OSCE-supported presentation on Decision on communal fees model for municipalities organized in Podgorica
A Decision on communal fees model for municipalities was the focus of a presentation for more than 50 Montenegrin officials in charge of accounting and finances from the country’s municipalities and the Sustainable Development and Tourism Ministry, organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro on 1 November 2016 in Podgorica.
The presentation was organized in co-operation with the Montenegrin Union of Municipalities with the aim of assisting the municipalities in implementing their obligations arising from adoption of the new Law on Communal services in August 2016.
The law introduced new revenues in the form of communal fees for local governments, to be applied from January 2017. The OSCE Mission to Montenegro supported the activities of the working group that prepared a draft of the Model of Decision. The Commission for the financing of local government also provided contribution in the development phase of the decision.
Addressing the participants of the presentation, Refik Bojadzic, Secretary General of the Union of Municipalities, said that introduction of communal fees would significantly improve financial situation of local government and would contribute to long-term stability and sustainability of local public finances. He added that municipal authorities needed to provide legal and organizational preconditions for efficient collection of revenues that ensure effective performance of communal services at the local level.
Lia Magnaguagno, the OSCE Mission’s Programme Manager in the Democratization section said that the Mission has supported a number of initiatives in this field, in partnership with the Union of Municipalities, most of them focusing on issues related to the legal framework regulating the system of local government. “We are confident that this Model of Decision will be useful to the municipalities to proceed with the needed decisions and ultimately strengthen their efficiency and effectiveness,” she said.
In the coming period, the OSCE Mission will aim to support local governments with regard to implementing their other obligations arising from the new Law on Communal Services.