Dina has been a guest on a TV show “Načisto”, airing on TV Vijesti every Thursday at 20h. This time, topic was “Security in Montenegro” in the light of the culmination of violence between Montenegrin criminal groups which, apart from Bar and Kotor, has now moved to Podgorica.
The host of the show was Petar Komnenić who led the debate, and apart form Dina, guests were former longtime MP and the member of the Security and Defence. Velizar Kaluđerović (Democrats), as well as former Minister of Interior, Raško Konjević (Social Democratic Party).
Within the framework of the “Social Card – five years later”, the Institute Alternative (IA) will examine the functioning of the social card system in Montenegro.
Given that in January 2015, the information system of social care was introduced, the objective of social card is: directing financial benefits to those who really need help, increasing the level of trust in the system of social protection, as well as rationalization of planning of social policy through establishing records of socially vulnerable population through the information system.
The system is expected to accelerate the operation of the social welfare system, as well as to prevent an illegal use of the welfare.
However, there are still concerns after two years since the introduction of the social card that the welfare is abused for political purposes and that it does not reach those who actually need it. In addition, completeness and accuracy of records that are contained in Social Card continue to be questioned.
Therefore, the IA project is aimed at improving the transparency of the activities carried out during the establishment of the Social Card, and explaining the manner of its application to all citizens and potential welfare beneficiaries.
Among other things, we will examine if all relevant institutions are connected and if the exchange of data among them is effective enough; who has access to the database; what rights does social card deal with, and does the system create opportunity for future abuse (e.g. funds are allocated to the same beneficiary on two or more basis).
Institute Alternative will conduct a series of activities that seek to put under the scrutiny function and the results of the Social Card, but also to provide recommendations to address the identified problems and difficulties that the creation and usage of such social card system introduced in the Montenegrin system of social and child protection.
This project is supported by the Commission for the allocation of revenue from games of chance, thanks to which we continue to monitor the functioning of Social Card. We remind you that in 2012, the Institute Alternative has published a “Social Card in Montenegro – A promise without coverage”.
Despite the establishment of new anti-corruption institutions and intensive legislative activity, Montenegro has not significantly advanced towards meeting the EU’s political criteria and rule of law standards.
Reform of the judiciary is ongoing, but problems identified at the outset, including accountability, independence and impartiality, remain a challenge. The key issues, such as the recruitment and promotion of prosecutors and judges, the transparency of how their performance is evaluated, ethical and disciplinary accountability, criminal liability and the rationalisation of the judiciary network, have still not been adequately addressed.
This report delivers these and other findings from the monitoring of rule of law in Montenegro, including the work of the Agency for Anti-Corruption, fight against organised crime, implementation of prosecutorial investigation, work of the Special Prosecution in the cases of misuse of public resources, vote buying and other breaches of the law.
This national study is produced within the framework of the Monitoring and Evaluation of the Rule of Law in Western Balkans (MERLIN WB) project, supported through the Think and Link Regional Policy Programme of the European Fund for the Balkans. The project is implemented by the European Policy Institute in Skopje, with Institute Alternative in Podgorica and the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy as regional partners.
WEBER – Western Balkans Enabling Project for Civil Society Monitoring of Public Administration Reform Project is seeking proposals for the implementation of the Small Grant Facility for Support for Civil Society Monitoring of Public Administration Reform at Local Level.
The Call for proposals is in the total amount of 255.000 EUR intended to support 30 grants in the range between 5000 and 10000 EUR (8500 EUR on average). Out of the 30 grants, up to 6 are envisioned in Serbia, up to 6 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, up to 5 in Albania, up to 5 in Macedonia, up to 4 in Kosovo, and up to 4 in Montenegro. The duration of the project proposal under this Call for proposals is between 6 and 12 months.
In 2017, the Parliament, the Government and the Ministry of Finance should address better the legal regulation of the position of Protector of legal and property interests, the institution responsible for representing state interests.
Mentioned problems are reflected in the ambiguous position of this institution in the public administration system, flawed appointments of the Protector, deputies and their overload.
On annual level, protector and the deputies, as legal representatives of state administration and other legal entities founded by the state, had over 1.400 cases.
The institution of the Protector lacks in transparency. The Protector does not have own Internet presentation nor a Guide for free access to information. Available reports of the Protector are too sparse, and typically contain just a list of parties and the value of cases, without further details on the proceedings and the efficiency of the Protector.
There is no information on the way the dispute was conducted (in or outside of court). There is no record whatsoever of the opinions provided by the Protector to other public bodies, or any analysis of or further information about the most valuable cases. Beside, for two years, 2012 and 2013, the Government never even discussed the reports of the Protector, though it is legally bound to do so.
The current legal status of the Protector is not adequate considering it importance. For instance, its counterpart in other countries of former Yugoslavia is the state or public attorney.
The total amount paid to other parties based on the decision s taken in 2014 and 2015 in the cases in which the Protector represented various bodies of the Montenegrin state was over 14.5 million euro.
Again, this is only part of the money that is lost from the budget in the context of disputes in which the Protector represented state bodies. Government’s interest to improve the situation of these institutions, despite the declarative commitment to analyse its position, is actually inversely proportional to its importance. This is also reflected in the budget for 2017, given the fact that the financial resources Protector have been reduced by 20.000 euros, compared to the previous year, despite the recognized need for additional staff and improving the electronic records of the institution.
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Given that in January 2015, the information system of social care was introduced, the objective of social card is: directing financial benefits to those who really need help, increasing the level of trust in the system of social protection, as well as rationalization of planning of social policy through establishing records of socially vulnerable population through the information system.
court). There is no record whatsoever of the opinions provided by the Protector to other public bodies, or any analysis of or further information about the most valuable cases. Beside, for two years, 2012 and 2013, the Government never even discussed the reports of the Protector, though it is legally bound to do so.