Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic has called on Members of Parliament not to vote for the amendments to the Property Tax Law, warning that doing so would be a vote against the Constitution and a step toward discriminating against agricultural producers.

“If you vote in favor, the law gives municipalities the freedom to decide whether and to what extent they will reduce the property tax rate for agricultural producers. The consequence would be that farmers in one municipality could receive a 90 percent reduction, while those in another municipality might get only a 20 percent reduction, or none at all,” Milatovic said in a letter addressed to MPs.

According to him, such a legal provision creates unequal and unfair treatment of taxpayers across the country, which contradicts the principles of equality and non-discrimination enshrined in the Constitution of Montenegro.

Milatovic added that the discriminatory nature of this law is evident in examples where two neighbours, whose properties are separated by a municipal boundary, could pay vastly different taxes solely because of this.

“Or even more drastically, if a farmer’s property is located within two municipalities, they would be required to pay different taxes,” Milatovic said.

He added that if MPs vote in favour of this law, farmers would be placed in an unequal position, as the prices of their products would inevitably be higher due to increased taxes determined solely by the municipality in which their land is located.