For Fire Damage Compensation, 50 Applications Already Submitted

SOURCE: RTCG – AUTHOR: M.J. GDNUS

Reports are already coming in from citizens who suffered damage from the fire. So far, about 50 have been submitted. After field reports are collected, the Government Commission for Fire Damage Assessment will create a recovery plan. It is still unknown how much the state will help the citizens. The president of that body, Minister Vladimir Joković, stated for Radio Montenegro that he will advocate for full compensation of the damage.

The fire caused major damage in the rural areas of the Capital City. Piperi and Kuči were especially affected. Houses, auxiliary buildings, and small properties were damaged.

Both the state and the city are promising assistance. A public call was issued, and so far 50 citizens have applied, said the president of the Damage Assessment Commission in Podgorica, Nikola Jočić.

"Several thousand hectares of land have been affected, with green areas being hit the hardest. Over the next month, the Commission will prepare a report on the damages, as well as the losses for each individual application," said Jočić.

Jočić emphasized that citizens whose buildings and properties have burned down can apply within the next 15 or so days.
"They should submit a request within the next 15 days to initiate the damage assessment process. The Commission will try to organize field visits as soon as possible," he said.

Once local municipalities gather field data, the Government Damage Assessment Commission will compile a report.
The president of that body, Vladimir Joković, notes that they still cannot say how much the state will contribute to repairing the consequences of the fire.
"We, as the Commission, will request the release of funds from the Government, since the Government will make the decision to allocate a certain amount of money," he said.
He will advocate for the damage to be fully compensated.

CEDIS, whose infrastructure was also damaged in the fires, has already begun replacing utility poles.
Head of the Corporate Communications Department, Jelena Damjanović, said they received a cost estimate for repairing the faults and fire damage, showing that the company had to allocate over 140,000 euros for materials and work in the fire-affected area.
"I would add that, at the beginning of the summer season and due to the damage caused by the fires, more than 250 poles have been replaced in the territory of Montenegro," said Damjanović.

An analysis of the fire’s impact on quality of life and nature will be conducted by a special agency, which, we were told, will also be part of the recovery plan.