The Budva Hospitality Association believes that the tender for beach concessions has been delayed and should be postponed until November 1st. They propose annexing the existing contracts to ensure the season is not jeopardized.
“After the public call ends, which has an unreasonably short deadline for gathering necessary documentation, especially bank guarantees, the process of opening offers and evaluating them follows, which may take several weeks depending on the number of offers and location complexity. After that, an eight-day period for appeals follows, which will take us into the first half of March. In the event that the current concessionaire submits a lower bid and loses, they will be required to return the location to its original state, which will take at least two weeks,” the Association explained.
They added that the new concessionaire, after signing a contract with the public enterprise Morsko Dobro within ten days, would need to provide urban-technical conditions, an initial project, approvals from various authorities, studies, and construction permits before receiving the approval to operate.
“We know how much time is needed for each of these documents,” said the Association.
They further noted the need to build essential infrastructure, including roads, water, and electricity, since previous concessionaires were required to return everything to its original state.
“The ban on construction in the first zone along the sea in Budva municipality begins on May 15. Heavy machinery, such as trucks, excavators, and rollers, is often used for beach landscaping, especially when replenishing sand, and this directly conflicts with the ban on construction. As a result, the beaches will not be ready as required by the contracts, and under ideal conditions, they can only be prepared by July 1st at the earliest,” the Association said.
They believe that the coastal assets are too important for the destination to focus solely on the financial aspects of the lease.
“There are concessionaires who have been building Montenegro’s image for decades, paying their taxes diligently, and being responsible users with no irregularities. Other values, not just financial ones, must be considered. We have witnessed how certain foreign investments have harmed local jobs, as they withdrew their support and disrupted not only this market but also many other social aspects,” said the Association.
They reiterated their belief that the tender process has been delayed, especially under unfair conditions, and that it would be socially and politically responsible to postpone the tender until November 1st and annex the existing contracts.
