Initiative '21. maj': Spajić and Jakov Milatović created a policy pushing Montenegro towards bankruptcy

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The civic initiative "21. maj" has been warning the public since the populist parliamentary majority came to power about its ignorant and destructive macroeconomic and tax policy.

They recall that immediately, with the well-paid and incompetent assistance of Belgrade economists, a harmful economic program was devised, the backstage goal of which was the formation of a party with the farcical name "Europe Now".

"This program destroyed the health fund, discouraged and taxed the business community, stimulated internal inflation, and at the same time initiated a spiral of administrative and unrealistic increases in salaries and other public expenditures," said the Civic Initiative 21. maj.

They assess that Spajić and Milatović thus created an economic policy that pushes Montenegro further into debt, economic exhaustion, and bankruptcy with each passing day.

"At the same time, their successors in the form of Abazović's usurping cabinet have only dynamized what was already set up incorrectly. Therefore, by the end of March, all legal and profitable companies will have to pay a one-time profit tax at a rate of 15 percent, which is a 70 percent increase compared to the previous tax rate, and the same applies to withholding tax on dividends and profit shares. This increases the taxation of corporate and owner profits together from 18 to 30 percent," they stated in the announcement.

Moreover, they add, these rates have been increased from 9 to 15 percent, while the privilege for one-time tax payment as well as the option of multiple tax payments has been abolished, and all this has been done to ensure that Montenegro loses fiscal competitiveness compared to Serbia, where a rate of 15 percent has been applied for some time.

"Furthermore, the public should know that numerous budget obligations are not being paid, which Spajić previously did and then Dritan's 'tax and legalistic authorities' continued, so at the moment, for example, one has to wait more than a year for VAT refunds, although the legal deadline is 60 days," said GI "21. maj".

They conclude that legal business is becoming less profitable, employees in the private sector can expect wage cuts and layoffs, employees in the overcrowded and incompetent public sector can still receive unrealistic salaries for a while longer, while the state has a debt noose around its neck and the ignorant parliamentary majority, along with the prosaic "Europe Now," should just continue to deceive and mislead.