VUKOVAR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT FUND ESTABLISHED

VUKOVAR, Jan 17 (Hina) - The Vukovar Reconstruction and Development Council was established on Thursday, with Branimir Tusek, an MP of the ruling coalition's Social Democrats (SDP), elected president. The 11-member Council was established on the basis of a government decision and in compliance with the Law on the Reconstruction and Development of Vukovar, the biggest victim of the 1990s war. The Council's main task is to participate in the preparations and drawing up of plans and programmes for the reconstruction and development of the eastern town, formulated by the government. The Council also helps in preparing urban development plans and drawing up projects consisting of incentives for the town, Tusek said. In the last few years the government has invested around one billion kuna (approx. EUR133 million) in the reconstruction of Vukovar's housing fund, and rebuilt around 1,500 flats and 4,000 houses, said Assistant Public Works, Reconstruction, and Construction Minister Ljudevit Herceg, adding the rebuilding of another 1,000 houses was underway. The president of the Vukovar Reconstruction and Development Fund, Dijana Galic, said the Fund had 25 million kuna (approx. EUR3.33 million) at its disposal and would soon receive money raised with the sale of a government "challenger" aircraft to the U.S. company TWR last summer at a price of US$12.5 million. (hina) ha sb