The Association of Montenegrin Managers, AMM, submitted a proposal of measures to the government several days ago, noting that the media in Montenegro should be perceived as ‘vulnerable’ business entities and thus must be enabled to apply for loans in the Investment and Development Fund, IRF.
All print media companies from Montenegro agreed on the this proposal, adding that their business affairs suffer a lot due to the govt’s measures to battle the coronavirus crisis.
Head of Jumedia Mont and acting editor-in-chief of Dan daily, Mr Mladen Milutinović, completely supports the position of the AMM. “The IRF should be socially responsible and adapt the criteria for granting loans to companies which are the founders of the media. Print media are faced with the procurement of print materials and the entire production cycle, which is completely import dependent, where under these conditions suppliers have no tolerance for delays or payments for goods and services.”
The editor-in-chief of Pobjeda daily, Mr Draško Đuranović, said the print media companies sent a joint letter to the IRF and added that loan requirements for print media must be realistic.
He pointed out that the IRF should not require collateral on loans, but rather a bill of exchange as one of decent conditions.
Head of TV Vijesti and Daily Press, which include daily newspaper and portal Vijesti, Ms Marijana Kadić Bojanić, noted the state has to back the media urgently, as their reporting serves the public interest, and has to bear in mind that the media employees, apart from health workers, are the frontline staff.
Mr Zoran Vukčević, president of the IRF’s Board of Directors noted that they hadn’t been thinking about the print media when preparing loans to survive the coronavirus crisis.
