The Strategic Development Plan of the Municipality of Bar from 2026 to 2030 was adopted by the majority of councilors at today's session of the Bar Municipal Assembly as a key planning document, which defines the directions of the future development of the city in the next five years.
The general goal that is jointly defined by this strategic plan is: "Bar - a city of sustainable development and innovation, with developed infrastructure, competitive economy, preserved natural and cultural heritage and quality of life for all citizens."
Speaking about this document, the Mayor of the Municipality of Bar, Dušan Raičević (DPS), said that this vision represents a framework for joint action, but also an obligation to strive for balanced development in all segments of work - modernization of infrastructure, strengthening the economy, preserving natural resources and cultural identity, and creating a society in which every citizen has equal chances for a quality life.
He emphasized the active participation of citizens in its preparation, through surveys and consultations conducted before the public debate, numerous fellow citizens presented their ideas and suggestions, giving full contribution to the content and directions of the strategic plan, thus "confirming that the development of the city does not depend only on institutions, but also on the willingness of each individual to be part of this process."
By adopting the Strategic Development Plan for the period 2026–2030, the Municipality of Bar once again confirms its commitment to responsibly and systematically work to improve the quality of life of all its citizens, he said, and to further develop the city in accordance with the best interests of our citizens.
"I am certain that together, each of us here, regardless of all the differences and who sits in which pews, together with the local economy, the local community, with every person - we will make the most of the next five-year period, relying on this plan and continuing to build Bar as an open, dynamic and promising city, attractive for living, working and investing," said Raičević, adding that they are leaving the city to future generations, just as previous generations left it to them.
Nikola Papić, Secretary of the Secretariat for Local Economic Development, said that the strategic plan must be ambitious, but also realistic, so they have very carefully incorporated all the lessons learned into it.
In order to achieve the vision of the development of Bar as a modern city, according to him, they have defined five strategic development directions - modernization of traffic, utility and energy infrastructure, then sustainable spatial management and environmental protection, followed by the development of social infrastructure and services, and strengthening the local economy and sustainable employment through support for entrepreneurship, investments and the development of new economic opportunities and strengthening institutional capacities, digitalization of local administration, because modern administration must be efficient, transparent and accessible to citizens.
"An Annual Action Plan has also been developed, which specifies and, in accordance with the methodology, elaborates priority activities for 2026. The plan also provides for a clear monitoring and evaluation system with measurable indicators and regular reporting, so that each phase of implementation is transparent and accountable. The document includes a large number of initiatives, infrastructure projects and development programs," concluded Papić.
Opposition councilors from the Democrats, the Europe Now Movement, Biram Bar, and the URA Movement have questioned the fact that the local government, as they claim, is adopting this plan pro forma, without any substantial intention to implement all the projects, calling it a "wish list." As confirmation of these claims, they cited the previous strategic plan, from which a good part of the activities were not implemented.
On the other hand, councilors from the ruling DPS party believed that the plan was constructive, with a public vision of the city's development that everyone would be proud of, and that the strategic plan was the result of responsible management over the past years.
Only one amendment was submitted to the Strategic Development Plan of the Municipality of Bar, and Raičević accepted it – Milan Nešković from the Democrats requested that, instead of reconstructing part of Stra pruga Street and Zbubački put, the entire road be included.
Although the Municipality of Bar has set itself one general goal, it has divided it into five specific goals and for each one has listed a series of projects and ideas for implementation. Among them are those that are already underway, nearing completion, that have been discussed for several years and for which a separate budget line has been set aside, but also some novelties and ambitious plans.
The first such goal is "Development and modernization of traffic, utility and power infrastructure" which, among other things, includes the preparation of a preliminary design for the Bar - Boljare highway, Virpazar - Stari Bar subsection, a preliminary design and main design for the construction of a boulevard-type road on the section of the M-1 main road, from the roundabout in Šušanj to the intersection with the M-1.1 main road (intersection for the "Sozina" tunnel)
The second specific objective is "Sustainable spatial management and environmental protection" and envisages several projects at the "Možura" landfill, construction of a new tank for municipal waste disposal, reclamation of sanitary tanks, construction of a leachate treatment system, municipal waste sorting facilities, composting facilities for biodegradable waste...
This goal also includes the construction of a recycling yard, the development of a conceptual design and the main project for regulating the Željeznica riverbed in the coastal zone.
When it comes to the third specific strategic objective "Development and improvement of social infrastructure and services", the following are listed, among others, the construction of two kindergartens and one high school, the construction of an emergency block in Topolica, the construction of a multifunctional sports and recreational complex in Madžarica, the main design of a swimming pool, the adaptation of open fields in Stari Bar, the preparation of technical documentation for the construction of a sports hall in Sutomore...
The fourth goal relates to strengthening the local economy and stimulating sustainable employment, and through it, the implementation of all subsidy programs that the Municipality of Bar has been implementing for years is planned.
"Strengthening institutional capacities and digitalization of local government processes" is the last specific objective and refers to the development of e-government and digital services and improving local government capacities. Therefore, a platform for online application for crafts and social benefits programs, electronic payment of municipal taxes and fees, and the launch of the "E-counter" service are planned.
Also mentioned is the new Municipality building, a new facility for the Tourist Organization with a conference room, the procurement of specialized equipment and vehicles for the Protection and Rescue Service, as well as the procurement and installation of an early fire detection system, the improvement of the municipal data center - alignment with new technologies and safety standards...
Under the priority related to tourism, the already announced preparation of project documentation for the Bar - Rumija - Skadar Lake cable car (optionally according to the "Design and Build" system) was mentioned, and when it comes to port infrastructure, the reconstruction of the Volujica operational quay and the construction of a system for the transshipment and storage of vegetable oils and chemicals are mentioned.
No discussion on expired mandates of local community bodies
The opposition's request to amend the agenda, which requested information on the status of the Local Community Council (MZ) and the initiative to initiate elections for new MZ bodies and organs, was not adopted.
The request for an amendment to the agenda states that the Bar Municipal Assembly adopted the Decision on Local Communities on June 25, 2020, and on December 18 of the same year, it adopted 12 decisions on the appointment of the Local Community Council.
In these decisions, in paragraph one, the presidents of the local community councils are appointed, while in paragraph two, the members of the local community councils are appointed, eight of them. The decision on local communities, in Article 27, stipulates that the local community council has nine members and that the council's mandate lasts four years, the opposition said.
"The mandate of the local community councils expired on December 18, 2024. The 2020 Decision on Local Communities stipulates that the procedure for electing councils in the new mandate be completed before the expiration of the current council mandate. Given that the mandate of the councils has expired, new local community councils should be appointed by the Municipal Assembly upon the proposal of representatives of political parties, or coalitions represented in the Municipal Assembly, from among citizens who reside in the area of the local community for which the council is appointed, in proportion to the number of votes received in that local community in the last elections held," reads the request sent by the opposition councilors to the head of the Bar Assembly. Branislav Nenezić (Social Democrats).
Therefore, the parliamentary clubs of the Democrats, Biram Bar, URA Movement, Europe Now Movement, Democratic People's Party and New Serbian Democracy demanded that the election of new local community councils be started without delay.
This proposal did not receive the support of the majority of councilors, although the opposition insisted on it. Raičević, on this issue, said that the draft Law on Local Self-Government is in the procedure of the Parliament of Montenegro and that last year the Association of Municipalities sent several proposals and models to the Ministry of Public Administration according to which the electoral legislation should be modified.
He explained that this part of the law also treats the governing bodies of local communities and clearly and precisely defines the conditions for their election. He asked the councilors to "all give a chance to electoral legislation and approximation to European practices."
At today's session of the Bar Assembly, the Report on the Development of the Final Budget of the Municipality of Bar for 2024 by the State Audit Institution was presented.
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