What Are the Main Problems of Business People in Serbia and Montenegro?

The lack of expert workers, the insufficiently developed infrastructure and long waiting times at borders are the main problems of business people in Serbia and Montenegro, it was announced from the joint meeting of the employers’ unions of the two states. Unlike Serbia, in Montenegro, as it was said at the gathering, business people are still facing long and complicated procedures for the employment of foreigners.

The lack of expert work force is a chronic problem of business people in the region. In Montenegro, however, even when they find workers, employers face long and complicated procedures of registration and obtaining work permits for their employees. That is why they believe that it is time to simplify this.

– When it comes to that, each employee should be enabled to fill out the application electronically, without having to go to Montenegro before they even start the procedure and wait there to get that work permit for staying and working here, which could take up to 20 days, which is truly a lot in the tourism season period – says Milena Raickovic of HTP Budvanska rivijera.

They have no such problems in Serbia, because the obtaining of work permits is digitized, and the waiting period is significantly shorter.

– Most such workers got those permits within 15 days. There are employment agencies which are highly specialized for the employment of both foreigners and the local populace. They carry out most of those administrative procedures and, in the sense of bureaucracy, they have managed to master those procedures – points out an employer from Serbia, Ivan Djokovic.

Business people from both states recognize the procedures, but also long waiting times at the borders as another business barrier which slows down the traffic of goods and passengers.

– So, there is an initiative, a proposition for that customs regime and controls to be done in internal customs zones, not at the border crossings, but at the headquarters of the importer, whereby we would relax that first meeting of the guests with Montenegro – said Slobodan Mikavica of the Montenegrin Employers Federation.

– We need to make border crossing work together on both sides, and especially to have trucks carrying goods certified so as to cross the border without a problem, instead of having situations where trucks with perishable goods are waiting at the border for 7 to 10 days, and sometimes even longer – adds Milos Nenezic of the Serbian Association of Employers.

It all needs to be accelerated, because Serbia, as said at the gathering, is the most important external trade partner of Montenegro.

Montenegrin Employers Federation

UPCG

HTP Budvanska rivijera

Serbian Association of Employers

Ivan Đoković

Slobodan Mikavica

Milena Raičković

Miloš Nenezić

workforce

employment

employment of foreigners

waiting at borders

infrastructure