PM Krivokapić - PMQs: 2021 Draft Law on Budget creates conditions for faster economic recovery

Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić, answering the question of Branko Radulović from MP Group "Democratic Front – Movement for Changes", said that the Government, through the Draft Law on Budget for 2021, created the conditions for faster economic recovery, with stabilization of public finances as one of the main preconditions for overall economic sustainability and future recovery and development.

I hope that the Montenegrin society clearly sees the basic goals of this Government, which primarily relate to the establishment of the rule of law, in which everyone is equal before the law, as well as a state of equal opportunities for all its citizens, said PM Krivokapić.

The Prime Minister said that, thus, the necessity of establishing equal responsibility of all citizens before the law, i.e. equal application of the law to all, is imposed.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the strong impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Montenegrin economy which depend heavily on tourism, with the simultaneous closing of state borders during the summer tourist season, led to a real fall in GDP of 15.2 percent.

The Prime Minister said that, at the same time, in order to achieve savings and increase the transparency of spending public funds, for the first time, programme budgeting was fully applied.

The programme budget will enable direct linking of the Government's policies and objectives with the results, which will enable easier definition of priorities and better redistribution of funds. With the proposed budget, it is projected that the average real rate of economic growth in the period 2021-2023 will be 7.6%, with a strong growth of 10.5% projected for 2021, and projected growth rates of 6.5% and 5.8% in 2022 and 2023, said the Prime Minister.

PM Krivokapić noted that the task of the 42nd Government of Montenegro is to stabilise the economy by the end of this year, strictly control public finances and bring the economy and society into a strong recovery by next year.