Dragan Bokan, founder and owner of Voli, identified the lack of labor as the biggest challenge for Montenegro’s economy, directly affecting productivity and long-term sustainability of domestic companies.
Bokan highlighted that his agricultural business in Ulcinj relies heavily on foreign workers, with only 10% of employees being local. Without daily workers from Albania, production in Montenegro would not be possible. He also noted that the livestock sector depends on workers from the Philippines, Nepal, Mexico, and Colombia to maintain operations.
Despite offering high salaries, private health insurance, and other benefits, Voli struggles to retain employees due to workforce shortages and high turnover. Bokan stressed that inflation, low productivity, and labor scarcity are the main economic problems.
He pointed to the imbalance between the private and public sectors as a key issue, noting that Montenegro has around 120,000 employees in the private sector and 80,000 in the public sector. High public sector wages draw workers away from the real economy, putting pressure on private companies that cannot match these salaries without losing competitiveness.
Bokan called on the government to halt hiring in the public sector and implement a strategy to increase wages in the private sector gradually, aiming to reduce emigration, maintain profitability, and align salaries closer to EU levels. He warned that poorly planned wage increases could trigger inflation and financial strain for companies.
He concluded that labor shortages represent the “biggest challenge in 30 years of doing business” and emphasized that while Voli will adapt, smaller companies face even greater difficulties.
