Not even a month has passed since the Government’s decision to close down Montenegro Airlines, and the Government is facing an almost identical situation with Barska and Crnogorska plovidba shipping companies. Today, an installment of €4.65m for the purchase of ships is due, which neither Barska nor Crnogorska plovidba can settle. Assistance cannot come from the Government either, because the Agency for Protection of Competition ordered so, Dnevne novine writes.
The whole situation entails a possible fall of state guarantees, which could cost citizens more than €55 million.
There was an announcement in the Government that they would ask for a loan rescheduling, but for now, it is unknown whether they managed to postpone the due installment.
What is known is the fact that the State Secretary in the Ministry of Capital Investments, Mr Zoran Radunović, clearly indicated in a document sent to the Government, that Barska and Crnogorska plovidba could not pay installments, and that they could share the fate of Montenegro Airlines.
“According to the instructions of the Agency for Protection of Competition, the time for preparing a study of consolidation and restructuring of these companies is very short because the deadline for payment is 21 January 2021. Unfortunately, there is a considerable chance that Montenegro could be left without ships and planes in a month,” it is stated in the document signed by Mr Radunović.
