CROATIAN RETURNEES' ASSOCIATION HOLDS SESSION IN OSIJEK

OSIJEK, March 20 (Hina) - The Croatian Returnees' Association (ZPH) has requested the Government to intensify the reconstruction of houses, economy and infrastructure, as well as to fulfil its obligations towards contractors. A convention held in Osijek on Saturday adopted changes to the ZPH Statute, envisaging the transfer of the ZPH headquarters from Osijek to Vukovar. Conclusions adopted at today's session call for resolving the problem of mine removal as well as for the acceleration of the exhumation of mass graves. The Association has also requested ministries and the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HBOR) to grant loans for reconstruction programmes and development of small and medium-scale entrepreneurship and family farms. The Government has also been requested to urgently solve the problem of implementing the Law on Areas of Special State Concern. The Privatisation Ministry and privatisation investment funds were asked to release information on voucher privatisation. ZPH president Mato Simic said that out of 100,668 displaced people, who had been cared for by the Government Office for Displaced People and Refugees at the beginning of 1998, 71,000 remained at the care of the Office at the beginning of 1999. The head of the Office for Displaced Persons and Refugees Lovre Pejkovic said that about 32,000 persons who have returned to the Danube River area have acquired returnee status. Particular attention should be paid to the situation in Vukovar because the local authorities cannot solve on their own the problem of illegal occupation of other people's property. (hina) rml