On December 18, BIRN Montenegro presented its monitoring report on the expenditure of funds in state-owned energy companies to parliament’s Anti-Corruption Committee.
Based on the report, the committee organised a hearing with the Minister of Energy, Sasa Mujovic, and with the heads of state-owned energy companies: Montenegrin Electric Power Company, EPCG, Montenegrin Electricity Distribution System, CEDIS, Montenegrin Electricity Transmission System, EPCG, the Coal Mine Pljevlja and EPCG – Steel Plant Niksic.
The committee adopted a conclusion urging all the energy companies to implement more reforms, invest in modernization and renewable energy and pursue innovative projects while emphasizing transparency, accountability and anti-corruption mechanisms.
BIRN Montenegro director Vuk Maras said that state-owned power companies have demonstrated a lack of transparency in their hiring practices and in the allocation of donations and sponsorships.
“In monitored state-owned companies, employment increased by 1,500 workers between 2021 and 2023, while annual salary expenses rose from €73 million to €115 million.
“Sponsorships and donations, which stood at €929,000 in 2019 and 2020, jumped to €1.4 million in 2021 and €1.9 million in 2022,” Maras said.
Minister of Energy Sasa Mujovic called the BIRN report a good basis for analyzing the operations of state-owned companies, urging managements to demonstrate greater transparency and control expenses related to donations and sponsorships.
The minister said he had forwarded some of BIRN’s recommendations to the managements of state-owned companies.