- Government of Montenegro
PM Marković holds consultations with civil society...
PM Marković holds consultations with civil society representatives: Good intentions and sincere desire for cooperation
Podgorica, Montenegro (20 January 2016) -- Prime Minister Duško Marković held earlier today consultations with representatives of the civil society, sponsored by the Centre for Development of NGOs (CRNVO).
He voiced the Government's willingness and openness for the comprehensive cooperation with the civil society based on principles of mutual respect.
PM Marković said it is very important to establish direct communication at the beginning of the Government's mandate with a view to developing and implementing high-quality policies in the time to come.
"I consider it is necessary to continue the dialogue within the Council for the Development of NGOs, since we expect a number of laws to be passed this year, such as the Law Amending the Law on NGOs, as well as the adoption of a new Strategy for the Development of NGOs in Montenegro 2017-2020, whose implementation will be coordinated by the newly established Ministry of Public Administration," he explained.
Prime Minister Marković reminded that in 2016, the Government allocated, from multiple sources, EUR 3.3 million to the NGOs, and that EUR 3,650,000 will be allocated in 2017.
“This year's amount is even higher, regardless of the fact that we had to draft the fiscal consolidation plan for 2017, which means saving money on many levels,“ he noted.
European Commission, in its report dealing with the status of the civil society in the Western Balkans, describes Montenegro as the most advanced, with the best developed mechanism of involving civil society in the development of strategic policy, adoption of legislation and the Government's activities, the Prime Minister emphasised.
He also stated that public consultations with representatives of civil society were launched in January 2012 aimed at forming the negotiating structures, and that nowadays, out od 1.300 members 292 are representatives of the civil society, of which 52 are representatives of NGOs.