CROATIA'S REFUGEES POINT TO SLOW PACE OF RECONSTRUCTION

ZAGREB, Oct 12 (Hina) - A working group "Reconstruction and Return to Home", as part of the 4th conference of the Croatian Displaced Persons' Association that began on Saturday morning, discussed problems returnees were facing while coming back home and reconstructing houses and other facilities. Association's members said difficulties they experienced after the return to liberated hometowns and villages were a too slow pace of the reconstruction of damaged facilities, mine-cleaning, failure to renew business and economic capacity, increases in prices of construction material, failure to get promised financial aid and credits, damaged infrastructure and lack of professionals. Croatia's Development and Reconstruction Minister Jure Radic responded to those complaints and said authorities were trying to remove war damage by fair and fast reconstruction. At the moment 14,500 houses were being reconstructed, Radic said adding that 5,000 houses had been completely reconstructed. At the beginning of this year there were about 200,000 displaced persons in Croatia, and now this number reduced to about 140,000 as about 60,000 people managed to return to home. Radic is expecting that another 40,000 displaced persons will come back to their houses in next six months. According to figures, about 145,000 houses were destroyed in the war. Radic explained that there had been more destroyed houses than displaced persons, and that's why all ruined houses need not repairing. He told the conference that 1 billion and 800 million kunas had been so far spent in the reconstruction. He added that 4 billion and 700 million kunas would be needed for the repairs of houses in eastern Croatia and the completion of the reconstruction process in the entire country. Radic believed that by the end of 1997 there would be no more displaced persons in Croatia if the process of the reconstruction were well organized and if sufficient resources were provided. He said means for reconstruction should be ensured partly from the state budget, and perhaps by selling some of state economic systems. He reminded the conference that one of the biggest problems was that displaced persons and returnees were poorly informed, and asked them for help and cooperation in settling their own problems. He announced that reconstruction of another 7,000 destroyed houses would soon begin. Responding to questions about high prices of construction material, Radic said the government would announce competitions for Croatia's construction material in order to give an incentive to the country's production. However, building material would be imported if necessary, he added. He admitted that higher taxes on value added would require 12- 16 percent larger budget for the reconstruction and development. Commenting on problems of clearing mines Radic said it was one of biggest problems the country must resolve, and added that lack of experts caused a slow pace of mine-clearance. The head of the Croatian Government office for refugees and displaced people, Damir Zoric, said at the conference that the Government office and the Displaced Persons' Association were cooperating like partners. At the next Government session Zoric would propose an overhaul of the registration of displaced persons and refugees in order to get true data on the exact number of dislocated persons. (hina) mš 121729 MET oct 96