Montenegro and Croatia report surge in tourist season fines

Authorities in Montenegro and Croatia have reported significant increases in fines and inspections conducted during the recent summer tourist season to combat the grey economy and ensure compliance.

In Montenegro, Minister Milutin Butorović reported that intensified inspections resulted in 7.92 million euros in fines across nearly 15,000 reviews. Sanitary inspections, led by Dejan Šaković, identified irregularities in 1,727 establishments, issuing over 1.05 million euros in fines. Common issues included inadequate water analysis and lack of employee sanitary booklets, particularly in temporary hospitality facilities.

In Croatia, the Tax Administration reported a sharp rise in enforcement. Director Božidar Kutleša stated that 7,227 inspections were carried out, resulting in over 6.3 million euros in fines. Notably, the number of work bans increased by nearly 900 percent compared to the previous year, with 448 establishments temporarily closed. These measures primarily targeted repeat offenders failing to issue receipts or mismanaging cash flows.