In 2023, Montenegrin municipalities earned approximately €18.6 million from fees related to the use of natural resources and assets of public interest. Over €16 million went to northern and central municipalities, while coastal ones received only €1.6 million.
Among the highest-earning municipalities were Pljevlja with €5.9 million, primarily from forests and coal mining, Nikšić with €3.2 million from water and minerals, and Rožaje with €2 million. Bar was the leading coastal municipality, earning just over €1 million.
Municipalities retain 70 percent of resource-related fees, except for port usage fees, where the share is 50 percent. Despite this, coastal municipalities have minimal income from marine resources, which are managed by the state-owned enterprise Morsko Dobro.
A proposed legal change would convert Morsko Dobro into a government-owned limited company and transfer management of marine assets to local governments. This move has faced political opposition, especially from NSD and DNP, who argue it undermines state control. In response, NSD-led municipalities like Nikšić and Pljevlja demand full authority over land-based resources in their territories.
The NGO Action for Social Justice criticized these demands, stating that strategic resources belong to the entire state and should not be controlled by individual municipalities. The issue reflects broader political and regional tensions over resource management and revenue distribution.
