The capital city of Podgorica has proposed purchasing part of the former “Radoje Dakić” factory property for €1.86 million. This land, spanning 5,541 square meters, is designated for the construction of roads in the Siti kvart district.
This marks the first time that bankruptcy trustee Miloš Popović has announced a public auction for property that, due to its intended use, is ideally suited for municipal acquisition. The €1.86 million allocation is specifically for the road development project. In addition, Popović offered another 2,718 square meters valued at €915,500, but this sale was unsuccessful. The local government had previously decided in May to purchase additional land for road construction, though funding has only been secured for this portion so far.
The sale’s pricing is based on a new assessment, with the cost per square meter rising significantly from €180 to €336.
Former factory workers have criticized the low valuation, given the property’s location in a prime area of Podgorica. Some workers have seen their compensation expedited by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, with partial or full payments made. However, many workers are still awaiting compensation for 77 salaries awarded through final rulings.
Recently, the Ministry of Finance paid €4.75 million to some workers based on six ECHR judgments. This follows a previous payment of €1.5 million under Constitutional Court rulings that recognized violations of workers’ property rights and the right to a timely trial. By October 18, the government must secure an additional €2 million to address claims from 88 former workers also upheld by the ECHR.
The timeline for compensating remaining workers who have not pursued claims in Strasbourg is still unclear. The Ministry of Finance has indicated that an action plan is being developed to determine the total unpaid claims for all workers, with the aim of settling these claims within a reasonable timeframe. Given that the earliest judgments date back to 2005, no government has yet achieved this reasonable timeframe.
