President of the Municipality of Budva Nikola Jovanovic He accused the former management of the Tourist Organization of leading it to financial collapse, and that out of five million euros, there is only 32 thousand in the coffers, which is insufficient to pay salaries to employees.
Jovanović, who is also the president of the Assembly of the richest local tourism organization in Montenegro, announced that he would present the network of money spending to the public after the expert team completes the audit of the business, but also claimed that most of the money was spent during the two election cycles in May and November to buy votes.
The newly appointed Executive Board of the Budva Municipal Administration has appointed the acting director Ana Vujošević. Former director Nemanja Kuljaca terminated the employment relationship by mutual consent.
The former TO leadership, as they told "Vijesti", called Jovanović's accusations untrue, and that they would make a detailed statement in the coming period.
"Of the five million euros that were in the Tourist Organization's coffers, there are now only 32 thousand euros. The listed debts as of today amount to over 500 thousand euros. During the election period, that organization spent more than 400 thousand euros, employed 150 people who were supposedly needed to work at tourist information points and kept them there throughout both election cycles. We are talking about May and November of last year, because it seems that the season in Budva lasts even in the winter period," Jovanović emphasized.
According to him, it will be interesting to see how the transparency of spending five million euros will be justified, or how the former leadership will justify it.
"I will see the network of spending these funds after the expert audit report, and then we will give an account in parliament. Enormous money was spent to buy votes for the needs of the 'For the Future of Budva' coalition, they employed political and party workers. And do you know where they were during working hours during the election cycles? They were at the Mediterranean Sports Center, not for sports and recreation, but at the headquarters of the 'For the Future of Budva' coalition, where they had to work and secure safe votes," Jovanović claimed.
As he pointed out, when the change was made in the Budva TO, he started receiving calls.
"The same people are now calling me, how they actually supported us (the political group "Budva our city"), how they were misled and politically pressured, and can they stay there and continue to work? They can't, since they came there illegally and illegally established some kind of employment relationship and were politically abused and burdened the budget. It seems that there was only enough money there for official trips, from London to other European cities. There was also money for the official car of the director and his deputy. That car was driven around Belgrade more than it was driven in Montenegro. They even went so far that some workers, officials in the Budva TO chose Belgrade as their workplace and stayed there for months and regularly received their salaries. We will inform the public who all the employed persons are, and you will find them on the electoral list "For the Future of Budva"", said Jovanović.
Jovanović announced that he would conduct a detailed search of the Budva TO a month ago, after the Budva TO Assembly session was organized, when the new Executive Board was elected.
"The tourist organization has functioned in a regime of anarchy until now, because the Executive Board did not adopt financial reports, plans, or work programs. The leadership of the Budva Tourist Board had no legitimacy to perform this function. It was a legal obligation, the responsibility of the Budva Tourist Board Assembly and me as president to convene a regular session and elect a new Executive Board. Their work in the previous period was very non-transparent, I would say illegal. The Executive Board will hire an independent auditor as soon as possible to conduct an audit of operations and financial transactions and submit those accounts to the Tourist Board Assembly. The new composition of the Executive Board corresponds to our vision of the organization's work in the coming period, because we are on the threshold of the summer tourist season. We have had serious accusations from non-governmental organizations and investigative journalism about the spending of enormous financial resources by the Budva Tourist Board. We will wait for the audit findings and, depending on what is determined, we will initiate proceedings before the competent state authorities," Jovanović said at the time.
The season in Budva will officially begin on May 12th, when it will be opened by the international carnival, and the organizer of all events is TO Budva.
There was money for the director's and his deputy's official car. Those cars were driven around Belgrade more than they were in Montenegro. They even went so far as to say that some workers and officials in the Budva TO chose Belgrade as their workplace and stayed there for months and regularly received their salaries.
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