"We most sincerely and deeply believe that people in leading positions in the country should not make decisions solely based on the requests of non-governmental organizations," the National Parks announced.
They point out that before that they have to hear what the officials to whom those decisions refer have to say about the disputed issues for which they are held accountable. "That is at least the minimum of democracy and fairness that we as a society, we believe, have reached," they stated in the announcement.
This was announced after today's appeal by the director of the Center for the Protection and Study of Birds, Jovana Janjušević, who asked Prime Minister Dritan Abazović to dismiss the director of National Parks, Aleksandar Bulatović. Janjušević cited his inactivity in protecting the area of the Ulcinj Saltworks as the reason.
The National Parks say that during management they have already taken steps "in the direction of rehabilitating the key bends in the Ulcinj Salt Lake, and in this direction, on October 14, 2022, the relevant Ministry was asked to implement these works through a contract on business and technical cooperation concluded by the Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism with DOO "Protection of Space of Montenegro" Danilovgrad number 01-745/22-752, which contract is in accordance with the Government's Conclusion 04-5288 2/04 of November 2021, XNUMX, that company was given the authority to carry out works of general interest for the purpose of repairing damage caused by natural disasters and force majeure, and implementing measures to protect the land from erosion and floods, which works include exactly the works on the restoration of benths in the Ulcinj Salt Lake".
As they say, "these works have been estimated at around €8.500 by the experts of the "Protection of the Area of Montenegro" LLC, and the cost of these works would be borne by JPNPCG. However, the relevant Ministry from JPNPCG requests that these works be implemented through the NGO CZIP project in such a way that JPNPCG will be the bearer of the project through which around €500.000 would be spent for these same works, with the fact that JPNPCG has no insight into the financial structure, that is, they have no insight into how these funds are distributed, while according to the law, as holders, they have all responsibility for every aspect related to the realization of that project".
They emphasize that they are sure of the correctness of their position that these works of public interest should be realized by a state-owned company through a contract, which has already been signed with the Government of Montenegro, that is, with the relevant Ministry.
They believe that a state institution, in this case JPNPCG, "should not and must not be used as a cover for the realization of non-transparent projects with undefined financial flows, however much it is presented as a positive and useful activity".
Related Articles
They point out that non-governmental organizations are free to carry out activities in the interest of protecting the salt pan and to invest the resources they have in that direction, and that they are not and will not be prevented from doing so.
They add that "JPNPCG just cannot be the bearer of other people's projects and we believe that there is nothing controversial about that".
As they say, "precisely for the sake of preserving the integrity of both the relevant Ministry and JPNPCG and ultimately the state of Montenegro, we maintain that concrete works as works of general interest should be carried out by a company owned by Montenegro, DOO "Protection of Space of Montenegro", which performs the works in question as its core activity, in accordance with the Government Decision by which the company in question was founded, which JPNPCG would finance from its own funds and be the responsible entity in connection with their execution".
They emphasize that non-governmental organizations are free to carry out works independently, but not in such a way that JPNPCG is the bearer of responsibility for them.
"We note that in addition to the management of the five existing parks, and the decision of the Government established the temporary management of the Ulcinj Saltworks by the JPNPCG until the Government finds a final solution to the issue of the saltworks, which has been waiting for several years," the announcement states.
They add that the temporary management is extended every six months, and so far this temporary state has lasted for almost seven years.
"In any case, for the management of JPNPCG, the protection of the integrity and interests of the company and Montenegro will always be in the first place, which is also shown by the business results, which are the best that this company has achieved in the last 20 years with more than €1.000,000 that JPNPCG currently has in its account," the statement concludes.
Bonus video:
