About Montenegro

General Information

Montenegro is a nice country situated in southeast Europe.
The country shows major economic potential, especially for the energy and tourism sector.
Safety and stability.
First next EU member in the next step.
The Euro (€) has been its official currency since 2002.
Reformed according to the EU legal framework for investment.
One of the most competitive corporate tax regimes in Europe (9% income tax)
Residency is based on owning the property and on employment in the company.
Free transfer of profit, dividend, or interest.
Significant tax reliefs and concessions.
Liberal trade regime.
Customs exemptions for investments in goods imported as investors’ deposits.
Free access to EU and Russian markets.
Land laws that give foreign investors equal status with local ones, i.e., with full deeds and titles to land and real estate.
Climate with over 240 sunny days.

Tourism

Since Montenegro gained independence from Serbia in 2006, its economy has expanded in the financial and service sectors. Economic activity has moved away from heavy industries towards service sectors such as tourism and travel, transport, telecommunications, construction, banking, and other business services and some new production opportunities have arisen in the energy sector and organic production.
Leisure tourism is the main support of Montenegrin tourism due to the beautiful nature and coastal parts that the country benefits from. The constant interest shown by foreign guests stimulated country and private investors to invest not only in leisure facilities, in infrastructure as well. The master plan of developing tourism in Montenegro and the general impression is that country wants to become a luxury destination.

Below are the names of some of the most famous tourist spots in Montenegro:

BAY OF BOKA KOTORSKA
COAST OF MONTENEGRO
NATIONAL PARKS – LOVĆEN
NATIONAL PARKS – BIOGRADSKA GORA
NATIONAL PARKS –DURMITOR
BIOGRADSKO LAKE
NATIONAL PARKS –SKADAR LAKE
CANYONS
CANYON TARA
CANYON KOMARNICE

Healthcare

Public services are financed through the Health Insurance Fund. It is funded by payroll contributions of 10.5%. About 5% of the national budget is allocated to healthcare. Only €5 million was provided for all public hospital supplies in 2016, about a third of what was thought necessary. 72.5% of total health spending comes from the fund. Most of the rest is direct out-of-pocket payments.
The Ministry of Health in Montenegro guides a national health fund. Contributions of employers and employees entitle citizens to health care. This program covers most medical services, except physicians.

Funding and spending

Healthcare spending in Montenegro is roughly $578 per capita, Montenegro spent $365 million on healthcare in 2010. Most of the health care (two-thirds) is paid for through government expenditure, the remained is via household expenditures (30%) and other sources (3%). 14% of government spending goes to health (6% GDP) in 2010.

Staffing

There are 199 doctors per 100,000 people and 554 nurses and midwives per 100,000 people in Montenegro. This is lower than the European average which has 325 and 554 doctors and nurses respectively per 100,000. There are 17 Pharmacies per 100,000 people in 2015.

Facilities

Montenegro has 19 health centers and 10 hospitals. Along with private physicians and dentists. There are three specialist centers:

The Podgorica Clinical Center is the main public hospital. Necessary supplies were calculated to cost €11.4 million in 2016. It was reported that there were severe shortages of basic supplies and equipment in public hospitals. Tests were repeatedly postponed because of a lack of supplies or broken equipment. Many patients are referred for treatment outside the country.
Institute for Health
Pharmaceutical Institute of Montenegro

Education

The educational system is uniformed. The school curriculum includes the history and culture of all ethnic groups. The language of instruction is Montenegrin (Serbian Bosniak, Croatian), and so is Albanian in some elementary and secondary schools where there is a significant presence of Albanians. All students up to Secondary schools are enrolled in public schools, which are financed from the republic’s budget. In December 2008, Montenegrin Education Minister Sreten Škuletić said that, in 2009, all school textbooks will be printed in the Montenegrin language as part of an educational reform. This will also include Dictionaries and grammar books.

Elementary education

Elementary education in Montenegro is free and compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 and 14, when children attend the nine-year school.

Secondary education

Secondary schools are divided into three types, and children attend one depending on their choice and their elementary school grades:

Gymnasium (Gimnazija) lasts for four years and offers general and broad education. It is considered a preparatory school for college and thus the most prestigious.
Professional schools (Stručna škola) last for three or four years and specialize students in certain fields, while still offering relatively broad education.
Vocational schools (Zanatska škola) last for three years, without an option of continuing education, and specialize in narrow vocations.

Tertiary education

Tertiary level institutions are divided into Higher education (Više obrazovanje) and High education (Visoko obrazovanje) level faculties. Study programs at universities (univerza) and art academies (akademija umjetnosti) last between 4 and 6 years (one year is two semesters long) and award diplomas equivalent to a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree. High school (Viša škola) lasts between two and four years.