Plans are afoot for the transformation of Monteput Company, with the aim of creating conditions and administrative and technical requirements for taking over maintenance and pay toll in the first section of the highway”, said CEO of Monteput, Mr Jonuz Mujević.
He said that the coronaviurs pandemic had hit Monteput’s business hard but that the company had managed to make a profit of €676.152 in the first two quarters of the year.
“In accordance with provisions of the Law on Roads, transformation, i.e.re-organization of Monteput will be carried out, with the aim of creating conditions and administrative and technical requirements for taking over maintenance and toll collection in the first section of the highway, Smokovac-Mateševo”, Mr Mujević told Pobjeda.
He said that Bar-Boljare highway would probably be separated from Monteput.
Coronavirus pandemic has completely upended Monteput’s operations.
“Through rationalization of costs and suspension of public procurement we achieved positive financial result in the first six months and we can be very satisfied with it”, Mr Mujević said.
He added that Monteput had settled its due liabilities without subsidies.
“Monteput is on the white list of taxpayers. We have settled all liabilities using our own funds. We also paid €969.565 for EIB loan, which is paid twice a year. We have earmarked funds for the second payment as well”, Mr Mujević pointed out.
From the beginning of year until 15 September, Monteput has made a profit of €4.9 million from Sozina toll collection, which is 31.99% less than in the same period last year.
“A total of 1.43 million vehicles passed through the tunnel during this period, 34% less than last year”, he said.
Only 204 vehicles passed through the tunnel on 19 April this year, the day with the least amount of traffic through the tunnel since its opening.
For the first 15 days of September, around 129.800 vehicles passed through the tunnel, which is 15.9% less than last year.
Mr Mujević remined that Monteput had taken the responsibility for paying off EIB loan used for financing construction of access roads to Sozina and Raš tunnel.
Total loan debt amounted to €41.28 million.
34.93 million vehicles since the opening of Sozina
Mr Mujević said that Monteput’s total profit from 2006, when the toll was introduced, until 15 September this year, stood at €116.45 million.
“A total of 34.93 million vehicles have passed through the tunnel since its opening”, Mr Mujević said.
Passing through the tunnel was not free of charge on 6 September
Mr Mujević stressed that a total of 10.265 vehicles had passed through the tunnel on Sunday, 6 September.
According to him, media speculations that some citizens were allowed to pass free of charge to attend the patriotic meeting that day are not true.
“Everybody pays the toll, in accordance with Government’s decision”, Mr Mujević pointed out.
