After years of unsuccessful business and huge losses, the Institute is finally improving production and placing products on the market which, with their quality, can meet the needs of customers, among whom are more and more foreign companies.
"We decided to launch a new technology line, a siphon mold instead of the existing boiler one. We also went to purchase a new crystallizer. All this enables us to have a higher quality product and greater production in the coming period, and to rejoice in the quality that was recognized not only in Montenegro but also in the wider region," Nikolic said in an interview.
The products of the Institute, which are majority owned by the state, besides Zeljezara, the coal mine, Thermal Plants and KAP, are also bought by companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia. Nikolic says new customers from the region and the entire world are being announced.
"In the coming months, we expect a serious breakthrough into the Kosovo and Albania markets. There is interest from Germany and Britain, and representatives of the Turkish company Ojal Metal, who have already visited the Institute's facilities twice and are convinced of the seriousness in the measures taken here. They promised that by the end of the year, they would redeem the entire production we could organize, which is very encouraging," Nikolic said, adding that there is no need for Montenegrin entrepreneurs to import products that are far below their quality and pay more.
The Institute currently employs about 70 workers whose obligations are being fulfilled regularly.
"The average earning, unfortunately, is about 460 euro. My task is to increase the average salary for the workers because they are too low for the serious jobs they are doing," concluded Nikolic, pointing out that all the problems in the company have been solved in the past six months without financial assistance from the state.
Neglected payment deadlines, debts to suppliers, tax debt, two unfavorable commercial loans, poor staff structure, lack of collective contracts, and divided trade unions, are only part of the problems Nikolic faced just half a year ago when he took over the management of the Institute. To introduce the order of business, Nikolić says that they first financially consolidated, introduced new payment rules and increased financial discipline.
"When negotiating, we are asking for an advance payment of 50 percent of the contracted value. My goal is to charge every euro for the service or product that the Institute provides. I will not forgive a single euro to anyone. If they fail to comply with their obligations, there are court executives who will deal with the problem," said Nikolic.
Text by Dnevne novine, on June 12th, 2018, read more at CdM
