Montenegro should soon start implementing the Reform Agenda for the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, through which it will receive access to 383.5 million euros and accelerate the country’s economic convergence, said Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević at a working breakfast with journalists.
“The Reform Agenda is a serious instrument not only for Montenegro but also for Western Balkan. It is a very financially generous instrument that will give Montenegro access to EUR 383.5 million, of which EUR 110 is non-refundable and the rest in the form of soft loans. Of the total amount, it is planned that 178.5 million euros will be allocated in the form of budget support, while the remaining 205 million euros will be allocated for the financing of infrastructure projects and implemented through the mechanism of the Western Balkans Investment Framework,” said Minister Gorčević and thanked the entire administration for its dedication worked on this document.
She stated that it is planned to allocate 7% of the total amount of funds at the beginning of the implementation of the Growth Plan, and the rest in six half-yearly support tranches, depending on the degree of implementation of the planned reforms. The European Commission is expected to approve the Reform Agenda by the end of this month, and the first payment of funds, in the amount of 29 million euros, could be made by the end of 2024.
“The funds that will be available to Montenegro are conditional on the successful implementation of the reform measures defined in the Reform Agenda, which is why this document is important for the economic and political development of Montenegro, as well as for the acceleration of European integration,” said Minister Gorčević.
With the money that Montenegro receives, significant reforms will be implemented in four priority sectors that are essential for achieving stable economic growth, improving the business environment, the rule of law and improving the quality of life of citizens.
“We have planned 32 priority reform measures and clear steps defined as necessary to fulfill the reforms, which also contain indicators of success (indicators), as a basis for monitoring progress in the implementation of the measures,” explained Gorčević.
The Ministry of Finance is in charge of part of the reforms in the area of private sector development and competitiveness that will be necessary to obtain funds from the EU through the Reform Agenda. As explained by the State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Bojana Bošković, the reforms refer to the adoption of a single regulatory framework that will regulate the supervision of state enterprises, increasing transparency when it comes to public contracts, as well as improving the situation in the field of public procurement.
Namely, the Director General of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Dialogue, Snezana Drobnjak, clarified that the key reforms for improving employability are related to the activation of beneficiaries of material assistance and the activation of women. As she explained, a series of steps will be created to include these two categories in the labor market.
Numerous measures and activities will be implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation and will go in several directions – practical outreach, career counseling and the construction of educational infrastructure. As explained by the general director for international cooperation, European integration and EU funds in this Ministry, Marko Vukašinović, work will be done on improving the infrastructure in order to reduce the number of shifts in which classes are organized in schools, as well as on increasing the capacity in kindergartens. The State Secretary in that Ministry, Marijeta Barjaktarović Lanzardi, pointed out that all activities for science and innovation are based on the implementation of the Smart Specialization S3 concept.
Minister of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography Damir Gutić said that a unique inclusive and unified cash transfer related to disability will be established that covers all rights of users, and a minimum package of guaranteed social services and access to their sustainable financing will be identified.
The Minister of Public Administration, MSc Marsh Dukaj, said that the department he heads is in charge of the digitization sector and that special attention will be focused on the implementation of the Digital Wallet, the delivery of the most modern digital public services adapted to users, as well as the establishment of a comprehensive framework for cyber resilience. The development of digital services is also expected, in accordance with the established Plan for the period 2025-2027 and alignment with the Open Data Directive. Finally, the application of the new Law on Information Security, the strengthening of the capacity of the Gov CIRT and the future Agency for Cyber Security is expected, all in accordance with the NIS2 directive.