Podgorica, (Montena-business) – The international Forum called ‘Private Business and Public Policy’ organized by the Centre for Entrepreneurship and the Montenegro Business Alliance, started today at the hotel ‘Crna Gora’ in Podgorica. The forum’s topics are understanding private business, partnership of the State and private sector, and comparable experiences from other countries in this field. Representatives of 80 Montenegrin companies and 15 business alliances and associations, foreign experts and students of the Economy faculty from Podgorica participate at the forum. Mr Slobodan Radovic, president of the Montenegro Business Alliance, said that entrepreneurs wanted to participate and be responsible for passing laws that regulate the business ambient. “Small private businesses are the most important part of the chain in state development. New laws that will be adopted soon, they will remove some barriers from private business, and it is necessary to create a system that stimulate work” claims Mr Radovic. The vice-president of the Privatisation Council, Mr. Veselin Vukotic said that Montenegro should abandon the myth about the great and ideal state that protects citizens. “We will have a more efficient state with low taxes when the private sector starts giving public services. The state must function transparently and competitive, and foreign investors should have the same treatment as investors from the country” said Mr. Vukotic. He added that there were about 5,000 private companies and only 17 state-owned companies in Montenegro. At separate sessions of the Forum, which will finish today, the participants will discuss new legal solutions for making business in Montenegro; private-public partnership; business lobbying as well as financing of small and middle companies and joint ventures. af/bd