November 14, 2018 - The public enterprise Sea Property supported the activities of the Municipality of Tivat and the competent inspection services on the removal of illegally built facilities on the planned route, with the aim of successfully carrying out works on the construction of the first phase of the coastal promenade - lungo mare in Krašići.

As stated by Sea Property, a 400m long walkway project is realized through the cooperation of this company and the Municipality of Tivat, according to the Joint Financing Agreement on Lungo Mare Construction in Krašići

"The public company participates with funds of 185,000 euros, while the Municipality of Tivat is the carrier of the project's realization activities," the statement says.

As a reminder, the Joint Financing Agreement, initially for the preparation of project documentation and an environmental impact assessment and then investing in the first phase of the construction of the promenade, was signed by the Public Company and Tivat Municipality by the end of 2016.

"We emphasize that the example of removing illegal objects in Krasići is a real indicator of public interest in the first place - building a modern promenade that will make the Krašići coast more beautiful and enjoyable for locals and more attractive for visitors and tourists," said Sea Property.

November 14, 2018 - Bearing in mind the realization of large infrastructure projects in the sectors of transport, energy and tourism, it is necessary to make a decision as soon as possible on the possibility of starting the cement production in Pljevlja and valorizing quality resources, which, for this purpose, this area is rich in, it was estimated at a meeting in the Chamber of Commerce Montenegro, which was attended by the President of this association, Vlastimir Golubović, and the Minister of Economy, Dragica Sekulić, with associates, representatives of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, the Municipality of Pljevlja, the Electric Power Industry of Montenegro, the Coal Mine, Railway Infrastructure, the Faculty of Civil Engineering and prominent businessmen.

According to Golubovic, Montenegro imported cement worth 41,149,891 euros in the previous year, while in the first nine months of this year 39,043,241 euros were spent for that purpose. He also said that the Strategy for the Development of Civil Engineering in Montenegro by 2020 foresees building the capacity for the production of cement, with the full respect of the ecological standards of environmental protection and quality of life, as well as new capacities for the production of brick, gypsum, and additives.

The cement factory should be built in Pljevlja, according to the initiative, because this municipality is rich in marl, coal, fly ash and gypsum.

This would allow the valorization of marl which, in the exploitation of coal, is a waste. Using marls for the needs of the cement factory would reduce the area for the outlying landfills and the costs of coal production. The use of fly ash from TPP Pljevlja would substantially solve the problem of its disposal. An optimal valorization of coal with higher thermal efficiency would be achieved. As a basic energy fuel, coal from the Pljevlja basin would be used.

By building a factory of cement, and later other plants for the production of concrete semi-finished products and finished products, it would be possible to increase the road traffic, rail and port capacities. By opening a cement factory and through related jobs, it would be possible to employ 800 to 1000 workers.

PHOTO: PKCG

During the meeting, besides the economic benefits, it was also pointed to the ecological reasons, since the cement plant would also use the by-products of the Thermal Power Plant Pljevlja as a raw material. Businessmen believe that it is necessary to find an experienced and quality investor who, using modern technology, will make the best use of this raw material and be able to sell the produced cement quantities on the regional market in conditions of strong competition.

They point out that the old cement factory in Pljevlja, which has been working for 12 years, produced better quality cement than the competition in the region, that is, Dalmatia, Kosjeric and Kostolac. The divided opinions were heard whether the precondition for the construction and operation of cement factory is the realization of a railway line project between Bijelo Polje and Pljevlja. It was pointed out that the transport of cement to road traffic routes would lead to their possible rapid damage, but on the other hand, it was pointed out also the example of Kosjeric where the railways are not used for this purpose at all.

According to Sekulić, the project for the construction of a cement plant requires a serious private investor who could place Montenegrin cement on the market of the region or beyond. The investor is the one who should recognize the economic interest and ultimately whether the construction of the cement plant is acceptable. The model that the investor can elaborate can also involve the construction of the mentioned railway line. The state, he said, is developing an environment that is attractive for investment and will soon organize a public tender for expressions of interest and present the mineral resources available, which can be used for the production of the cement.

PHOTO: PKCG

"In this way, we will get feedback from the businessmen, about the willingness to invest as well as the possible models of using the mineral resources we have available. If the interest in investing in the cement plant is expressed, then the creation of documentation would involve the granting of marl for concession and specification other conditions whose fulfillment would contribute to the profitability of this business," Sekulić said.

Mirko Djacic, president of the municipality of Pljevlja, said that the undeniable advantages of a cement plant in terms of hiring people and using the by-products of the thermal power plant are there. He thinks that the most complex challenge is to find investors. According to him, it can be a strong private company or the state through the Coal Mine or Electro company of Montenegro.

The long-time director of the Coal Mine and the former cement factory in Pljevlja, Djordjie Dzuverovic, said that the cement from Pljevlja had very good results in terms of water-resistances and color that is suitable for natural-concrete - very demanded in the world market. He believes that for the construction of a new cement factory, it is necessary first to remedy the current ecological problems in that town by central heating with the source from the Thermal Power Plant. Director of Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant Vladimir Šestović said that ash, slag, and chemical gypsum are a big problem for this company and that the cement factory is a unique chance that all this by-product and marl from the waste-point Jagnjilo to be used as raw materials. Ljubisa Ćurčić, the director of Railway Infrastructure, said that this company completed the preliminary design of the construction of the railroad’s route Pljevlja-Bijelo Polje in the length of 56.42 kilometers. In the first years, it would transport 1.2 million tons of cargo, and later up to 1.7 million tons.

He believes that the construction of this railroad route is necessary for the functioning of the cement plant. Professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering dr. Radenko Pejovic believes that it is necessary to speed up the processes related to the construction of the cement factory, and assessed that the opportunity for the business that was brought by the intensive construction in Montenegro was missed.

Text by Vijesti online, on November 13th, 2018, read more at Vijesti

13 November 2018 - On November 13, 2018, the President of the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro, Vlastimir Golubović, was presented with the Danube Charter for the contribution of connecting people, ideas and markets of the Danube region.

This award was presented at the 7th Danube Business Forum in Novi Sad, Serbia, which brought together high-ranking officials, including the Minister of Economic Development of Slovenia, Zdravko Počivalšek, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the regional chambers of the Region, the national coordinators of the Danube Strategy in the governments of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and numerous other participants in the field of politics, economics, diplomacy, culture and the media.

The Danube Business Forum is dedicated to the Danube Strategy in the role of business in achieving its goals, strengthening prosperity and more efficient use of potential.

The topic of the plenary session of the Forum was "The Danube Strategy, Positive Experiences and Expectations", while the panels discussed smart cities, media in the aspects of objectivity, creative criticism and sensationalism, the regions as bridges of integrative processes, business and prosperity, the importance of science for the development of agriculture, agro-industry and concepts of smart villages, medicine and pharmacy, and transport and logistics as a great opportunity for Serbia.

President Golubović said that the Danube Charter is a great honour, especially since its work on developing regional cooperation has been recognized and awarded in the year of the jubilee when the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro celebrates nine decades of work.

Golubović emphasizes that the Danube Forum should send a message that the implementation of the Danube Strategy and the achievement of its objectives is not possible if the business community does not become involved actively in its implementation. This applies in particular to countries that are in its border zone and which, like Montenegro, do not coordinate any priority areas. “Therefore, it is my opinion that the chambers of the member states should establish a working body to discuss common issues and create an institutional network for the preparation, application, and implementation of joint projects financed through the Interreg - Danube Transnational Program," the President said.

The Chamber of Economy of Montenegro is currently implementing two cooperation projects from this program, while the priorities of the Danube Strategy are the following: "improving the mobility and multimodality of road, rail and air traffic", "support for sustainable energy development", "support to improving the competitiveness of enterprises, including the development of clusters" and "the development of society through research, education and information technology". 

“We need to give special importance to projects in the field of digitization, which is the main driver of change and progress. Reduction in operating costs, free and unlimited access to the global market, and digital innovation are the advantages that the digitalization of markets brings to small economies, ”concluded the President of the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro.

PORTODIMARE Conference in Synergy with Blue Growth and Environmental Quality Meetings in Budva

November 13, 2018 - The quality of electricity supply can be better, Economy Minister Dragica Sekulic said yesterday, adding that the 50 million euros, which the Montenegrin Electricity Distribution System (CEDIS) has chosen to invest in the network, will reduce the number and duration of the electricity outages.

According to Pobjeda, Executive Director of CEDIS, Zoran Djukanovic, said that the company is aware of the fact that, especially in rural areas, the quality of the power supply is not at a satisfactory level.

"I am not satisfied neither as a citizen nor as a minister responsible for the quality of electricity supply, because I would not be in CEDIS today and we would not talk for some time about how to give the best effects with limited resources," Sekulic said at the press conference after a meeting with the management of CEDIS.

She stated that the distribution network was designed for a smaller number of users and added that it would have to adapt to the requirements.

"The more we are distant from Podgorica and certain tourist centers, the quality of supply is weaker," Sekulic said and added that there were no investments in the network for a long time.

She recalled that the ministry and CEDIS have been preparing a revitalization program and that CEDIS has committed 50 million euros for the next three years.

"With those 50 million CEDIS intends to improve the quality of the power supply for the citizens. In the next three years, we intend to fix a certain number of transmission lines, airlines, and reduce the number and duration of electricity outages," Sekulic said and explained that it is not a classic replacement of pillars and wires, but that this project will be measured by indicators that speak about the quality of power supply.

She pointed out that every euro invested in the network must be justified by the number of interruptions, the duration and the quality of the voltage level used by the citizens. She pointed out that a significant topic is a connection to the network. 

"The intention of the ministry is that in the upcoming period, and we will try by the end of the year, to initiate a change in a number of regulations in order to simplify the process of connecting consumers to the network," Sekulic said. Djukanovic said that CEDIS is aware of the fact that, especially in rural areas, the quality of power supply for the citizens is not at a satisfactory level.

"Through communication with the Government and the Ministry, this project was designed in order to invest about EUR 50 million in a relatively short period in order to reduce the duration and number of electricity outages, as well as to improve the voltage conditions for the citizens in the suburbs," explained Djukanovic and stressed that the network was neglected in favor of the tourist region, so the quality of this service is too low. 

"Network connections are one of the most complex processes in CEDIS. We have made some conclusions and I hope that we will come up with new solutions that will shorten the time of connection to the new users," added Djukanovic.

Text by Pobjeda, on November 13th 2018, read more at CdM

November 12, 2018 - About 20 citizens met on Monday at 7pm in the square of Nikola Đurković in Herceg Novi, said Mirsad Kurgaš, initiator of the SOS for Montenegro Network. Kurgaš spent four days walking 145 kilometers from Ulcinj to Herceg Novi to point out to the Montenegrin public of the dangers threatening us from fossil fuel exploration, which would begin on November 14 in Ulcinj's Aquatics.

The SOS for Montenegro March Lasted for Four Days, But it is Just Part of the Campaign

The SOS for Montenegro Network has launched a public information campaign on non-transparent circumstances under which hydrocarbon exploration projects in the Montenegrin submarine are being implemented. SOS for Montenegro calls for a contract termination with the Eni-Novatek consortium, which is recognized by ecocids worldwide, and the introduction of a moratorium on exploration and exploitation of fossil fuels. The signing of the petition, both in Montenegrin and English, is being carried out with the same purpose. The four-day march started from Ulcinj on Friday, 9 November, and Kurgaš, the only participant along the entire 145km route, arrived at Herceg Novi tonight. A petition was also organized during the reception, and among the 50 citizens who joined, there were also representatives of the Herceg Novi Administration, NGOs Anima and the Initiative Bokobran. The petition was signed in Ulcinj, Bar, Petrovac, Budva, and Kotor in the previous days. The response of Tivat citizens was completely absent unless we removed the activists of the Bokobran Initiative, who welcomed Kurgaš in this town.

SOS for Montenegro March Supported by Green Home and Other NGOs, Also by Fishermen

"The non-governmental organization Green Home has given the maximum support. Their activists walked with me every day. We are also supported by NGO Porat Pizana from Budva. Many people I've encountered recognize the problem. Many, however, do not know what's waiting for us or what our decision makers are trying to do. They do not know that it is preceded by the final act, which will attach the last nail to the cover of the dead man's suitcase for Montenegro," says Kurgaš.

Kurgaš believes that we still have time to defend against the drilling of the Adriatic Sea, and the reason for optimism was first of all in Bar, where the March welcomed a large number of citizens. "The fishermen came in at once, both from professional associations and from sport fishermen associations. For 14 November, the exploration of the seismic vessel in the Bar Aquatics was announced. Together with the fishermen, we plan to meet them adequately," says Kurgaš.

Montenegrin Environmental Institutions and Tourism Industry Not Part of SOS for Montenegro Campaign

When asked about the Montenegrin institutions that are in charge of environmental issues, in the first place is the Agency for the Protection of the Environment, and then the Institute for Marine Biology, and the Seismology Institute, and their actions in informing citizens about the consequences from orientation towards the oil industry, Kurgaš points out:

"When we talked to representatives of the oil company, on all the issues they did not know to give us answers, they referred to our institutions. When we were trying to get information from the Seismology Institute, they sent us to the Directorate for Hydrocarbons. However, by searching the Internet, we have come to the Seismological Institute's map on their official site, which shows the epicenters of all earthquakes in 1979. Here you can see that there were over 400 earthquakes with epicenter records this year and one of these earthquake epicenters is on 15 April. This epicenter is in the so-called Block 26, for which the Greek company Energean has been granted a concession. If we take into account the fact that seismic research of hydrocarbons provokes seismic disturbances, or, by ten times, increases the likelihood of the earthquake, then we can assume what this means for Montenegro, or specifically for our coasts and underwater, which is recognized as a truncated area."

It is noteworthy that neither tourist associations are involved in a public dialogue on the expected impact of oil exploration nor exploitation on the Montenegrin tourist industry, notes Kurgaš. "None of the tourist organizations have spoken. Oil platforms and tourism do not coexist, there is no such example in the world. If we take into account how our tourism organization works, then their inertness in the concrete situation can be clear, but it is not clear to us that those who have invested huge sums of money to build, for example, Porto Montenegro or Luštica Bay or Splendid are not involved. I do not know if they are thinking about this topic at all."

Returning to the competent ecological institutions, Kurgaš reminded of a completely different approach to the Institute of Marine Biology, when in 2003 it was explicitly urged of seismic research, citing the specific reasons for such an attitude. "However, that same Institute of Biology must now give the green light for the same research. We simply do not know why it is so. Have people changed in the meantime in the institute? We assume that they have experts even now, so we are not clear why they have to take such an attitude, even if the unprofessional public is clearly aware of the catastrophic consequences of such activities on ecosystems. Just go online and find millions of examples of why we should not let this happen to us in Montenegro. During the exploration in the Ulcinj aquatics in 2003, there was a terrible seabed of fish. Some species have disappeared and almost only started to appear again, which was witnessed by Ulcinj’s fishermen. So, Ulcinjans already have experience with the consequences of seismic research, of course, ugly experience. During this and last year, the concessionaires have been testing the terrain in the Bar aquatics, the trajectory of these probes is available on the SOS for Montenegro FB page. Barge fishermen say it has already caused the consequences, and that the fish are gone. Also, fishermen in Bar already have problems when it comes to the representatives of the oil companies and the official state institutions that assist them in this regard. They already do not allow them to sail out of the marina. If it happens to be the case, they are urgently returning to the coast."

SOS for Montenegro to Force Government to Withdraw Contract with Eni-Novatek

The aim of the SOS for Montenegro initiative is to mobilize the Montenegrin public to press Montenegro's government to withdraw concession contracts for exploration and exploitation of oil and gas, and to introduce a moratorium on such activities in the future. Although the citizens are still not massively involved in the protest, the march organizers are happy with the effect of the action, says Kurgaš.

"As they are not familiar with oil and gas exploration, citizens are not well informed about our march. However, I am very happy that people joined me along the way. I got different expressions of support, people showed me regardless of age and any other difference. They are explicitly opposed to what they intend to do and are prepared to make their contribution to this fight. I believe we will succeed in choosing to. The fishermen began to appear, it seems that they started slowly to get the fear they had. And fear has a reason because it is very likely that they are being subjected to tremendous pressure. They are now starting to resist and resist."

EU and Other Adriatic Countries Should be a Part of SOS for Montenegro

Fishermen can be the last line of defense of the Montenegrin submarine in light of the fact that Montenegro is preparing to open one of the last negotiating chapters with the European Union - Chapter 27 on fisheries.

"By me, Chapter 27 is absolutely incompatible with what is being prepared here. I do not know whether the representatives of the European Union participating in these negotiations have the status of events in Montenegro. In any case, they will have to define their attitude in that regard. This is not, as we have repeatedly emphasized, the only problem of Montenegro, but of all the countries around the Adriatic. If Montenegrin rulers choose to bury us with their own decisions, it is not to be expected that Croatia, for example, will close their eyes, as the announced research will also reflect on them. And in Albania, Italy, Slovenia. The neighboring states and the European Union will have to react to all this, they will definitely not be able to stay alongside," concludes Mirsad Kurgaš.

SOS for Montenegro Supported by Civic Organizations Green Home, Our Action, Porat Pizana, Bokobran, Expeditio, Anima

The best march response was recorded in Ulcinj and Bar. It was also widely visited in Budva, where activists of the NGO Porat Pizana organized the promenade of boats to the island of St. Nicholas. In Tivat, Kurgaš was welcomed only by the activists of the informal civic initiative Bokobran. Activists of NGOs Our action, Green Home and Expeditio have been part of the road towards Kotor, and they supported the signing of a petition, which was attended by about 50 citizens. 

November 11, 2018 - The Ministry of Agriculture and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will invest approximately 13.5 million euros in the support and development of rural areas in seven municipalities in Northern Montenegro in the next six years. The idea is to keep the population in the countryside through the improvement of agriculture and infrastructure.

That life in the country in the 21st century is very difficult is known well by Mileva Matovic from Velimlja, who was very happy to hear that she will not pass through bumpy roads on her way home anymore. She believes that new asphalt brings better days for her family and locals in this region.

"These were channels that were not possible to pass by car. And one could not pick up their child when it’s raining, when it's snowing, when it's bad weather. So, it means a lot to us," says Matovic.

The meat industry in Miljanic is also looking forward to the renovation and asphalting of roads. This factory built in the anhydrous spa area feeds 50 families and repurchases virtually everything that locals produce from these areas.

"Unfortunately, the infrastructure has been poor so far. Every meter of paved roads means something, and we hope for a solution to the water supply in the future as it would be of great importance for this region," says Pero Miljanic, the owner of the meat industry Miljanic.

Through the Cluster Development Project and the Transformation of Rural Communities, which the ministries and IFAD implement in seven Montenegrin municipalities, about 13.5 million euros will be invested in the next six-year period for the improvement of agricultural production, and the development of road and water infrastructure.

"We associate smaller agriculturist manufacturers, we create better market conditions with suppliers, traders, with providers of certain services in the form of storage, transport, to the final buyer. The idea is to place the emphasis on a smaller agricultural producer in this value chain in order to make it competitive. Returning to the village and retaining the existing population is actually the essence of a project whose benefits will be valuable to everyone. 

There have been cases recently that a couple of households have returned to live here, so with the solid infrastructure, we believe that this number would increase," Miljanic said. The project plans to build about 70 kilometers of rural roads and around thirty water supply facilities.

Text by TVCG/Portal RTCG, on November 10th 2018, read more at CdM

10 November 2018 - The mayor of Podgorica, Ivan Vuković, announced a set of projects that should be carried out in the capital city of Montenegro. These projects include a traffic solution in the centre of the town, as well as setting up the monument to Ivan Crnojević. He also announced several infrastructure projects and construction of schools and kindergartens in settlements in Podgorica. However, first and foremost, the first man of Podgorica wants to bring the centre of Podgorica back into life and the possible solution is a shopping mall. 

“We will try to stop the traffic in the center of the town in order to stimulate people to focus on a healthy lifestyle. This idea blossomed in some cities, like Ljubljana, for instance,” said Vuković.

Former department store “Beko” will be demolished and a new shopping mall will replace it.

“I would be so happy if a shopping mall was built at the centre of the town. We have to bring the centre back into life. However, I cannot tell you exactly whether there will be a shopping mall or a hotel or maybe even congress center. It is a very important project that would resolve one of the main problems of the Capital city,” said Vuković.

A new elementary school will be constructed in Tološi and a kindergarten in Blok VI. The Mayor also pointed out the importance of road infrastructure and said that, during his term of office, a boulevard in Donja Gorica will be finished and that the Airport in Golubovci will be connected to the boulevard in Danilovgrad.

He said that the construction of collecting the main network is the most important project in this term of office.

The celebration of the New Year through the New Year bazaar, as Vuković said, will begin on 19 December and will last until 10 January.

Source: Cafe del Montenegro