Mihailo Anđušić, a member of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), stated that Montenegro needs the decision to incur debt, as the country will not be able to meet its obligations or pay salaries and pensions to its citizens without it.
“The essence of the matter is to adopt the decision on borrowing, not the budget,” said Anđušić at a press conference in Parliament.
He added that due to the inability to attend parliamentary sessions, the DPS parliamentary group felt the need to express their stance on what they consider to be the most important issue in society—the economic situation.
“The situation is much more alarming than it appears to the average citizen. For the first time, the Minister of Finance officially stated a few days ago that if the borrowing is not realized, Montenegro faces the risk of bankruptcy. This confirms our position that, at this moment, the ruling parliamentary majority and the government are not concerned with the budget law, but with the borrowing decision, because we have reached a difficult situation where, without borrowing, Montenegro will not be able to pay salaries and pensions,” Anđušić warned.
He emphasized that their position on the consequences of the “Europe Now” program 1 and 2 had been confirmed.
“We have nothing against the goals of these programs, but the way they were implemented was highly problematic from an economic theory standpoint. Montenegro today cannot meet its current obligations through such borrowings. The issue is not the budget, but the borrowing decision,” Anđušić stated.
According to him, Montenegro, despite all the talk about a surplus, now faces a deficit of 308 million euros.
He also pointed out that citizens received water bills increased by 41%, with the average bill in Podgorica rising from 7 to 15 euros.
“While the boycott of stores by citizens is justified, the question arises as to why they wouldn’t boycott the Water Supply Company, the Tax Administration, and other services, since today the average citizen pays nearly double the prices in shops, restaurants, and similar places. The state is to blame, as it has increased taxes ten times,” Anđušić said.
He believes that the state could reduce fuel excise duties and VAT on basic food products.
“The state could do this, but it cannot because it would not have enough revenue to cover increased allowances and salaries,” added Anđušić.
When asked whether there would be a vote on the proposed budget today, Anđušić replied that even members of the majority do not have that information, as the Speaker of Parliament, Andrija Mandić, “tells them in five minutes when each agenda item will be addressed.”
“I see that the debate is ongoing today; working body sessions are to be held as there are many amendments to discuss, presumably to divert the public’s attention. I assume the plenary debate could end today, but the discussion at the Economic, Financial, and Budget Committee remains. We are prevented from regularly attending sessions, and we will inform the media later on our decision to attend the vote,” Anđušić concluded.
