Montenegro will simplify the procedure for seasonal employment in tourism

Council of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry She urged create conditions and motivate the local population to work in the tourism sector by the next summer season through an adapted legislative framework, as well as simplify the procedures for seasonal employment of foreigners.

As noted at the meeting of the Board, the development tourism is impossible without quality personnel, and the existing supply on the labor market is inadequate.

Chairman of the Committee Ranko Jovovich recalls that the Chamber of Commerce initiated the introduction with the authorities of the category "permanent seasonal worker" in order to motivate the unemployed domestic population to retrain and have a permanent seasonal job and income throughout the year in accordance with the positive experience of the EU countries.

“It is necessary to focus on the simplification and digitalization of employment procedures, create an electronic registration portal for seasonal workers, and implement Art. 81 of the Law on Aliens, which provides that when applying for a seasonal work permit for a foreigner, biometric data can be taken at our embassies and consular offices, primarily from the region,” Jovovich said.

Minister of Economic Development and Tourism Goran Djurovic assessed the contribution of tourism to the economy of Montenegro as extremely significant and presented the latest data on tourist visits.

Djurovic noted that Europe is also facing a shortage of staff, and that one solution is to look for workers in India, Pakistan, the Philippines and other distant countries. He agrees that a possible solution is the establishment of a permanent institution of seasonal workers, administered by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection.

Representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Dragan Dasic reported that more than 10 work permits have been issued to date for all types of activities, and only two percent are for seasonal employment.

If this trend continues, he adds, about 40 work permits are expected to be issued by the end of the year, more than 000 more than the previous year.

According to him, strict adherence to the 15-day deadline, an increase in the number of performers and faster application/permit submission can contribute to streamlining the process of issuing work permits.

He announced the opening of the biometric station in Petrovac by 15 May. He urged employers to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the provision that an application for a temporary residence and work permit may be submitted by the employer also at the place of intended residence of the foreigner.

CTU President Zharko Radulovic noted that Montenegro could earn much more money on the basis of contributions if it solved the problem of issuing work permits for foreigners.

He reaffirmed the need to respect the request of the tourism industry and provide a temporary work permit from the moment of submission of full documentation for a seasonal worker, as well as to enable the employer to report a seasonal worker to the tax and customs administration. Thus, he believes, the state will collect taxes and contributions per employee within 28 days, during which, according to Radulovic, on average, one has to wait for a decision on this issue.

He is skeptical about whether we will be able to bring workers from afar in a timely manner under existing rules. He predicts a very good upcoming season, but believes that it is precisely because of the lack of personnel that there may be a drop in the quality of service.

Marko Chipovich from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security said that two new EU directives should be included in the Labor Law, and that the institution of permanent seasonal workers should be included in this regulation.

Vice-president Nikola Vujovic briefed the Board on PKCG's efforts to develop congress tourism, which can significantly contribute to the extension of the season, as well as the problems in the application of legal norms related to the obligations of the economy when using copyrighted intellectual property.

Minister Djurovic came to the conclusion that there is still a lot of room to define procedures that would allow us to register the labor force more quickly.