Montenegro, The government adopted information about the need to establish a state telecommunications operator

Published on 10. February 2023., News

The government adopted oral information about the need to establish a state telecommunications operator, with the aim of making a cost benefit analysis that would determine the profitability of such a project.

Prime Minister Dritan Abazović said that Montenegro, through the Montenegrin Electric Distribution System (CEDIS), already has an installed network through which a telecommunications company can be developed.

– CEDIS has an offer from existing operators to issue it for ten, 15 or 20 years for a lot of money. The decision is as follows – should we create our own state operator and probably earn five times more, or should we cede it to the existing ones, to earn the same but significantly less – said Abazović at the Government session.

In order to create a cost benefit analysis, he suggested that a working group of six people be formed to begin with, who would be in charge of creating information about what we have in terms of infrastructure, how complicated it is to use, how much it would cost the state, how far it would reach and who final benefits.

– If we see that it makes some sense, we can go one step further, and if not – nothing to anyone – said Abazović.

He said that he does not see how It would not be super profitable.

– This is a great thing that will positively affect private companies in Montenegro because it is healthy competition – said Abazović.

He said that this infrastructure has already been installed, that is, 530 kilometers of cable that has already reached all parts of Montenegro. The Minister of Finance, Aleksandar Damjanović, assessed it as a good idea and added that there is capacity for such a thing.

– This is a good idea and we are going to ensure that in the key EU countries and beyond, these services are, among other things, under the state’s control – Damjanović added.