Montenegro: Eight medical companies report €55.7 million profit

The Action for Social Justice (ASP) has reported that eight companies operating in the pharmaceutical and medical equipment sector in Montenegro generated a total net profit of €55.7 million over the last three years.

According to the ASP, these companies have accumulated over €70 million in total profit. The organization highlighted significant profit margins among these leading firms, ranging from less than 5% to as high as 34% in one instance. While these eight companies paid a total of €8.5 million in profit taxes to the state over the three-year period, they distributed €15.5 million in dividends to their owners.

The ASP raised concerns regarding a potential monopoly in the sector, noting that citizens continue to pay some of the highest prices for medicines in the region. The organization suggested that while political discussions often focus on reducing VAT on medicines, the issue of market monopolies remains largely unaddressed.