Igor Šamiz, a representative of the Swiss firm “8B Capital”, has requested the Ministry of Energy to amend the contract for leasing the production facilities of the Nikšić Steelworks (Steelworks and Forge). This was disclosed by Milutin Đukanović, Chairman of the Board of Directors of EPCG, in response to a query from “Vijesti”.

“The Swiss company has not met certain obligations. A notice period is in effect. Šamiz is currently negotiating with the Ministry of Energy to explore potential modifications to the contract. Regarding Elektroprivreda, we lack the authority to alter that contract and will operate within legal frameworks. We are open to continuing collaboration with Šamiz, provided certain conditions are met, but that responsibility lies beyond the scope of Elektroprivreda,” Đukanović stated during a visit to the solar panels at the Vrtac dam, accompanied by Andrija Mandić and Marko Kovačević, the presidents of the Parliament and Municipality of Nikšić, as well as Marina Jočić, the president of the Board of Directors of Solar Gradnja.

In May, Elektroprivreda ended the contract with “8B Capital” due to the tenant’s failure to meet obligations related to rental payments and employee transfers.

The energy firm detailed that it had issued seven invoices for payment, with outstanding rental debt amounting to €223,000 plus VAT, and employee transfer debt totaling €644,000.

EPCG sent Šamiz a notice of unilateral contract termination on May 8, which was not received. A second termination notice was sent, which he acknowledged on May 26, initiating a 45-day period for him to fulfill obligations regarding the lease and employee assignments. So far, Šamiz has paid €40,000 toward the lease, totaling €100,000, leaving him with an outstanding amount of between €650,000 and €700,000 to settle by mid-July.

The tenant was responsible for paying a monthly rent of €31,000, beginning October 1, but he has only made two payments out of the seven owed, according to EPCG’s previous statements. Concerning employee numbers, the contract stipulated that he should hire 150 employees within six months, yet he has not hired any. Salaries for the staff have been drawn from EPCG funds while they worked on constructing solar power plants and concrete blocks. EPCG Željezara Nikšić has noted that workers earned salaries during the last quarter of the previous year and the first quarter of this year. The steel plant currently employs 249 permanent staff and 11 on temporary contracts.

The contract was signed in July 2024 for a duration of 50 years, during which “8B Capital” committed to investing €7.75 million within one year from contract signing and starting production, with an additional €36.85 million pledged over five years, as indicated in their proposal.

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