Campaign Against “Electricity Surge” in Montenegro
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Following the protests over the huge January electricity bills that came as rather bad surprise to the citizens of Montenegro, the Network for Affirmation of Non-Governmental Sector (MANS) continues the campaign to collect the signatures on a petition to the Government demanding that the citizens get the same treatment regarding their electricity bills reserved to the Aluminium Corporation.
January electricity bills are significantly higher due to the fact that the 72 percent increase in import prices fell on the citizens, while the greatest privatized consumers continue to use “locally produced” electricity at discount prices. The January bills range between 100 and 200 EUR, which combined with the fact that the average pension is less then 100 EUR, that 70,000 workers receive salaries highly irregularly, while 40,000 people are unemployed, further emphasizes the existential problems and increases social tensions. "The Government should primarily care about the citizens, not some off-shore company. Nobody should have the right to protect the interests and profits of private owners at the expense of the impoverished people, who are forced to pay for the electricity that companies use”, said Vanja Calovic, MANS Director. The petition signing campaign was joined by the Women Safe House, the Green Home, the Association of Paraplegics, the Nansen Dialogue Centre, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights and the Education Trade Union. The petition may be signed at the Electric Power Company Podgorica Complaints Bureau, in Sloboda Str, on City Square and at the Small Bazaar. According to plans, on Wednesday, February 14, the campaign should expand to other cities in Montenegro. MANS announces that the campaign will continue until the Government accepts the citizens’ demands. Up to this day, over 1,800 citizens have signed the petition, including Sefko Crnovrsanin, the Ombudsman, and the Head of DPS Parliamentary Club, Miodrag Vukovic. |
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