The Assembly of the NGO-Cooperation to the Goal Coalition reached a unanimous conclusion at yesterday's session that the Government and the Parliament of Montenegro should be asked to amend the proposals of the Law on Non-Governmental Organizations and the Law on Games of Chance, the coalition announced.
"The NGO-cooperation to the goal coalition, which currently gathers 102 NGOs, opposes the Government's intention to cancel the fund from the revenue from games of chance, which for years was directed to financing NGO projects and programs in six areas of public interest. The NGO coalition believes that 60 percent of total revenues from concession fees from games of chance should continue to be directed to financing projects in the field of social protection and humanitarian activities, meeting the needs of persons with disabilities, developing sports, culture, non-institutional education and upbringing, fighting against pathological gambling, drugs and all forms The financing of projects from six areas of public interest should be carried out according to the procedure prescribed by the proposal of the Law on NGOs, i.e. through relevant ministries," states the statement signed by Milenko Vojičić, the president of the Assembly of the Coalition NGO-Cooperation to the Goal.
The announcement adds that in all countries in the region (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia) the law on games of chance enables the allocation of funds for the financing of NGO projects.
"Also, the Coalition of NGOs requests that, in the proposal of the Law on NGOs, the percentage of the current budget for financing other areas of public interest be increased from the current 0,2 percent to 0,3 percent of the current budget, while retaining the existing percentage for co-financing projects supported by European Union funds The coalition of NGOs will submit a proposal for amendments to the Law on NGOs and the Law on Games of Chance to the Government and the Parliament. The Government should understand that Montenegro needs non-governmental organizations because they provide and provide citizens with services, support and information that the Government does not provide," he writes. in the statement.
It is also stated that the services provided by NGOs are used by thousands of citizens who belong to vulnerable groups: people with disabilities, victims of violence, addicts and the like.
"NGOs provide support and direct assistance in the protection of human rights, the protection of the interests and rights of citizens before various institutions, and some NGOs have been making public information and issues that are of importance to the entire public, such as issues of corruption and organized crime, for years. The government is in the proposal of the Law on NGOs, it was prescribed that projects of public interest will be financed in the amount of at least 0,2% of the current annual budget, while an additional 0,1% of the current budget will be provided for the co-financing of NGO projects supported by EU funds," the announcement states. .
The announcement states that the amendments to the Law on Games of Chance proposed by the Government to the Parliament foresee the abolition of the fund from which public interest NGO projects were financed in six areas.
"Amendments to the Law on Games of Chance will mostly affect non-governmental organizations that are active in the field of social protection and protection of the interests of people with disabilities. The largest number of projects in these two areas were actually dedicated to providing services that state bodies are unable to provide. Coalition of NGOs - cooperation to the goal requests that both laws be reviewed once again and the necessary changes made so that the system of financing NGO projects is regulated in a way that enables NGOs to act in the public interest and to be included in the implementation of public policies. If the proposals for amendments to the Law on NGOs are not accepted and the Law on Games of Chance, the Coalition of NGOs will invite representatives of NGOs to withdraw and freeze their membership in working groups and bodies formed by the Government of Montenegro," the announcement concludes.
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