SEKS: STATE RECONSTRUCTION DIRECTORATE NEEDED FOR VUKOVAR

( Editorial: --> 8412 ) VUKOVAR, July 18 (Hina) - Croatian National Parliament Vice- President Vladimir Seks stated on Friday that the local authorities could not cope with the problems of the eastern Croatian city of Vukovar on their own. Therefore, we shall inform the Council for Strategic Decisions lead by President Franjo Tudjman of the problems regarding reconstruction, development and the return of the refugees into the city and propose the establishment of the State Directorate for Reconstruction and Development of Vukovar, Seks said. He spoke to journalists following a meeting with National Trust Establishment Committee chairwoman and deputy presidential- chief-of-staff Vesna Skare-Ozbolt and officials of the local authorities in Vukovar and Vukovar-Srijem County. Vukovar-Srijem Prefect Rudolf Koenig explained that the financial aspect was the greatest problem, since neither local authorities nor local banks had enough resources to cover all the necessary expenses. Therefore, among other things, we proposed that one of the state- owned banks should give guarantee for some credits in Vukovar, for instance the Croatian Reconstruction and Development Bank (HBOR), Koenig said. Explaining the problem of non-allocated flats in the city, namely flats which were not reclaimed by their owners for various reasons, Koenig and Vukovar Mayor Vladimir Stengl said that these flats would be allocated by the Reconstruction and Development Ministry, at the proposal of the city administration. They added that this would be implemented by the Housing Commission which should be appointed by the mayor by the end of this month, in accordance with the recently adopted Programme for the Return and Accommodation of Displaced Persons, Refugees and Exiled Persons. Stengl emphasised that it was noted that the former occupiers who have a right to return to their flats were starting to sell their occupying rights. A person who had occupied a flat in Vukovar until April 1, 1991 has a right to reclaim the flat. Vesna Skare-Ozbolt repeated that the Vukovar City Council was not functioning as well as it should and added that a commissioner should be appointed to Vukovar if the situation does not change. (Hina) is /mbr 181137 MET jul 98