The non-governmental organizations Eko-team and WWF Adria complained that Montenegrin consumers have been subsidizing the operation of 32 small hydropower plants (MHP) through their electricity bills since last year, with the amount of subsidies exceeding 22 million euros without value added tax (VAT).
Those NGOs stated that the first MHP started working in mid-2014 and then consumers paid 80 thousand euros in subsidies, and only two years later the annual amount exceeded two million euros.
For the past six years, citizens have subsidized the operation of small hydropower plants with multi-million sums, and in return received negligible amounts of electricity.
"Such high amounts of paid subsidies clearly indicate that consumers are paying for the 'guild' of wrong policies of the government, which enabled the MHP projects, and which have already been confirmed to be not in the public interest, but exclusively in the private interest. Small hydroelectric power plants do not solve the problem of the lack of electricity, but we know that they are irreversibly destroying Montenegrin rivers and the environment and endangering the basic rights of local communities," stated the Eco-team and WWF Adria.
One of the basic incentive measures implemented by electricity producers are subsidies that are granted for a period of 12 years.
"This means that Montenegrin consumers will continue to subsidize the production of electricity from small hydropower plants for years to come, with immeasurable damage to nature and the citizens of Montenegro. Experts have clearly proven that the previously established system of incentives for the production of electricity from renewable sources is socio-economically unjustified and financially harmful , both for the state and for consumers of electricity," the announcement states.
Those NGOs asked if the new government will continue to work on this problem and finally put an end to the destruction of our natural values.
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