From the European Union, they also follow the developments in the field of economy. In the EC Report, among other things, they stated that Montenegro needs to modernize the airports, and that the concession would solve the limited accessibility of our country. While the government is announcing a solution by the end of the year, the director of the Airport believes that they do not need a concession.
The modernization of transport infrastructure is a suggestion of the European Commission to Montenegro in the annual progress report. According to Brussels, giving the airport a concession would solve the limited accessibility of the country by air.
It is possible that what Montenegro will do on this occasion will be known by the end of the year.
– We definitely won’t be able to improve the situation by the end of the year, but we will find a solution to improve the current desperate situation – Prime Minister Milojko Spajić said.
And that the solution to correcting the current situation is not to turn the state monopoly into a private one, says the director of Airport Montenegro Vladan Drašković. He gives two reasons for that.
– The first is that they can develop independently, and the second is that we have a unique chance that as long as it is state-owned, we can contribute funds and enter into the co-production of development in such a way that we would make the money that we would receive from the outside be at the same time a direct investment – said Vladan Drašković, director of the Airport of Montenegro.
Drašković explains that the strategic plan envisages that, in the next seven years, Airports will collect EUR 120 million from their own operations. Another 17 million will be missing for complete modernization.
– We believe that we can develop with our own resources. We have foreseen this in the plan and we should give the airports a chance to remain in state ownership… The reason is their importance in the chain of the tourism industry. We do not have the luxury of leaving that type of control to private capital, because public and private interests often do not coincide – pointed out Drašković.
And analyst Alen Šćuric believes that the concession is not a solution. The reason is that, he says, Montenegrin airports are financially profitable and increasingly frequent.
– I don’t see why you would give airports under concession, you won’t have more lines. How can anyone think of giving airports a concession… Especially if you take into account that airports are profitable and can operate from their own business – Šćuric said.
However, the final decision belongs to the owner, i.e. the state, which, according to the recommendation of the European Commission, must find a way to improve the situation at both airports.
