The north of Montenegro has the potential to be a more developed region than the south. A prerequisite for this is the implementation of infrastructure projects that will bring its municipalities closer together and attract new investments, according to the participants of the first panel of the 4th Bjelo Polje Business Forum.

With the moderation of the director of the Analysis and Research Sector of the Chamber of Commerce, Miljan Šestović, the presidents of the municipalities of Bijelo Polje and Berane, Petar Smolović and Vuko Todorović, the vice president of the Municipality of Mojkovac for investments, Ivan Ašanin, and the businessman Miroje Zejak spoke on the topic "The state of the economy in the north of Montenegro".

Moderator Šestović talked to the participants about the key challenges facing local governments and the economy of the North, and what are the resources and chances for the development of these municipalities, with reference to projects that would improve the economic image of this region.

He said that it is a devastating fact that out of the total number of unemployed in Montenegro, which is 46,000, 26,000 of them are in the North. It is particularly worrying that in relation to the average salary in our country, all municipalities in the North are below average, except for Pljevlja, Šestović said.

The president of the municipality of Bijelo Polje, Petar Smolović, pointed out that, although the 11 municipalities of the North make up 51% of Montenegro, only 10.5% of the total number of companies in the country operate there, and that only 6.8% of the total business income of active companies was realized, excluding the financial sector. According to him, Bijelo Polje is the leader among northern municipalities in terms of revenues.

According to him, the municipalities of the North showed exceptional resilience during the COVID crisis, due to the different structure of the economy, compared to other regions mainly focused on tourism, because they are characterized by strong activities in the energy and food production sectors.

- However, the volume of business activities that the municipalities have in the north are significantly below their potential. Therefore, it is necessary to work more actively on the completion of numerous infrastructure projects, especially the highway - he pointed out, adding that this is the only way to attract foreign investors and create new jobs.

Vuko Todorović, the president of the municipality of Berane, pointed out that we must all work together to develop the North, because it deserves it.

He pointed out that unemployment is what burdens Berane the most, but also all other municipalities in the North, and poor traffic and road infrastructure, which represents the biggest barrier to the arrival of foreign investors.

- We hope that the Kolašin - Berane road via Bjelasica will be completed by the end of the year, which will certainly open up additional opportunities for the development of these municipalities - Todorović pointed out.

He also said that in Berane focus is on the eventual possibility of activating an airport in this municipality, which would be of great importance for all northern municipalities, but also for the country itself.

He said that it is necessary to start implementing planned investment projects as soon as possible, with the help of the state and financial institutions, which would significantly change the image of the North and lead to strong economic development.

Ivan Ašanin, the vice-president of the Municipality of Mojkovac for investments, pointed out the importance of the valorization of Bjelasica for the further development of the North, as well as the completion of the highway. According to him, it is necessary to intensify the efforts of local self-governments in order to implement projects related to ski resorts on this mountain in cooperation with the Administration for Capital Investments and build infrastructure that will connect them with the municipalities of this region.

- In the North, we have the potential not only to reach, as far as development is concerned, the southern region, but also to overtake it. For that, we need a consensus, that is, a unified action in order to implement development projects - Ašanin pointed out.

The businessman Miroje Zejak, who deals with poultry farming, pointed out the challenges faced by producers at the local level. Among them are the insufficiency of spatial planning documentation for production facilities and the complicated procedure of obtaining permits for rural tourism. He also points out the problem of high collateral for loans with the IRF. He suggests that the value of IRF support be taken as collateral instead of the value of the entire investment. He also highlighted the positive experience of participating in IPARD projects.

- In order to support producers, it is necessary to reduce real estate taxes related to production facilities. Those taxes need to be halved or abolished altogether. I suggest the municipalities of the North to pay more attention to it - believes Zejak.

He appealed for greater support for agricultural producers from the local and state level, especially for beginners in business.