Taking over the plans and programs of the former government can in no way be perceived as a deficiency of the new government. On the contrary. However, the new government has fallen into the trap of classic politicking and hypocrisy, as it accuses the former government of the lack of vision and “destroying the country”, while it openly takes over its plans and programs, Dnevne novine daily writes.
Everyone was surprised by the economic and financial area to be represented by three ministerial departments in the new, smaller-sized, government.
The greatest authority seemed to have been grabbed by the Capital Investments Minister, Mr Mladen Bojanić, who has enlarged the already large ministry by the significant energy sector taken over from the former Ministry of Economy. As the Finance Minister Mr Milojko Spajić was also given the social welfare sector, it was felt that the Minister of Economic Development, Mr Jakov Milatović, was left without practical authorities. But soon his Ministry was given powers that were once within the former Ministry of Education and Science – supporting start-ups and developing the science technology parks, “because it was recognized as part of the National innovation system in line with the Law on Innovation Activities”, as the Government explained.
PROGRAM TAKING OVER
The Government has done this “having in mind the long-term capacity building within the former Ministry of Science, related to the EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation” and “since inventors are defined by the law as entities performing innovative activity”.
This has made it clear that Mr Milatović based a good part of his economic strategy on the foundations laid by the former Ministry of Science headed by Ms Sanja Damjanović.
SMART SPECIALIZATION STRATEGY
In this regard, Minister Milatović presented the establishment of the Innovation Fund as his first move in the New Year.
“In the first quarter of 2021, we will work on establishing the Innovation Fund, as an important institution for the implementation of the Smart Specialization Strategy, which will finance projects contributing to the development of innovative entrepreneurship,” Mr Milatovic told the media.
But Mr Milatović ‘forgot’ to say louder that the Fund for Innovation and the accompanying Smart Specialization Strategy was the work of the former Ministry of Science supported by the EU experts.
Recall that the Government of Montenegro headed by Mr Duško Marković joint the EU initiative and adopted the Smart Specialization Strategy in 2019, and it was proposed by the then Ministry of Science.
