Montenegro's Cabinet session

Podgorica, Montenegro (29 May 2015) – At yesterday’s Cabinet session, the Government approved the Bill amending the Law on minority rights and freedoms aimed at strengthening institutional support for better respect for the minority rights and freedoms, reaching transparency and efficiency of the procedures regarding the allocation of funds for the implementation of projects towards preservation and development of national and ethnic characteristic of minorities and other minority communities. Basic guidelines of the reforms being pursued in the Fund for Minorities are focused on preventing conflicts of interest and introducing two levels of decision-making when it comes to projects funded by the Fund.

The Government was also informed yesterday about the unsettled debts of the Fund for Health Insurance of Montenegro. Voicing its willingness to prevent irrational and unjustified spending in the health care system, the Government tasked the Ministry of Health to submit detailed information about causes and dynamics of the unplanned spending within the period of 15 days.

The Report of the Commission for Monitoring Actions of Competent Authorities in the Investigation of Cases of Threats and Violence against Journalists for the period June-September 2014 and October 2014 – January 2015, was also on the session’s agenda. The Government stated that the law enforcement authorities whose representatives are also part of the Commission responded to the Commission’s inquires in a timely manner and in accordance to the law. Issues regarding the failure of submitting the required documentation are the result of the oversight of the Montenegrin Agency for Personal Data Protection to submit the opinion upon the request of the Police Directorate.

The Government discussed the status and protection of the former state-run company of Solana “Bajo Sekulić” AD Ulcinj and development activities in this area, as well as the request for providing funds for its functioning as a debtor. Having in mind the company’s importance for Montenegro’s ecology, the Government approved a loan from the current budgetary reserves to the Commercial Court in order to urgently rehabilitate the infrastructural installations which functioning is essential for the preservation of the biodiversity area. After the sale of the “Bajo Sekulić” debtor those fund will be returned to the Budget of Montenegro.

The Government also appointed Miodrag Radunović, former Minister of Health, as Adviser to the Prime Minister.