Tivat – because of the delay of Montenegrin authority in fulfillment of the obligations taken over during the signing of the contract about the sale of MTRZ “Sava Kovacevic” to Canadian billionaire Peter Munk the new owner will not take over the Arsenal before the fall, until when the Tivat Military shipbuilding yard will continue to work – found out “Vijesti” from the sources closed to the contract parties.
That everything that the Government has obliged itself during the six month period for the conclusion of the deal, which expires on the 29th of April will not be realized in time, it could be concluded from the statements of member of the tender commission for sale of MTRZ, mayor of Tivat Dragan Kankaras.
He warned several times that the adoption of the Master plan of special purpose of the zone of the sea welfare in the Parliament, which is the key pre-condition for conclusion of the deal and the beginning of the realization of the project of construction of the exclusive nautical – tourist center in the place of the shipbuilding yard is late.
Every delay makes us farther from the beginning of the realization of that, for Tivat, and entire Montenegro, extremely important project. It seems to me that that is least correct towards the project itself, Municipality Tivat and everything what has happened – said at the end of last month on a press conference Tivat mayor, who added that “everything is ready” as far as it is concerned of the obligations which in the six period time the Munk’s team had.
– The transaction unfortunately, will not be “closed up” on the 28th of April. I really don’t know when will that happen – confirmed yesterday for “Vijesti” Kankaras, adding that he is very displeased with the treatment which the authorities in charge have shown towards the fulfillment of their obligations.
Except the adoption of the Master plan, other more important obligations of Montenegro are to prepare and adopt the study about the location of the future nautical – tourist center which is at least 100 millions of euros worth, a special law on yachts which has just recently prepared as a draft, and to decrease TAV in the area which concerns nautical tourism.
It is certain that Munk will not take over the Arsenal on the 28th of April, which will continue to work until the Government doesn’t fulfill the key obligations. Considering that a lot of things depend from the work of the legates in the Parliament, which already for a year is dominantly dealing with the Constitution, as the earliest term in which Munk could take over the Arsnal September and October are mentioned. In the meantime, Tivat shipbuilding yard has to survive and provide existence for 480 workers.
Arsenal and the employees the government has brought into a really non- perspective and hard situation, proclaiming that they will close and ruin the MTRZ in benefit of the development of nautical tourism, in front of the potential new business partners in its basic activity, so the company for almost two years has not made a deal for some important work. Until the end of the week the contract of Arsenal with Belgrade “Yugoimport SDPR” about the repair of ships and the gear of War navy of Libya, which is in effect in Tripoli, expires. That is why these days the executive director of Arsenal, captain of frigate Vuceta Stanisic with his associates went for the negotiations to Libya. Their goal is to arrange with “Yugoimport’ a way of continuation of the cooperation in the next few months, in order to provide as much as possible stabile import of money from Libya, mainly for the regular wages. People from Tivat otherwise, in Libya have finished the repair of a rocker frigate “Al Hani” which is several millions worth, and they are terminating the repair of a rocket corvette type “Nanuckha”, and in Tripoli they are repairing one rocker boat type “Combattante”, and one smaller Libya war vessel.
EVERYONE WANTS EMPLOYEES
There is a lot of work for at least several years for the experiences and very appreciated Tivat ship workers, so “Yugoimport” for a while counting on almost formal end of the Arsenal is trying to take up the employees of “MTRZ” to stay in Tripoli and to work for that Belgrade company. The difficulty for “Yugoimport” is however the Croatian company “Adriamar” which for Libyans is building a series of fast patrol boats and which is also ready to pay well the services and the skill of Arsenal’s employees. In the game is also “Cofis” which intends in cooperation with the Ministry of defense of Egypt to form in Alexandria similar foreign machinery where the Egyptian war ships would be repaired, and the planned personnel base for that very valuable long term deal are again the employees of Arsenal to whom very tempting terms are being offered.
S.Lukovic