The revenue that the state generated last year from concession fees is the highest in the last three years. During that period, the state earned over 4.5 million euros, to be precise, 4,519,137 euros, from approximately forty concessionaires exploiting mineral resources in Montenegro. The government concluded 52 concession agreements last year.
Regarding the concessions collected in the last three years, the state earned 3,335,582 euros in 2020, 3,951,326.89 euros in 2021, and collected 4,519,137.13 euros for the year 2022. Coal production in 2022 compared to the previous year recorded an increase of 11.23 percent. Bauxite production recorded a decrease of 16.81 percent. Lead and zinc ore production increased by 4.55 percent. Architectural and construction stone production increased by 1.97 percent, while technical construction stone production decreased by 8.97 percent.
From the perspective of all mineral resources, production recorded an increase of 0.39 percent, as stated in the information approved by the government at the last session.
The government has formed a working group to initiate activities aimed at identifying the causes of disruptions in the implementation of concession contracts because some concessionaires have submitted complaints to the relevant ministry stating that they encounter, as they have stated, delays in the process of collecting documentation to obtain approval for operation due to the alleged inefficiency in the procedures of other state authorities, i.e., the failure to respect legal deadlines for responding to submitted requests, known as administrative silence.
- Any delay results in the non-fulfillment of obligations under the concession contract within the specified deadlines, potentially incurring additional costs. Delay causes damage to the concessionaire, as they cannot obtain operational approval, and, according to the contract, the concession fee accrues. In case of lawsuits initiated by concessionaires, this could incur costs to the state for compensation for material damage – as stated in the information.
The concession fee for the exploitation of mineral resources consists of a fixed and a variable part.
The fixed part of the concession fee (FPF) is the amount of the concession fee determined by the concession contract.
