The contemporary history of Crnogorska plovidba began in a unique context. In the early 2000s, the Montenegrin government was navigating the lengthy procedure of selling off ships from the defunct shipping giant, Jugooceanija . To facilitate this, the government made a decision that led to the formation of a new company in 2003, which would eventually become the Crnogorska plovidba we know today. The government would become the dominant force, holding 99.97% of the shares, with the remaining 0.03% owned by the Employment Agency, making it a de facto fully state-controlled enterprise.
The sale was a political firestorm. Critics accused the government of corruption, ignoring expert advice, and conducting the deal through a secretive, non-transparent process without a public tender. The Association of Maritime Captains of Montenegro condemned the move, and Member of Parliament Boris Mugosa proposed a parliamentary hearing into the “problematic sale”. Montenegro’s Special State Prosecutor’s Office announced an investigation into the actions of company representatives and Ministry officials for potential violations of national law. crnogorska plovidba