Press release following 39th Cabinet session

Podgorica, Montenegro (8 September 2017) -- At today's 39th session, the Montenegrin Cabinet passed the Draft Law on Amending the Law on Budget and Fiscal Responsibility. The proposed amendments extended the deadline for municipalities to submit a request for the approval of a limit overrun, i.e., the budget deficit by 15 October 2017, for the next year, provided that this overrun is intended to finance capital expenditures. Furthermore, it is envisaged that the budget after this change should include the maximum level of spending that is binding for the first year, and indicative for the second and third fiscal years. This creates legal preconditions for avoiding significant problems in the functioning of municipalities, as well as for ensuring transparency of binding and indicative levels of budget spending.

Today's session passed the nformation on the establishment of a guarantee fund and microcreditation within the Investment Development Fund, which includes a strategic overview of the topics related to scheme guarantees and microcredit, in order to support the development of entrepreneurship and the opening of new micro, small and medium enterprises, as well as new instruments for support for job creation. Furthermore, this document examines issues and formulates proposals related to nature, legal form, regulatory framework, as well as concrete proposals for decisions to be made.

Cabinet adopted the Action Plan 2017/2018 for the implementation of the National Strategy for the Prevention of Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol-Related Disorders in Montenegro 2013-2020. The Action Plan is an operational document that sets out the activities, measures and bearers for their implementation in the period 2017-2018. Planned measures and activities are aimed at reducing the use of alcohol, as well as the harmful consequences of its use, and above all disease, mortality and other social consequences arising from it.

At the proposal of the Ministry of Economy, the Government decided that the construction of two facilities by "Imperio Holdings Limited" Herceg Novi and "Rus Invest Group" Herceg Novi is of importance for the development of the State. These are the facilities of the electricity infrastructure needed for connection to the network, and the consent of the Government of Montenegro, in accordance with the Law on Energy, is necessary in order to speed up the process of their construction. Discussion emphasised that this infrastructure would be used for more secure and better supply of a larger area of consumption in the territory of the Municipality of Herceg Novi, especially in the part of Kumbor, Luštica and Meljine.

Today' meeting passed the information on participation in the NATO ADRCC consequence management field exercise “BOSNA "BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 2017." The exercise includes providing support to national institutions in order to improve disaster resilience through the improvement of planning, prevention, preparedness and response to disasters. The Montenegrin team participating in this exercise will include representatives of the Directorate for Emergency Situations of the Ministry of the Interior and the services for protection and rescue of the Capital City of Podgorica, Old Royal Capital Cetinje and the municipalities of Tivat, Kotor and Ulcinj.

Government passed the Decision on the Establishment of the National Council for Education. A council of 21 members has been appointed for four years. Council will be chaired by Prof. Dr Đorđe Borozan.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO