ZAGREB, Jan 28 (Hina) - Parliamentary benches of the opposition parties at the House of Representatives on Thursday endorsed a proposal of Drago Krpina, a deputy of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), for the amendments to the
law on the areas of the special state concern. Krpina proposed that returnees to the areas which were under the Serb occupation, should be granted loans, in a simpler manner, by the Croatian Bank for the Reconstruction and Development (HBOR). However, opposition representatives held that problems should be resolved also by radical changes of the current law. Zeljka Antunovic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), warned of the "mild attempts of sabotage" by those who should implement the law on the areas of the special state concern. She agreed that policy toward those regions had been anti-Croatia for decades. But, she described the current relationsh
ZAGREB, Jan 28 (Hina) - Parliamentary benches of the opposition
parties at the House of Representatives on Thursday endorsed a
proposal of Drago Krpina, a deputy of the ruling Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ), for the amendments to the law on the areas
of the special state concern.
Krpina proposed that returnees to the areas which were under the
Serb occupation, should be granted loans, in a simpler manner, by
the Croatian Bank for the Reconstruction and Development (HBOR).
However, opposition representatives held that problems should be
resolved also by radical changes of the current law.
Zeljka Antunovic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), warned of
the "mild attempts of sabotage" by those who should implement the
law on the areas of the special state concern.
She agreed that policy toward those regions had been anti-Croatia
for decades. But, she described the current relationship toward
those areas as "the continuation of such policy".
Anto Djapic of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) proposed to the
Government to submit a special report on the state of affairs in the
liberated areas. According to him, the Croatian Danube river area
must be specially treated by the law because of the troubled
property relations between the Croatian returnees ad Serbs who live
in the Croat houses and the complicated way for receiving the HBOR
loans.
Marko Miljevic of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) maintained
that those areas, particularly the ones bordering with Yugoslavia
(Serbia/Montenegro) should enjoy a special status. This government
should give them gift loans, Miljevic added.
Bolta Jalsovec of the Croatian Social and Liberal Party (HSLS)
warned that one of the reasons for failure to cultivate a great
percentage of arable land in the areas in question was a complicated
procedure for receiving the HBOR loans.
Anton Kovacev of the HDZ, who is also the president of the HBOR
Management, said a lack of means was the basic problem of the HBOR
programme for loans. More money is the precondition for the
development of the economy and agriculture and creation of new jobs
in the areas of the special state concern, Kovacev added.
House of Representatives members pointed to the very serious
problem of expensive and long process of clearing mines in those
areas.
(hina) jn ms