Milatović: From May 1st, the implementation of the Government's measure on the allocation of aid to newborns

The implementation of the government's measure that each newborn will receive 500 or 1.000 euros will start on May 1st, and will apply to all babies born on January 1st this year, Minister of Economic Development Jakov Milatović said in Boja jutra on TV Vijesti.

Milatović said that the trend of natural growth from 2006 to 2019 was analyzed.

"It is very important to understand that the trends regarding our birth rate and mortality have been bad for the last 15 years. The birth rate curve has been declining for the past seven years, and the mortality curve has been increasing. They would have converged in 2023 even if the covid crisis had not happened," said Milatović.

He points out that in 2020, a negative natural increase was recorded in 17 municipalities, which is why children born there will receive 1.000 euros each. while each newborn in municipalities with a positive natural increase will receive 500 euros.

In 2020, there were seven such municipalities.

"The measure applies to all children born from January 1, until the end of this year. It will be an integral part of every next budget as part of the demographic and population policy. This is a big problem of Montenegrin society," said Milatović, adding that the Ministry of Economic Development (MER) and the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare (MFSS) will form a working group in the coming days that will create a regulation on registration.

He states that 7.100 children were born last year, and that, based on this figure, the measure should cost five million euros this year.

"Scandinavian countries have measures of a similar type. The Biden administration also emphasized measures to support and help families. This measure is not individual, but part of a wider package that aims to target the problems of natural increase. Those problems are migration, aging population, difficult socio-economic situation, the fourth reason is broad, socio-political", he explained.

Milatović believes that his conversation with Metropolitan Joaniki of Montenegro and the Littoral on this topic was dramatized.

"We did not create a policy with the Metropolitan. The opinion of everyone, especially people who have an important place in our society, is important to me. All of this should be discussed with broad social partners. These things are natural for all civilized countries. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi discussed the same topic with the Pope. In Montenegro, these topics are being dramatized. I presented measures to the Metropolitan based on his interest and found some kind of support," said Milatović.