The Preokret parliamentary movement has submitted an initiative to the Capital City Assembly, requesting an amendment to the Statute that would prohibit the privatization of the Podgorica-based company "Vodovod i kanalizacija".
This was stated by councilor Srđan Perić during a press conference, emphasizing that water is a basic human right, not a commodity.
"Our basic impulse was precisely the protection of the right to water. We are grateful to the people who dealt with it in the previous period. The right to water is essential for life. Everything related to exploitation must be protected. We have submitted an initiative requesting a ban on the privatization of 'Vodovod'... With potential or actual privatization, water would become a commodity managed by corporations driven exclusively by the logic of profit, which would jeopardize access to water for the most vulnerable categories of the population. Our proposal represents an institutional instrument for the protection of this important resource in the part in which it falls within the scope and includes the jurisdiction of the Capital City," said Perić.
He said that the right to water must be elaborated in a resolution that would be adopted in the Capital City Assembly. Perić pointed out that a narrative is often created that "Water Supply and Sewerage" is an unsustainable enterprise.
"The excessive number of employees, their absences... Everything points to the fact that local government cannot solve this problem... We are going with a stricter proposal to ban the privatization of 'Vodovod'. That way we can preserve the resources of all of us...".
Perić said that, if the government refuses to accept their initiative, they will "call a referendum to protect this resource for future generations."
Krnić: Citizens owe Vodovod more than 4 million euros
Preokret councilor Mirza Krnić said that individuals and legal entities owe 4,25 million euros to Vodovod.
According to him, losses in the water supply network amount to 54 percent.
"At the end of last year, the debt of citizens and companies amounted to 3,7 million euros, which indicates that the price increase did not yield a satisfactory result, even from a narrow economic point of view."
Krnić claims that according to the financial statements of "Vodovod", the company had a loss in its business results the previous year in the amount of 878.885 euros.
"This year, the budget plans to transfer 700.000 euros from the Capital City Budget to this company. All of this could potentially create an environment and narrative that privatization is a necessity. The solution should be sought in protecting the resources available to this company, as well as in good management, innovation, and assuming responsibility, which is previously accompanied by an appropriate personnel policy. Prekoret will offer very specific proposals in this direction in the coming period."
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