Reducing the number of unemployed and informally employed Roma and Egyptians, and increasing the number of those involved in entrepreneurial initiatives fivefold, are some of the goals listed in the Proposal for a National Program for the Transformation of Informal Employment of Roma and Egyptians in Montenegro for the period from 2024 to 2026, which the Government adopted at its session on Thursday.
Thus, the plan is to reduce the percentage of informally employed people from 61 percent in 2024 to 2026 percent by 50, to reduce the unemployment rate from 64,1 percent (2024) to 62 percent (2026), and to increase the number of Roma and Egyptians in entrepreneurial initiatives from 281 in 2024 to 2026 by 1.453.
According to the 2023 census, there are 7.284 members of the Roma and Egyptian communities living in Montenegro, but, according to a government document, it is estimated that there are more than 12.000 of them. According to the same data, 5.658 people speak Romani as their mother tongue.
"They are often the target of discrimination, and in addition to education, this most often happens during employment, and therefore they are faced with the problem of social marginalization," the document states.
To improve the position of this community and its full inclusion in social, economic, cultural and political life, it is added, systemic solutions are needed that will enable Roma and Egyptians to have more efficient access to the areas where they are most vulnerable.
"The largest number of members of the Roma and Egyptian communities still live in conditions of extreme poverty and very poor standards, especially in terms of health and hygiene; a certain number still do not have personal documents or health and social insurance, and have extremely poor education," the government document states.
A significant number of Roma and Egyptians, it is added, do not know the official language, and a small number have completed primary education, with very limited opportunities to obtain higher education than primary.
"The majority are unemployed, and those employed perform the least qualified and paid jobs or earn minimal wages by practicing self-taught skills and crafts, which puts them in an extremely unenviable and uncompetitive position on the labor market. The basic characteristic of the socio-economic position of members of the Roma and Egyptian population in Montenegro is a low level of economic activity and high unemployment," the document states.
As it is added, the Roma and Egyptian population is largely excluded from formal forms of employment, while the largest number of people are engaged in occupations that do not require professional expertise.
"A large number are employed in the grey economy, mainly collecting raw materials for recycling. Therefore, the Roma and Egyptian population belongs to the category of persons with very limited employment opportunities, low competition and mobility in the labour market."
The document states that, although the percentage of those who are not employed is extremely high - over 70 percent, a positive trend can still be observed compared to surveys for 2016 and 2018, when that percentage was 84,4 and 81,9 percent.
"Data for the total population in Montenegro shows that the unemployment rate in 2020 was 70,7 percent," it states.
According to the CEDEM research "Patterns and Degree of Discrimination in Montenegro" from 2022, the highest degree of discrimination against Roma and Egyptians is present in the field of employment.
"Inadequate educational structure of those registered with the Employment Service and the necessary skills necessary for employment, poor or insufficient information, especially in terms of knowledge of regulations and rights, prejudices, stereotypes and stigmatization are the most common causes of low participation of the Roma population in the formal labor market," the document states.
Among the reasons for developing the National Program for the Transformation of Informal Employment of Roma and Egyptians, it is stated, is that national policies do not comprehensively address this issue.
"And the failure to recognize this group of citizens for combating the shadow economy through the existing National Program," it states, adding that, in addition, the proposed program "will also include other occupations besides individual collectors of secondary raw materials."
“Such as street vendors, musicians, cleaning services and domestic helpers, who are currently recognised by the national strategic document”.
This type of program, as stated, has so far been adopted in North Macedonia and Serbia.
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