In Kolašin, water is twice as expensive as next year

The alternative to the increase in water prices was, as explained by the executive authority, for the Municipality to pay the difference in price to the company, that is, to provide the money necessary for the functioning of the Water Supply and Sewerage

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Photo: Dragana Šćepanović
Photo: Dragana Šćepanović
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

Members of the Kolasin Municipal Assembly (SO) today approved the price list of the Waterworks and Sewerage, according to which water prices in that city will be almost twice as high as of January next year, that is, almost 83 cents per cubic meter. The fixed part of the service price on a monthly basis will be EUR 2,04 in the future.

The alternative to the increase in water prices was, as explained by the executive authority, for the Municipality to pay the difference in price to the company, that is, to provide the money necessary for the functioning of the Water Supply and Sewerage. This, said the President of the Municipality Petko Bakić, would mean that the bills of both businessmen and citizens are paid from the budget. He reminded that the money that would be given from the budget is "citizen's money". He announced, however, increased support for Water and Sewerage, as he explained, within the scope of what is allowed by law.

The new prices were calculated, as explained by the executive director of Water and Sewerage, based on the methodology of the Regulatory Agency for Energy and Regulated Utilities (Agency), which also temporarily approved the new tariff.

The sudden jump in water prices, said the Executive Director of Waterworks and Sewerage, Miloš Peković, is conditioned by many factors, and he also recalled the fact that, over many years, the prices were not harmonized with the law, that is, they were gradually increased. The dominant parameters, which determined the price of the "faucet" in Kolašin, are the adoption of the Branch collective agreement (GKU), which significantly increased the allocations for the wages of employees in the housing and communal services sector and increased the price of materials. The Water and Sewerage Department also reminded that the proposal for a price list was discussed publicly during the summer, but there were no interested parties.

SO Kolašin
photo: Dragana Šćepanović

The opposition councilors from the Zajedno gradimo Kolašin movement (DPS, SDP, SD and non-party figures) complained because, they claim in the parliamentary material, as an explanation for the drastic price increase, they received, as Bojan Zeković said, "one sentence for a decision that concerns everyone households in Kolašin".

According to him, live broadcasts of SO meetings are necessary, among other things, for this reason, "so that citizens can see how the local government deals with important topics, such as the new water tariffs". He criticized Bakić, who allegedly said during the discussion "that the price of water is not part of the social story".

"You deny the problems and the illegal traffic on the road where the main water supply pipelines are jammed, and you claim that it is pointless to remind the state authorities to do their job. Our property is being destroyed, and the state authority responsible for guarding it is not doing it, and you are not you want to invite them to do that", councilor Zeković said to the President of the Municipality.

As Pokreta councilor Marta Šćepanović said, the local parliament should have been informed in detail about the reasons for the increase in water prices.

"We deserved a rational analysis, in order to be able to decide, not to question the sustainability of the company. We also need information on how much debt citizens and companies owe, what the total collection is, as well as information on the company's fixed and variable expenses.. ", she said.

SO Kolašin
photo: Dragana Šćepanović

The councilors also adopted the rebalancing of the Budget for this year, which, as explained by the Secretary for Finance, Property and Economic Development Vuk Vuković, is being done due to a better allocation of funds, especially on expenditure items within the capital part of the budget.

The rebalancing foresees an increase in expenses for equipment to 380.000 euros. With that money, a truck for semi-underground containers and that type of container will be purchased. The value of the truck is 297.000 euros including VAT. At today's meeting, the councilors gave consent to the municipality to borrow 250.000 euros in the long term through leasing. As Vuković explained, the local administration received an unofficial offer

For financial leasing, which includes a one-time down payment of 51.660 euros, while the remaining amount will be paid in equal monthly annuities. However, the executive has yet to decide whether to take advantage of the offer or buy the vehicle for cash.

Through the rebalancing, the expenditure for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the bridge Zauglina - Gornje Lipovo was reduced to 25.000 euros. For this year, the local government gave up on the construction of storm sewers on part of the bypass, because, as explained, there is no project documentation for that project. The money from those two projects will be used, the Secretariat announces, for the greening of the promenade next to Tara, which should be realized by the end of this year, in cooperation with the Eco Fund. The planned adaptation of the market is also abandoned, because there is no project documentation. It is not expected that the Pčinja bridge will be reconstructed by the end of the year, so 120.000 euros will be redirected to the budget item "municipal roads". Vuković said that the realization of revenues this year, if the current dynamics continue, will be around 95 percent, compared to the plan.

The opposition had objections to the way the capital budget was implemented, but also to the fact that the funds intended for female entrepreneurship and young entrepreneurs have not yet been spent. Šćepanović announced that she would propose an amendment to the act, which would provide for misdemeanor liability for secretaries who "do not do their job". According to her, the competent secretariat is violating the law, because it does not publish on the website of the Municipality the implementation of the budget. Her colleague from the Movement, Balša Cvetković, criticized the way investments are made in the repair of rural roads. He explained that over 1,5 million euros were spent for that purpose in two years, and that, he claims, the roads will soon be in the same condition as before the rehabilitation.

SO Kolašin
photo: Dragana Šćepanović

The executive office says that they care about 300 kilometers of local roads, and that continuous investments and ensuring the passability of those roads are necessary. They explained that only 15 kilometers could be asphalted with the money intended for local roads.

"Local roads are a big burden. About 15 kilometers of asphalt costs 1,5 million euros. The government comes to a decision to decide whether to pave 15 kilometers of roads or to make 200 kilometers of roads passable. We don't have infinite resources and we have an obligation to decide" , said SO president Vasilije Bulatović.

In addition to the budget rebalancing and the increase in water prices, at today's session the councilors, through the councilors' issues institute, also discussed the condition of the road from Jezerina to Kolašin, that is, the ways in which intensive traffic endangers the communal infrastructure, the beginning of the work on new sidewalks, possible to the consequences of construction works in Bjelasica on the bed of the river Paljevinska...

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