Press conference following 78th Cabinet session

Podgorica, Montenegro (24 May 2018) -- Press conference following 78th Cabinet session was held today, 24 May 2018, at the Press Centre of the Government.

Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Kemal Purišić informed the public about the Information on the need for a Programme of training and employment of young people with acquired higher education in informal business affairs – "Stop the Grey Economy".

As Minister Purišić pointed out, the Employment Agency of Montenegro, the Administration for Inspection Affairs, the Department of Public Revenues and the Police Administration are implementing this Programme for the third year in a row.

"This Programme is intended for unemployed persons with acquired higher education, aged up to 30 years, and who have acquired a working experience of at least 9 months through vocational training," the Minister said, adding that 180 people from the Employment Agency’s register will be included in the Programme.

After the training, they will perform technical tasks, such as check of tax returns and applications for employment, determining the calculation of tax liabilities, employment of foreigners, detection of informal work and monitoring of the tourist season. Minister Purišić stated that the Programme will be implemented in all municipalities, and financed through the Employment Agency from the position of an active measure of employment policy. The total budget for the Programme amounts to EUR 555,000.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Investment and Development Fund of Montenegro (IDF MN) Zoran Vukčević presented at today’s press conference the Report on the work of the Investment and Development Fund of Montenegro for 2017, with financial statements and the Independent Auditor’s Report for 2017, adopted by the Government today.

He said that the IDF has allocated a total of EUR 175.6 million in 2017, which is 46 percent more than planned, and 38 percent more than in 2016. During 2017, the IDF approved 407 of 574 loan applications, or about 71 percent.

Special attention has been paid to priority sectors of development – tourism, agriculture, production in general, as well as balanced regional development. In that sense, more than EUR 64 million was allocated to less developed municipalities.

"In 2017, we directly allocated 85 percent of the total number of allocations. Therefore, it is a significant increase compared to 2016, when this percentage was 71 percent," Mr. Vukčević said.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO