The Montenegrin government is planning to overhaul the database of all companies operating in the country to ensure it can be integrated with European Union (EU) registers.
This update is needed to streamline the process of opening a company by consolidating all procedures into one platform, which is currently fragmented and results in duplicated efforts, according to Vijesti.
The need for this reform is driven by the presence of numerous inactive companies in the current database, making it unreliable for private and public sector needs and for EU purposes. There is also a conclusion that a re-registration of all businesses is necessary.
This plan is outlined in the Draft Fiscal Strategy from now until the end of 2027, which is currently under public consultation. The document does not specify the deadlines for consolidating the registers.
The initial step will involve merging the Central Register of Taxpayers and Insured Persons (CROO) with the registers managed by Monstat and the Central Register of Business Entities (CRPS) into the Agency for Registers, which will issue company identification numbers (PIB). Currently, PIBs are issued by both CRPS and Monstat.
The document notes that the business database should be prepared for future connection with the business registers of EU member states.
“Cleaning up the CRPS database, considering the current status and the significant number of practically inactive companies, based on comparative experiences from neighboring countries, suggests that it would be very beneficial to re-register all business entities to ensure an up-to-date database. This is a prerequisite for all types of serious analytics needed by both the private and public sectors. Similar problems were faced by neighboring countries such as Serbia, North Macedonia, and Slovenia,” the Draft Fiscal Strategy states.
It explains that for the Montenegrin register, it is necessary to start the process of aligning all business entities based on the legally prescribed procedures. This would ensure a reliable and trustworthy register for all interested parties – private sector, public sector, and the EU.
“This process should enable CRPS to distinguish between active and inactive/up-to-date and outdated business entities. This will simultaneously achieve compliance with the EU Directive in this area,” the Draft Fiscal Strategy adds.
The Ministry of Finance has established an inter-ministerial working group to prepare an Analysis of the Regulatory Framework for Categorizing Non-operational Organizations. All relevant ministries, administrative bodies, government representatives, and the Secretariat of the Competitiveness Council are involved in preparing this Analysis according to their competencies.
