The development of the Strategic Plan of the municipality of Kolašin should begin soon, but the work is delayed due to "objective and justified" reasons.
The previous four-year plan referred to the period from 2018 to 2022, and the decision to create a new one was made earlier in the local parliament.
According to the Municipality, the selection of a working and consultative group is underway, according to the Rulebook that defines the method and methodology of creating that development document, after which the creation of strategic development plans for Kolašin should begin.
"There are two main reasons why a strategic plan has not yet been drawn up. One refers to the belated drafting of the Regional Development Strategy of Montenegro for the future five-year period, which was recently adopted by the Government. With that, the first condition for the development of the plan has been met, as it is sent for approval to the relevant Ministry for evaluation of compliance with the Strategy. Another reason is the postponement of the census, which was supposed to be done in 2021. The new census is very important because the census data from 2011 is out of date", they explained to "Vijesta" seven days ago from the office of the until recently President of the Municipality. Vladimir Martinović.
Meanwhile, Martinović resigned after becoming the Minister of Tourism, Ecology, Sustainable Development and Development of the North, and was elected in his place Petko Bakić...
They remind that data on demography, tourism, agricultural and built-up areas, and other data without which an adequate analysis of the current situation cannot be done, have changed significantly over the past 12 years.
They also say that spatial plans are valid even after their expiration, until new ones are adopted, so the old plan is still in effect.
It is difficult now, as the Municipality claims, to predict priorities in the development of Klašin, which will be defined by a new document. However, they estimate that "the vision will probably be similar to the previous plan, which is the synergy of tourism and agricultural production, along with the development of infrastructure and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage".
"The new strategic plan will give special importance to the creation of new jobs, which is our main goal to stop depopulation. The new plan will devote less importance to the use of natural resources, and more to competitiveness and innovation in order to develop a circular and green economy. Also, the priority is the development and improvement of communal services and activities".
A detailed analysis of the implementation of the previous plan, as a separate document, was not done. However, one-year implementation reports were made, which are then sent to the line ministry. The Municipality claims that more than half of the activities from the previous plan have been implemented, so they characterize it as "a significant success and confirmation that the plan was not just a simple wish list".
"Started projects continue. Thus, for example, the project of construction of waste water treatment devices and segments of the sewage network was partially realized. Financial resources from EU funds were secured and part of the project documentation was completed. The work remains to be carried out in the next year. The same applies to the construction of a recycling yard, to water supply and the development of infrastructure in the countryside".
However, it also turned out that a significant part of the plan was a list of ambitious wishes and a big mouthful for local authorities in the past five years. Among the projects that were supposed to be implemented by last year is the construction of a city heating plant and the establishment of district heating in the city area. No one mentions that project anymore.
Compared to five years ago, no progress has been made in the construction of infrastructure in the "Bakovići" business zone. The construction of water, communal, road and electrical infrastructure was planned in that area. It was expected that the number of investors in the business zone would increase, but also that unemployment in the municipality would significantly decrease.
The reconstruction of the city market, too, is still only an idea. The goal defined by the strategic development plan included reconstruction through a private-public partnership between the Municipality and an interested investor. By last year, the equipping of the markets, the letting of buildings and space at that location for the retail sale of agricultural and food products should have been completed. Also, there should have been an equipped space for the sale of crafts and home-made products and other non-food products. Despite the plans, the Kolašin market still looks similar to how it did in the XNUMXs and does not meet the needs of either buyers or sellers.
Branding of Kolašin agricultural and food products is also planned among the planned activities. That goal was partially fulfilled by the branding of Kolašin cheese, but not a single step was taken in the implementation of the planned procedures for the other products.
During the past four years, no progress has been made in the improvement of agricultural organic production, even though it was one of the strategic goals.
In addition to the lack of money, the brake for some projects, as previously explained by the Municipality, is the fact that amendments to the Spatial-Urban Plan (PUP).
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