A new investment cycle valued at more than €53 million is being prepared for the municipality of Berane, a package of projects that the Montenegrin government sees as a major step toward revitalising economic activity in the northern region of the country. The investment programme was outlined by Zoran Dabetić, State Secretary in the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development, who emphasized that accelerating project implementation is essential for strengthening regional growth.
According to the government’s plan, the investment portfolio covers a broad set of infrastructure and public-service projects designed to improve the town’s economic conditions, municipal services and environmental management. Authorities stress that the priority now is to launch tender procedures as quickly as possible so that construction and procurement activities can begin without delay.
The planned projects span multiple sectors of local infrastructure. Among the most significant initiatives is the construction of a new bridge over the Lim River, a project expected to improve transport connectivity and urban mobility within the municipality. Upgrades to water supply infrastructure, including the digitalisation of the water management system, are also planned in order to improve efficiency and reliability in municipal services.
Environmental and waste-management infrastructure forms another important part of the investment programme. Authorities plan to build a recycling yard with a sorting facility, a project intended to modernise the municipality’s waste-processing capacity while aligning local environmental management with European standards. The programme also includes further regulation and landscaping of the Lim riverbank, continuing earlier urban development efforts along the river corridor.
Several social infrastructure projects are included as well. The government plans the construction of a new kindergarten together with an accompanying access road, addressing both early-education capacity and urban mobility. Healthcare infrastructure will also benefit from investment through the procurement of a hyperbaric chamber for the local hospital, a specialised medical facility that could improve treatment capacity for certain conditions.
Additional infrastructure initiatives financed through the national capital budget are also planned for Berane and its surrounding settlements. These include projects such as the Buče water supply system, the Daspiće–Zagrad water supply project, the regulation of the Makva river, and the continuation of the city bypass road. Urban development works are also expected to cover the construction of a new municipal market, the reconstruction of Luška Street, and road improvements on the Budimlja route.
Government officials argue that the implementation of this investment package could have a broad economic impact on the municipality and the wider northern region of Montenegro. Improvements to transport, municipal utilities and public services are expected to enhance local living conditions while also creating better conditions for investment and business activity. The government considers the programme particularly important in the context of long-standing regional development disparities between the coastal and central parts of Montenegro and the more economically challenged northern municipalities.
In parallel with the planned projects, the ministry also highlighted the availability of additional funding through European programmes. Under the IPA operational framework for the period 2024–2027, as well as resources from the Adaptation Fund, further investments are expected in environmental protection, climate resilience and sustainable development projects across northern Montenegro. These programmes are designed to complement national capital spending and strengthen long-term regional development strategies.
For the government, the development of Berane is viewed as part of a broader strategy aimed at reducing regional economic disparities and strengthening economic activity across Montenegro’s northern municipalities. The success of the planned €53 million investment cycle will therefore be seen not only as a local infrastructure initiative, but also as a test case for wider policies intended to stimulate balanced territorial development across the country.
If implemented according to plan, the programme could significantly upgrade municipal infrastructure, environmental protection systems and public services in Berane, while also creating the conditions for stronger economic growth in one of Montenegro’s key northern urban centres.
