- Government of Montenegro
The 60th Cabinet session – 24 February 2022
The 60th Cabinet session – 24 February 2022
The Montenegrin Cabinet, at its 60th session held on 24 February 2022, chaired by Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić, adopted the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Energy with the Report from the Public Debate. The adoption of the proposed regulation establishes the obligation to label liquid fuels produced from petroleum and biofuels that are placed on the Montenegrin market, in order to further regulate and develop the market and create conditions for its better functioning. It was emphasised in the discussion that the new legal framework will enable better monitoring and control of trade in this fuel as a control system is provided at each stage of the transport chain. Thus, unfair competition is prevented.
The Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Excise Duties was adopted. In order to ensure the stability of prices of petroleum products and protect the living standards due to their increase in the world market, the Cabinet decided to reduce excise duties to 20 percent for unleaded fuel and fuel oil for a month. In addition to the above, the proposed legal solution redefines the taxation of smokeless tobacco products for which excise duty would be paid per kilogram of tobacco mixture, which would ensure regional compliance, as well as revenue stability on this basis. Namely, the amount of excise duty on these products in the period from 1 June 2022 to 31 December 2022 would be EUR 100.00 per kg, from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023 EUR 145.00 per kg, while from 1 January 2024, the excise tax would amount to EUR 190.00 per kg. The proposed legal solution also envisages the introduction of excise duty on chewing and sniffing tobacco, in the amount of EUR 40.00 per kg. In addition to the above, the proposed law introduces new tobacco products into the taxation system, for which the amount of excise duty of EUR 35.00 per kilogram is proposed. It is also proposed to introduce excise duty on disposable plastic products, in order to reduce the negative impacts of their use on the environment.
As part of the implementation of obligations from the process of accession to the European Union, the Cabinet adopted the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Patents with a Report on Public Debate, which improves the legal framework in the field of supplementary protection certificates. The proposed amendments introduce the same level of protection of the holder of the supplementary protection certificate for medicinal products in Montenegro as in the EU Member States, which will have a stimulating effect on innovation and freedom of competition in the market. The adoption of this Law fulfills the obligations set out in Article 75 of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and the Common Position with the EU on Negotiating Chapter 7 - Intellectual Property Law.
The Cabinet adopted the Decree on the conditions, manner and dynamics of the implementation of agricultural policy measures for 2022 - AGROBUDGET.
The funds envisaged by the Agrobudget were allocated in the total amount of EUR 50.9 million, of which EUR 35.9 million from national funds, which is 33% more than in the previous year and 47% more than in 2020.
The Agrobudget for 2022 is developmental and all sectors are supported. All support measures targeted at agricultural producers have been increased by a minimum of 10% to 30% compared to the previous year, which will directly contribute to the improvement of primary production and processing capacity.
In order to promote gender equality, the Agrobudget for 2022 has created a significant number of measures with additional support of 10% for women-run farms. In addition, a new measure has been introduced aimed at promoting women's entrepreneurship. The aim is to empower young people and women in rural areas through various types of support.
The Information on the need to create commodity reserves was adopted.
The Cabinet adopted the Information on the Financial Plan with the work programme for 2022 of "Ski Resorts of Montenegro" Mojkovac and gave its consent to the Financial Plan. The Information states that the planned revenues, i.e. expenses, of this Company for 2022 amount to 1.64 million euros.
The Cabinet adopted the Information on the participation of Montenegro in the 59th Venice Biennale and the conclusion of the Agreement on the lease of exhibition space for the period 2022-2024 and accepted the text of the Agreement.