" and only pay salaries, without other obligations.
At the session, it was also proposed to introduce new fees, such as charging tickets for kayak users, hall rental, use of guide services, organized visits to the ornithological reserve, tickets per person for seven days, use of camping areas, jeep tours, use of the NP sign in commercial and public purposes and harmonization of prices in souvenir shops.
Gregović said that it is possible to save money if the costs of fuel and telephones were to be significantly reduced... but in that case "the company would vegetate" and only pay salaries, without other obligations.
Board member Jovan Kavarić suggested that the management plans be sent to the municipalities where the parks are located, in order to participate in their implementation.
"There is no broom in the world that would clean up what Podgorica sends to Lake Skadar. The competent secretariat of the Capital City should be asked to resolve it. For many years, there has been talk about installing gratings and nets to stop the entry of garbage from Morača into the lake, but nothing has come of it either," he said.
The National Park Administration reiterated that the problem with obtaining a building permit for the construction of a restaurant on the Black Lake in Žabljak has not been resolved since the last board meeting, and that there will be no profit even in the winter season.
170.000 tourists visited the parks
Durmitor National Park, from May to October, was visited by 61 percent more tourists than last year, Skadar Lake National Park by 10 percent, Biogradska Gora by six, while Lovćen had 12 percent fewer visitors than last year.
All parks had 16 percent more visitors than in 2010. According to the number of registered visitors, 170 tourists entered the parks this year, while last year that number was 146.
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