S&T Country Report - Albania - WBC-INCO Net

given the rather complicated legal and regulatory framework, the large and
insufficiently transparent system of public administration and the poor judiciary
structure in Montenegro. Therefore, some of the basic challenges Montenegro is
faced with in the creation of an entrepreneurial society are the harmonization of the
legal and regulatory framework for business operation, simplification and reform of
the procedures in all aspects of business operation, consistent implementation of
positive legal solutions and predictable business environment (Belada 2007).
As indicated in the EC Report on the implementation of the European Charter for
Small Enterprises in Moldova and the countries in the western Balkans, Montenegro
is behind the group where the development of sophisticated business support
systems (incubators, clusters, technology parks) is concerned and has now put in
place a strategy to address this .
OECD Investment compact, European Commission (DG Enterprise and Industry),
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and European Training
Foundation developed the SMEs policy index in 2006, according to which measures
of implementation of Charter for Small enterprises are being assessed. According to
the report from 2007 (Enterprise policy development in Western Balkans – Report on
the implementation of European Charter for Small enterprises in Western Balkans,
2007) Montenegro has been assessed above average for 6 out of 10 chapters
included in the Charter, while it was altogether ranked second, behind Croatia,
according to defined criteria.
This peer pressure is working now and is impelling the region, as a whole, to move
forward in various charter areas and that is one of the important values of the
process, which, in the second phase of the process, should be harvested in an even
more explicit manner through the production of precise performance indicators and
yardsticks per charter field and the production of league tables and score boards as
and when appropriate. The charter is therefore playing a constructive role, allowing
governments to take stock of national policies, to discuss and amend these with
stakeholders and to plan new policies and to set new objectives in an annual, cyclical
process (European Commission 2006).
Montenegro has made appreciable progress on company registration, exports and
tax policy. Introduction of the statistical Business Register is very important, since it
serves as a framework for sample for all statistical surveys and provides bases
containing updated data necessary for statistical surveys. This register is being
applied starting from the beginning of 2007. Harmonisation of surveys with EU
standards in the area of short-term business statistics and structural business
statistics has been initiated. Draft versions of the questionnaire have been prepared
and this year, some pilot surveys are being carried out in order to include them in
regular statistical surveys in the next year. As regards foreign trade statistics, the
Agreement on Cooperation has been signed with the Customs Administration of the
Montenegro. The Agreement defines obligations of institutions regarding the method
of submitting and announcing data. Preparations for introduction of HS 2007
Nomenclature are under way in Monstat, while through the regional CARDS project,
a new version of EUROTRACE, as a European standard, is being prepared. As a
result, submission of data on Montenegro’s foreign trade to EUROSTAT and
international institutions will be simplified.
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