RETURNEES TO OSIJEK-BARANJA COUNTY DISSATISFIED WITH RECONSTRUCTION

RECONSTRUCTION ( Editorial: --> 3850 ) BELI MANASTIR, Sept 28 (Hina) - The Steering Board of the Osijek- Baranja Alliance of Returnees expressed their satisfaction with the speed and quality of return of displaced persons to this eastern Croatian county. The Board reiterated that licenses for the reconstruction of homes and construction works are being issued slowly, and do not follow the dynamics of the return of displaced persons to the area. Almost 2,000 displaced persons have bee registered as having returned to Beli Manastir. The people are returning to some places in the county very slowly because of the non-existence of basic conditions such as the reconstruction of the electricity and water supply networks, president of the Steering Board, Josip Kompanovic, said. The returnees to the Osijek-Baranja County will inform Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa of the problems. They have also suggested that returnees be granted favourable credits by the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development in order to complete the reconstruction of their homes. Participants of recent talks between representatives of the Croatian National Parliament and the Osijek-Baranja Alliance of Returnees confirmed that the political will exists for the Law on Areas of Special Government Care to be implemented in the Croatian Danube River region, which has been requested by the returnees for months now, Kompanovic said. (hina) lml 282120 MET sep 98