Agency for Prevention of Corruption

Planned and paid funds from public sources for the work of political entities in 2019

May 8, 2020

The Law on financing of political entities and election campaigns prescribes that political entities can obtain funds for financing of their regular work and of election campaigns from the budget of Montenegro and the budgets of local self-governments, in accordance with the law.

For regular work funding, the Ministry of Finance and local government bodies responsible for finance, make monthly transfers to political entities in the total annual amount of 0.5% of the current budget of Montenegro, or of 1.1 - 3% of the current budget of a local self-government, in accordance with the law. The total funds allocated for the regular work of political entities in 2019 amounted to €6.772.121,71.

Funds in the amount of 0.25% of the current budget in the election year are provided to finance the costs of the campaigns for the election of MPs and councilors.

The Law also stipulates that funds for financing employees in parliamentary groups, and business premises for the needs of the parliamentary groups are provided by the Parliament of Montenegro, while the business premises for the work of parliamentary caucuses are provided by the authority competent for state property. The funds for the business premises of local caucuses are provided by the assembly of a local self-government, i.e. the authority competent for state property.

In this regard, according to the data collected by the APC, in 2019, the funds in the amount of €9.382.030,43 were paid for the work of political entities, as follows:

- €6.761.986,73 for funding of the regular work of political entities, of which €4.568.723,15 from the state budget, and €2.193.263,58 from the local government budgets;

- €2.992,00 for funding the local elections in the Municipality of Tuzi;

- €360.000,00 for the employees in parliamentary groups in the Parliament of Montenegro;

- €740.464,63 for the provision of business premises for the needs of parliamentary and local caucuses (of which € 461.025,05 for the business premises for the regular work of parliamentary caucuses, and €267.919,58 for the needs of local caucuses by 14 local governments, and €11.520,00 for apartment rentals for three officials;

- €1.516.587,07 for remunerations of members of the Parliament of Montenegro.

Furthermore, as at 31 December 2019, the APC registered the debt of municipalities to political entities in the amount of €514.035,69.

In 2019, the debt of municipalities increased by two percent compared to the situation on 31 December 2018, when it was €503.900,71. There was an increase in outstanding amounts to political entities in the municipalities of Ulcinj, Rožaje and Plav, while in other local governments that have debts to political entities (the capital of Cetinje and the municipalities of Bijelo Polje, Herceg Novi and Berane), there was a reduction in debt by allocation of the funds for 2019, as well as a part of the debt from previous years.

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