Right to Know Day around the world - Montenegro

Organizer: Network for the Affirmation of NGO Sector
Date: September 28, 2007
Event: "Donor conference"

On the occasion of Right to know day, we are planning to organize a performance in form of "donor conference" to collect funds for copy machine for the institution in charge for privatization.

Key problems in implementation of the Law on free access to Information in Montenegro are related to access to information on privatization.

In most cases, access to information is formally granted, but in practice institution responsible for privatization is allowing direct inspection of the requested information only, without any transcribing, photocopying, scanning, taking photographs or recording which constitutes a considerable restriction to free access to information.

This prevents a more detailed analysis, further distribution of information and any evidence of the existence and contents of documents being inspected, which is particularly important in the cases concerning corruption or conflict of interest.

Upon our appeal, the Supreme Court decided:

"The public authority has the primary obligation to consider the possibility for the exercise of this right in the manner stated in the request, pursuant to one of the manners envisaged by Article 13 of the said Law, and if there are some objective impediments or difficulties for the exercise of such a request, envisage some other manner."

Still, that decision in not enforced in practice, but lack of technical equipment is officially the reason for allowing only direct inspection of the documents.

Therefore we are planning to invite new owners of recently privatized companies whose contracts on privatization are not publicized, to support transparency of privatization and avoid allegations that documents are secret because of corruption. We will also invite Minister of economy who eventually released privatization contract on the largest company in Montenegro, Aluminum Plant, after several months of strong
public campaign, to talk about importance of transparency of privatization.