By the close of last year, the accumulated losses from prior years for four companies established by the Municipality of Pljevlja reached 6,753,795 euros, with nearly half of this sum, specifically 3.36 million euros, attributed to Vodovod.

Utilities, primarily engaged in providing funeral services, market services, and caring for lost or abandoned pets, ranks second with an accumulated loss of 1.68 million euros. Meanwhile, the accumulated loss for Local Roads stands at 1.08 million euros, and Heating, which oversees the city’s boiler house, reports a shortfall of 617,166 euros. Notably, Čistoća is the only municipal company that had cleared its losses as of 2023.

According to company reports, the best performance last year was recorded by Lokalni putevi, which achieved a profit of 221,904 euros.

The company’s total revenues for the year were 1.5 million euros, an increase of 528 thousand euros compared to 2023. Expenses rose by nearly the same amount, totaling 1.28 million euros. Of the total revenues, municipal subsidies accounted for 1.2 million euros, approximately 274 thousand euros more than the previous year.

In terms of expenses, the majority relate to salaries and benefits for employees, board members, and those on temporary contracts, amounting to over 650 thousand euros. The report indicates that the undistributed profit from prior years is 593,767 euros. Total liabilities for taxes and contributions, as per the reprograms, reached 535,434 euros, reduced by over 71,000 euros compared to 2023. Local Roads employs 38 permanent staff members, with an average salary of 838 euros, and plans to hire additional employees.

After several years of losses, Vodovod concluded 2024 with a profit of 117,443 euros. The company’s total revenues were 2.47 million euros, surpassing the previous year by over 700 thousand euros. This revenue growth was primarily driven by income from services and works amounting to 850,961 euros, an increase of roughly 486,000 euros from 2023, along with revenues from water sales and wastewater management exceeding one million euros. Vodovod’s total expenses for 2024 reached 2.35 million euros, largely due to a rise in allocations for salaries, fees, and other personal income totaling 1.62 million euros, which is more than 333,000 euros higher than the previous year. The water utility employs 117 individuals, with the Municipality covering gross salary costs for workers at the wastewater treatment plant amounting to 386,651 euros. The total tax and contribution liabilities, according to two reprograms from 2015 and 2022, exceed one million euros. By the end of 2024, liabilities to suppliers were almost 280,000 euros, while customer receivables exceeded 400,000 euros.

Čistoća also reported positive results last year, earning a profit of 55,871 euros, which is around 3,700 euros less than in 2023. The company’s total revenue reached 3.95 million euros, and expenses totaled 3.9 million euros, an increase of approximately 857 thousand euros from the previous year. A significant portion of expenses stemmed from salaries, benefits, and personal costs, totaling 2.19 million euros, with a rise of 495,523 euros compared to 2023. Costs for employee salaries through agencies more than doubled, from 128,947 euros in 2023 to 302,666 euros in 2024. By the end of last year, receivables stood at 1.49 million euros, with a workforce of 200 employees reported in the work report.

Utilities concluded last year with a loss of 11,388 euros, representing an improvement of approximately 57 thousand euros compared to 2023, when losses exceeded 68 thousand euros. Total revenue for the company reached 685,756 euros, increasing by 145,700 euros from the previous year. Total expenses amounted to 697,144 euros, rising from 608,531 euros the year before, largely due to increased spending on salaries and benefits. Over 610,000 euros were disbursed for gross salaries, benefits, wage arrears, and taxes as per the reprogram. Customer receivables at the end of last year exceeded 120 thousand euros, with 32 employees working in Utilities.

Support Needed for Upcoming Heating Season.

Heating also ended the year negatively, reporting a loss of 7,240 euros. Total revenues amounted to over 615 thousand euros, which is 115 thousand more than in 2023. Total expenses reached 622,637 euros, marking an increase of about 91 thousand euros from the previous year. Similar to other companies, salaries, fees, and personal income constituted the bulk of Heating’s expenses, totaling 418,605 euros. The costs for coal were recorded at 68,489 euros.

“The loss-making business was severely impacted by default interest calculations by the Coal Mine, outstanding receivables from the prior period, and a 60% reduction in bills for users in October, as the company faced objective challenges preventing it from starting the heating season within the legally mandated timeframe,” the report states. It further emphasizes that the continuation of the boiler house’s operation post the 2024/2025 heating season remains uncertain, necessitating support from the Municipality of Pljevlja and the state to ensure service users receive heat energy until the district heating project is implemented.

The heating department currently employs 31 permanent staff members.

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