The Council of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of the Chamber of Commerce called on to create conditions and motivate the local population to work in tourism by next summer season through an adapted legislative framework, as well as to simplify the procedures for seasonal employment of foreigners.
As was noted at the session of the Board, the development of tourism is impossible without quality staff, and the current supply on the labor market is inadequate.
The chairman of the committee Ranko Jovović reminds that the Chamber of Commerce initiated the introduction, together with the authorities, of the category of a «permanent seasonal worker», in order to motivate the unemployed local population to retrain and have permanent seasonal work and income throughout the year, in line with the positive experience of EU countries.
«It is necessary to focus on simplifying and digitizing employment procedures, create an electronic portal for registering seasonal workers, and also implement Article 81 of the Law on Foreigners, 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», says Jovović.
The Minister of Economic Development and Tourism Goran Đurović assessed tourism's contribution to Montenegro's economy as extremely significant and presented the latest data on tourist visits.
Đurović 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 creation of a permanent institution for seasonal workers, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.
The representative of the Ministry of the Interior Dragan Dašić said that more than 10,000 work permits have been issued so far across all activities, and only two percent relate to seasonal employment.
If this trend continues, he adds, it is expected that around 40,000 work permits will be issued by the end of the year, which is more than 10,000 more than in the previous year.
According to him, a contribution to streamlining the work permit issuance process could be strict compliance with the 15-day deadline, increasing the number of staff, and faster submission of applications/permits.
He announced the opening of a biometric station in Petrovac by May 15. He called on employers to take advantage of the possibility provided by the regulation that an application for a temporary residence and work permit may also be submitted by the employer at the place of the foreigner's intended residence.
The president of CTU Žarko Radulović noted that Montenegro could earn much more money from contributions if it solved the problems with issuing work permits for foreigners.
He confirmed the need to respect the request of the tourism industry and provide a temporary work permit from the moment complete documentation is submitted for a seasonal worker, as well as to enable the employer to report the seasonal worker to the Tax and Customs Administration. In this way, he believes, the state will collect taxes and contributions for one worker over the 28 days, which, according to Radulović, is the average waiting time for a decision on this matter.
He is skeptical about whether, under the existing rules, we will be able to bring workers from afar in a timely manner. He predicts a very good upcoming season, but believes that it is precisely due to the shortage of staff that there may be a decline in service quality.
Marko Čipović from the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare said that two new EU directives must be incorporated into the Labor Law, and that the institution of permanent seasonal workers should also be included in this regulation.
Vice President Nikola Vujović informed the Board about PKCG's efforts in the direction of developing congress tourism, which can significantly contribute to extending the season, as well as about problems in the application of legal norms related to the obligations of the economy when using objects of intellectual property protected by copyright.
Minister Đurović concluded that there are still many opportunities to define procedures that would allow us to register the workforce more quickly.