A session of the Council for the Improvement of the Business Environment in Podgorica, whose topic was predominantly the third package of measures of the Government of Montenegro, as well as measures taken by the Capital to mitigate the negative consequences of coronavirus, was held last night at the Ramada Hotel. On that occasion, members of the Business Council and successful businessmen were addressed by the Prime Minister of Montenegro Dusko Markovic, the Mayor of Podgorica and the President of the Business Council Ivan Vuković, PhD, and the Minister of Economy Dragica Sekulic.
Opening the session of the Business Council, Mayor Ivan Vuković, PhD, emphasized that the development of the economy in Podgorica and Montenegro was not stopped despite the coronavirus epidemic and that the business community was provided with significant support through three government aid packages and a set of measures to support economic activities in Podgorica.
“We, in the Capital, were also very diligent and we used this period in the right way with the support of the Government of Montenegro, primarily in terms of the implementation of infrastructure projects. At the beginning of July, the construction of the boulevard that will connect Podgorica and Danilovgrad began, an investment worth € 25 million. We got contractors for the construction of two boulevards, one in Gornja Gorica which will connect to Podgorica-Danilovgrad boulevard and the other which we will build on Zlatica as a continuation of the existing Vilija Branta boulevard and as a connection with the Bar-Boljare highway. Also, we have announced a tender for the construction of two boulevards at Stari Aerodrom, and the value of these investments is 40 million,” Vukovic pointed out. He also reminded of the beginning of the realization of the most important project for the Capital, which is the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“We have laid the foundation stone for the construction of a pedestrian bridge on the Morača, which will include pipes that will conduct wastewater from one bank of the Morača to another, which will connect the old with the new plant. “We have set a very ambitious agenda despite the conditions that surround us,” the Mayor said, adding that infrastructure investments during the coronavirus epidemic are a financial incentive and the best way to recover the economy.
In the next period, the plan is to continue the development of business zones in Podgorica, which are recognized as a significant potential for further development.
“The Parliament of Montenegro adopted an amendment to the Decision and amendments to the Law on spatial planning and construction of facilities in 2017, which we mentioned in the context of the story of business zones. We have formally and legally removed the last obstacle in order to put into function that huge development potential that is located on the territory of the capital “, Vuković pointed out, informing the members of the Business Council that further steps for business zone development will be known in the upcoming period.
“The crisis has not slowed us down, I think we have responded to its challenges in the best way when it comes to the business community. These investments are not only a prelude to the future development of the city, but also a financial injection that was necessary. With the support of the Government of Montenegro, I think we have used this period in the right way “, Vuković concluded and called on businessmen to use the development opportunities and potentials offered by the Capital – Podgorica.
Prime Minister Duško Marković reminded that the Government did not accept proposals and offers at the beginning of the mandate, not even from international creditors, which would be a restriction for investments, development and new jobs, and assessed that the Government’s economic policy was very successful even above expectations.
“Thanks to a well-designed economic policy, we have made our economy even more productive and able to create new value. This has enabled us both economic growth and the growth of standard of living, “said Prime Minister Duško Marković.
The Prime Minister said that the coronavirus pandemic affected the economy of the whole world, so it also stopped our growth.
“The coronavirus lasts, the health crisis continues to have a devastating effect on our economy, on the economic substance. Nobody has an answer to that anywhere “- said the Prime Minister and added that he was encouraged that he had the opportunity to hear these days throughout Montenegro positive reactions to the packages of measures and the effectiveness of these measures and the effectiveness of the implementation of these measures and the assessment that they have preserved our most valuable enterprises and companies in closed activities.
The Prime Minister assessed the Government’s packages of measures as successful, saying that in the second package, 40 million euros were distributed for 65,000 employees in Montenegro, i.e. 163,000 salaries, in just one hundred days.
“It was divided without a single written request, without waiting for a decision, without going to the bank or the post office to withdraw money. We formed such an approach and such an application solution that the Ministry of Economy with its capable team was able to accept the application on the same day and practically check and make a decision in a couple of hours, and that the Ministry of Finance pays money to those for whom it was intended. In this situation, we have shown that we have internal potentials and capacities that can respond to such a crisis and such problems, “said Prime Minister Duško Markoviđ, adding that the third package of economic measures worth 1.2 billion euros has elaborated short-term and long-term effects. that it is not only a stabilizing and social, but also a particularly powerful development instrument for our economy, employees and citizens.
