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 about the ignorant and destructive macroeconomic and tax policy of the populist parliamentary majority since they came to power.

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

"This program destroyed the health fund, discouraged and overtaxed 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," stated the Civic Initiative 21. May.

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 accelerated 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, while the same applies to withholding tax on dividends and profit shares. This increases the taxation of corporate and owner profit together from 18 to 30 percent," they stated in the announcement.

Moreover, they add, these rates have been raised 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 was done to make Montenegro lose fiscal competitiveness compared to Serbia, where a rate of 15 percent has been applied for a long 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 this moment, for example, the refund of VAT is awaited for more than a year, 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 salary reductions 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.