ORGANIZATION OF CROATIAN IMMIGRATION MINISTRY COMPLETED

ZAGREB, Feb 12 (Hina) - The Croatian Ministry of Return and Immigration completed its organization and assumed a very responsible task to return as many as possible Croats to the homeland, the Minister of Return and Immigration, Marijan Petrovic, said at a news conference in Zagreb on Wednesday. Minister Petrovic informed the conference of the ministry's plans and introduced his newly-appointed assistants. The ministry is very busy, and the interest in the return to Croatia is growing, he said. Minister Petrovic reminded reporters of President Tudjman's recent address to the Parliament in which he had stressed that the return of Croats from the Diaspora was a permanent national and economic interest of the Republic of Croatia. Speaking of what had been done so far, Minister Petrovic noted that there were changes in customs and other regulations, and added that one of the most important changes was the fact that returnees who were retirees were exempt from pensions taxes. He said that the ministry was planing to build reception centres for accommodation of young and other returnees until they could solve their housing problems. Plans were under way for financial assistance to returnees of slender means and for offering scholarships to the youth from the Diaspora. A law on the return and immigration should be ended by June 1997. Asked about the ratio of a number of people who were emigrating to a number of those who were returning, ministry officials said that since 1991 about 30,000 people had come back, mostly from Germany. However, they had no exact data on the emigration, but they had information that Croatian communities abroad felt that less Croats from the homeland had arrived there. Minister Petrovic introduced to the conference his deputy, Josip Juras, and assistants: Domagoj Ante Petric for South America, Africa, Europe, Marijan Buconjic for North America, Australia and New Zealand, Nikola Vidak for economic incentives and Ante Babic in the information department. (hina) jn mš 121544 MET feb 97