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PM Marković: Grey economy is our key deficit, we need to make those who work illegally aware that they take future away from our children

Published on: Dec 26, 2018 11:15 PM Author: PR Service
PR Service PR Service

Podgorica, Montenegro (26 december 2018) -- Prime Minister Duško Marković called on business people to work together with the Government to suppress the grey economy he considers the key deficit of Montenegro's economy.

"The grey economy is devastating not only for the economic environment and business operations of your companies, but also for the consciousness of our people. We need to show that the moonlighting is unethical, unreasonable and punishable by the law," said the Prime Minister.

He added that the fight against the grey economy requires joint actions both by the Government and the economy, and that everything cannot be done by the law: "We cannot approve for those who work illegally. We need to make them aware that they are taking the future away from our children," PM Marković underlined.

As an illustration, the Prime Minister stressed the fact that 9,000 companies in Montenegro have only one employee, which is not logical. "What is that? A fraud!" said the Prime Minister.

"We need to introduce a state of emergency in the administration to tackle weaknesses," the Prime Minister noted, adding that he does not allow excuses for shared competences and that in 2019 the Government will be focused on addressing this kind of challenge.

Part of company's profit needs to be redirected to employees

The Prime Minister said that each of our policies must take into account the people who work for us, that is, an individual, an employee, a worker. Given the fact that many data have been presented at today's meeting, the Prime Minister added that such a political situation, such a course of reforms and this result contributed to the growth of company's profit. "I would like part of that profit to be redirected to the standard of employees in companies. If we managed to register this in the six months of the following year as a new approach, I tell you this would become a real story ... to finally begin to reduce the tax burden on labour. There is no justification that it is now at the level of 67%. There is no business plan that can justify such high burden rates. This Government speaks openly, we are the people who recognise weaknesses. But we are also the people who are obligated before the Constitution and before the law to respond to these weaknesses," Prime Minister Duško Marković pointed out.

I want economic growth above IMF projections

Speaking about projections for the next year, the Prime Minister said he appreciates the conservative projections of the Ministry of Finance for 2019 of 2.8%, but that he expects much more.

"If I knew it would be 2.8% in 2019, I would resign today. ... I respect the projection, but I am not interested in it! I want higher growth! The growth could be at the level of 4.1%, not 2.8%. That should be our task. We respect estimates, but we need to achieve more. Because of you, your employees, we have to do this because of the citizens of Montenegro, because of our future and our economy. There is no overall progress unless we have a developed economy and long-term sustainable growth," Prime Minister Duško Marković highlighted.

He thanked the business people for their partnership, understanding and solidarity in working together with the Government to overcome the challenges, limitations and deficits, and said that in the next year, the Government will remains a partner of the Chamber of Commerce.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT
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