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Vuković: The year that’s about to end is the most successful in the last decade for the Capital

The Mayor of Podgorica, Ivan Vuković, Ph.D., with his deputies, Dr. Slađana Vujačić and Časlav Vešović, spoke today at a press conference organized with the aim of presenting the results of the work of the city administration in the year that’s about to end. The conference was held in the premises of the local public broadcaster Radio Television Podgorica. On that occasion, the mayor stated that the beginning of the work of the City Radio is another example that the city administration did not waver in a difficult year for Montenegro and the whole world and that it remained on the road it traced two and a half years ago, which means intensive development of Podgorica and improvement the lives of all of us.

"The budget has been realized in the percentage of 103 percent today. That is a curiosity and something we are very proud of", Mayor pointed out.

He thanked the employees of the Secretariat for Finance, the Directorate of Local Public Revenues, the Directorate for Property and the Agency for Construction and Development of Podgorica - organizational units in the system of the Capital, thanks to which the budget is filled.

"Yesterday, the capital budget was realized in the percentage of 76.3 percent, which is 50 percent more than last year, which means that we spent 50 percent more money on what means a better perspective for the development of Podgorica in various areas predominantly related to capital investments ", he stated.

Among the significant projects this year, he pointed out that the physical realization of the project of the century - the construction of a wastewater treatment system - has finally begun. A tender has been prepared for the most important and most valuable segment of that project, and the tender documentation itself has about 1000 pages. The Mayor reminded that during this year, in cooperation with the Government of Montenegro, primarily with the Public Works Administration, a new investment cycle was launched in the field of traffic infrastructure, citing the started boulevards in Stari Aerodrom and adding that by the end of the mandate of city administration, Podgorica will be entered from all sides with boulevard-type roads. In addition, he mentioned important roads that were realized in the city itself. According to him, over EUR 2 million were spent on improving the water supply. In addition, a lot has been done on the development of sports infrastructure. Podgorica has received a number of new polygons, 13 children's playgrounds, as well as four new parks, including two larger areas - Podgorički park and the park in Stari Aerodrom.

 "I think it is obvious to the naked eye that Podgorica today, compared to the period two years ago, is much more organized and much more beautiful, predominantly thanks to the people from the city company Zelenilo (Greenery) – Mayor stated.

The mayor especially thanked the city services that made a great contribution in the fight against the spread of coronavirus, primarily the Protection and Rescue Service, the Communal Police and the Communal Inspection, Cleanliness (Čistoća), Water Supply, but also the entire administration. "These are people who risked their own health in order to make Podgorica function properly and normally all this time. We are aware that the pandemic has brought serious problems, that many have lost their jobs, and we have tried to do everything in our power to help, to save every job in the Capital. We are very proud of what we have done", Vuković emphasized, adding that about EUR 4 million were set aside for the exemption of entrepreneurs from paying local communal taxes, duties, fees, and in addition, a number of programs were implemented to encourage new employment, development of entrepreneurship in Podgorica through support to entrepreneurs, women's entrepreneurship, creative entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship in Stara Varoš (Old Town).

"The Capital has also directly helped caterers financially, as an industry that has been particularly hard hit by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. I think we can serve as an example as a local government, not only in Montenegro, but also beyond because of financial stability and social responsibility. The citizens of Podgorica, although in fear all this time, like all people in the world, still felt safe, which is our impression, because they knew that someone cares and cares about their health and what are their most important interests", Mayor emphasized.

The Mayor announced that the Capital will end 2020 very successfully, and if the budget for next year receives the support of the local parliament, it is expected that 2021 will be very successful as well.

"We have planned the budget very ambitiously, over EUR 93 million, of which about 51 million for capital investments, so we are not giving up on developing Podgorica as quickly as possible, because that is important, especially in the context of the coronavirus pandemic story. In addition to intensive infrastructural development, we are opening parts of the city for new entrepreneurial initiatives. One of the most important projects that we will launch at the beginning of next year is the business zone project. During the month of January, we will announce a public call for renting, i.e. selling plots that are included in our business zones, which will mean creating conditions for new jobs, which are much needed for people in the Capital. Our focus in 2021 will be on socio-economic issues, because we know that everything that the coronavirus pandemic has brought will come to fruition. I think that the business zone project provides an adequate response in that sense, and if everything goes as it should, I am sure that it can mean a new impetus for the development, not only of the Capital but also of Montenegro", Vuković emphasized. The mayor announced the continuation of the realization of the started capital infrastructure projects for the next year, as well as the construction of the city cemetery, the IV sanitary bath and the purchase of new mechanization to improve the working conditions of the city company Putevi (Roads). The purchase of new buses is also planned, for which EUR 5 million have been allocated and the citizens will finally get modern city transport.