Prime Minister Milojko Spajić stated at the Business Agenda forum, organized by the Union of Employers of Montenegro and the International Labour Organization, that he is against the indiscriminate increase in gross salaries in the public sector. He also emphasized that the Development Bank had been lacking for the state all these years, according to a report by RTCG.
Predrag Leković from Porto Montenegro welcomed the bold decisions by the government regarding visa-free regimes for certain countries and excise duties for yachts and vessels, which will help boost the tourism sector.
Spajić explained that a gap existed between “Europe 1” and “Europe 2” that allowed for the indiscriminate increase in gross salaries. He criticized an analysis by some individuals from the Faculty of Economics that suggested an increase in net salaries, claiming it resulted in inflation. Spajić dismissed the analysis as disgraceful.
During the forum, Spajić acknowledged the weaknesses in Montenegro’s public administration and revealed that the government had requested from the EU to reduce public administration by 20%, but had not received approval for some of the proposals. He stressed that Europe is seeking a balanced approach to solving this issue, in line with EU regulations.
He also clarified that the Development Bank is not in competition with the private sector, stating, “What private banks cannot do, the Development Bank can. It follows Montenegro’s developmental policy.” He added that the Development Bank was something the country had been lacking all these years.
“If the state gives a loan for your project, it wants it to succeed,” Spajić explained. “But to avoid harming the private sector, we have the Credit Guarantee Fund, where the state will guarantee loans if a private bank begins to compete with the Development Bank.”
