The Ministry of Finance will ask the Municipality of Budva to return 1,6 million euros, as much as three years ago, ahead of the August local elections to the Government headed by Dusko Markovic paid from the funds of current budget reserves so that two and three arrears of wages would be paid to the workers of the local administration, municipal services and cultural institutions and RTV Budva.
This was announced to "Vijesta" from the Public Relations Service of the Ministry of Finance.
The government department he heads Aleksandar Damjanović, confirmed to "Vijesti" that the Municipality of Budva has not settled the obligation to date, even though it was warned.
"At the sessions held on August 13 and 27, 2020, the Government of Montenegro passed Conclusions that adopted the Information on financial support for employees in the Municipality of Budva with the aim of temporarily solving the problem of back wages of employees in the said municipality. Based on the above, a payment was made in the amount of 1.626.185,72 euros from the funds of the current budget reserve. Also, by the Government's Conclusion of August 13, 2020, it was defined that the refund procedure should be initiated, when the conditions for this are met. Pursuant to the above, the Ministry of Finance, by letter No. 01-03-170157/1 dated October 9.10.2020, 1.626.185,72. requested the Municipality of Budva to return the funds, that is, that the Municipality of Budva make a payment in the amount of XNUMX euros to the main treasury account", it is stated in the written response that was submitted to "Vijesta" from the Ministry of Finance.
They emphasize that the Municipality of Budva has not yet returned the funds, which is why the Ministry will try to harmonize the models and dynamics of the payment of funds in communication with that local administration.
The financial injection to the Municipality of Budva, at a time of turbulent political events, followed after the then president of the Commercial Court, Blažo Jovanović, blocked the account of the metropolis of tourism by passing a temporary measure, at the request of the Ministry of Finance.
Previously, the opposition DPS took over the administration of the city, securing a majority in the local parliament after the support of an independent (a fugitive councilor from the Movement for Changes). Stevan Džaković.
The relevant ministry, which he headed Darko Radunović, submitted a request to the Commercial Court to block the Municipality's account, in order to collect 29,3 million euros, which was taken from the state account at the end of December 2019 by the German-Austrian company WTE/EVN, by activating the state guarantee and leaving the management of the wastewater treatment plant in Vještice settlement in Bečići.
In May 2020, Jovanović made a decision on the eve of the "famous" session of the Budva Parliament, which was held in a tent on the meadow in front of the Municipal Assembly building, on the agenda of which the new parliamentary majority gathered around DPS demanded the dismissal of the then leaders of the Municipality and the Municipal Assembly Marko Tsarević (Democratic Front) i Krsto Radović (Democrats).
However, Carević and Radović were replaced on June 11 in the conference hall of the tourist resort "Slovenska plaža", where the councilors of the DPS, SD, LP and Džaković gathered to appoint the President of the Municipality at the next session. Nikola Divanović (DPS).
This was followed by protests by supporters of the DF and the Democrats, as well as a strike by employees who receive salaries from the budget, because they could not receive their salaries throughout the summer.
At the beginning of August, the then prime minister came to Budva to help Dusko Markovic (DPS) - then he called Divanović and his colleagues "heroes of spring" and promised that the Government would provide money from the budget reserve, which came true a few days later, so almost 500 employees in local administration, public institutions and RTV Budva were provided back wages.
After the Democratic Front and the Democrats won the majority in the August elections and took over power again, a lawsuit followed in the Commercial Court, so in September 2020, Jovanović canceled the temporary measure, which unblocked the account of the Municipality of Budva, which at the time contained almost five million euros.
The Municipality previously pointed out on several occasions that there is no legal act according to which the Municipality undertook to return the money to the Government, and the agreement that Marković reached with Divanović, a party colleague from the DPS, in the midst of the election campaign, is apparently also legally disputed.
At that time, the local administration announced a criminal prosecution, which never happened.
And for the two parties to agree on the settlement of obligations, the Municipality of Budva cannot currently approve any payments, because those acts must be signed by the President of the Municipality of Budva Milo Bozovic, who is in the Investigation Prison in Spuška.
The municipality of Budva has enough money in the account, more than ten million euros, and the weekly filling of the city coffers at the beginning of the summer season, judging by the weekly statements that "Vijesti" had access to, is extremely good... Therefore, the debt repayment to the Government would not disrupt the financial stability of the metropolis of tourism.
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