Citizens’ support and active participation crucial in combating gray economy

Podgorica, Montenegro (31 July 2013) – Montenegro’s Finance Minister Radoje Žugić and UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative to Montenegro Rastislav Vrbensky signed a cost sharing agreement for the project "Involving Citizens in Combating Gray Economy".

Project primarily aims to establish fast and efficient communication between citizens and authorities responsible for combating gray economy, and to enable citizens to actively participate in the fight against this negative phenomenon. To this end, the project relies on the web and mobile application "Be Responsible," which was awarded at the recent competition "Open Ideas for Montenegro," and is already being used for reporting various irregularities. The project will be followed by an intensive public campaign.

Finance Minister Žugić stressed the importance of the fight against grey economy for the public finances stability, creation of equal conditions and respect for the rule of law. In this regard, he stressed the importance of public support and active participation of citizens in the campaign against gray economy which is currently being carried out by competent state authorities.

"In order to further motivate people to point to specific instances of gray economy, the Government has decided that 50% of the amount of the sentences imposed by citizens' complaints will be invested for the purpose of general public importance, such as the procurement of deficient medical equipment or improving conditions in facilities of social, child and health protection, " FM Žugić said, adding that citizens themselves will have final say on determining the ways of investing this money.

UN Representative in Montenegro Rastislav Vrbensky expressed belief that citizens' participation in this project will be significant resource and support in the public institutions' fight against grey economy. "I find particularly important the fact that the project combines efforts of state institutions, civil society and citizens, thus achieving synergy and partnership in order to resolve this important social issue," he stressed.

The project "Involving Citizens in Combating Gray Economy" was adopted by the Government last Thursday, thus providing support for the initiative, launched by the Government's Public Relations Bureau and the Creative Team of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, to integrate technical, human and technical resources of the public sector, civil society and citizens in combating gray economy.

Initially, the project will be implemented during a six-month period and its total budget amounts to EUR 66,000.