The Municipality of Pljevlja recorded more than 26 million euros in revenue in the first nine months of the year, or 79.79% of its annual budget, according to the municipality’s financial figures. The budget was planned at 32,625,000 euros, leaving revenue below the full-year target after three quarters.
Current revenue brought in just under 13 million euros. Taxes were the largest source, at 7.38 million euros, including 5.43 million euros from personal income tax. Property tax revenue was about 1.26 million euros, nearly 37.7% of the annual target of 3.35 million euros.
Fees generated 5.45 million euros, including 4.77 million euros from the use of natural resources, equal to 155% of the annual plan. Forest-use fees contributed nearly 3.29 million euros, or 381% of the planned 850,000 euros.
The municipality’s Finance Secretariat explained that forest concession revenue exceeded forecasts because the Public Company Montenegro Forests (Crna Gora šume) did not start operating on 1 January as initially planned. Pljevlja had expected its concession-fee income to fall substantially once the company began work. The Government extended the existing concession-fee collection model for another year, resulting in higher-than-planned receipts.
Transfers from the Equalisation Fund provided about 5.17 million euros, 27% more than the 4.15 million euros budgeted for the full year. A further 5.9 million euros was carried over from the previous year.
Expenditure during the nine-month period was just over 17 million euros, with 3.55 million euros spent on capital investment, the largest spending category. The municipality did not take on new borrowing during the period.
Total outstanding liabilities of the municipality and its public companies were about 4.4 million euros. The municipality’s own liabilities, including those of public institutions it established, amounted to 1.29 million euros. Of 10.82 million euros in tax debt rescheduled in 2015, half has been paid.
Pljevlja also owes 1,014,000 euros to Montenegro’s state power utility, Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG), over an unlawfully collected environmental fee. The debt is being repaid in 10 equal annual instalments. The remaining balance on a European Investment Bank loan for a wastewater treatment plant is 1.63 million euros.
