AmCham organizes the Business Luncheon featuring guest speaker, the Minister of Finance of Montenegro, Mr. Radoje Žugić, PhD.  The luncheon will take place on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 from 13:00 to 15:00 hrs in the Lesendro Hall of the RAMADA Hotel. During the event Mr. Žugić will address AmCham members and guests to discuss tax policy and framework in Montenegro, with the most updated information about the plans and measures that the government is taking in taxation area. In addittion, budget issues as well as the legislative and regulatory reforms designed to improve the business environment will the subject of discussion. AmCham members and guests will have an opportunity to ask  Mr. Žugić questions related to these topics during the luncheon.

During the CSR working group meeting AmCham had a pleasure to host UNICEF colleagues, whose represantive Mr Benjamin Perks presented to AmCham members the situation of children in Montenengro regarding education, poverty, rights, etc. The focus of discussion was on status of children in residential care and the need to undertake the reforms process of de-institualization in order to integrate them in the society through social work interventions and the network of day care centers. These inputs will serve as the basis for completing the AmCham CSR project description ”Support to children in need of special protection” and work on its implementation with local stakeholders. The partnership has already been made with the Resource Center 01 June and the working group members agreed to support this institution with didactic resources, technical equipment and materials for reconstruction. The pilot action will be delivered next month and more will follow till the end of the year.

Ministry of Finance hosted AmCham representatives to dicuss tax related issues and joint cooperation in improving business environment for investors. Moderators of the AmCham tax working group Jovana Stojanovic and Nenad Nesovanovic presented the experience of the region regarding tax system and policy, while President Svetlana Vuksanovic expressed the importance of consistency in tax policy and making the business environment predictable for investors.  Minister Zugic introduced participants to current situation with regards to fiscal system and the efforts that the ministry make in dealing with grey economy and rule of law issues. Both sides agreed that joint cooperation within the working group would be beneficial for analyzing the existing tax legislation and working on its harmonization with the EU laws.

AmCham EU organised its seventh Transatlantic Conference where AmCham Montenegro Executive Director Edin Seferovic took an active part. In introductory remarks, Michelle Gibbons, Chair of AmCham EU’s EU-US Task, referred to this year’s conference as a very unique one with the possibility of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on the horizon. Ms Gibbons underlined that the EU and the US face the prospect of entering in a whole new era in the transatlantic relationship and that this agreement is believed to offer the opportunity to stimulate economic growth and that it will also pave the way for higher standards. Lucinda Creighton TD, Irish Minister of State for European Affairs summarised the overarching themes of this year’s conference: an ambitious, comprehensive and far-reaching agreement on trade and investment between the EU and the US will not only trigger economic growth in our respective economies, it will also send a very vital strong signal of leadership to other economic powers.

Executive Director Edin Seferovic participates in the AmCham EU Briefing which takes place in Brussels, 20-22 March. The event gathers together representatives of various AmCham offices in Europe, Members of European Parliament, US Mission to the EU staff and other distinguished guests. Participants will have a chance to be the part of the Networking Cocktail in the European Parliament, Transatlantic Conference and Policy Briefing. In addition to the annual update on the data on trade, jobs and investment between the EU and US to be presented by Joseph Quinlan, this year’s transatlantic conference will focus on the upcoming EU-US transatlantic trade and investment partnership. During policy briefing participants will find out more about partnership between Commission policy-makers and academia, think tanks, civil society,  other stakeholders on the one hand, and policy analysis and advice on the other.