ZAGREB, April 13, 2020 – The bill on the reconstruction of Zagreb after the March 22 earthquake will be complex because buildings in the centre of the capital are more than 100 years old, and specialists in all relevant areas are involved, Construction Minister Predrag Štromar said in a Croatian television current affairs programme on Monday morning.
“We must not and will not leave our citizens alone and that is most important,” Štromar said, adding that the bill would be fast-tracked through Parliament.
He said that the Croatian Chamber of Civil Engineers, the Croatian Chamber of Architects, the University of Zagreb Faculty of Civil Engineering, as well as machine and electrical engineers, were involved in the preparation of the bill.
Asked about the time frame of the reconstruction process, Štromar said that a lot of residential and public buildings and historical landmarks had been damaged and that it would take a lot of time to repair them. He said that healthcare and educational institutions and residential buildings were a priority.
Asked about sources of funding, the minister said that these were being discussed and that first it was necessary to determine how much the reconstruction would cost. He said he counted on funding from the state budget, the City of Zagreb budget, the County of Zagreb budget, the World Bank, EU funds, donations and friendly countries.
“How the money will be spent is for the bill to define. Transparency is of paramount importance,” Štromar said.
He said that intense work was under way to clear all the rubble, expressing hope that this task would be completed soon. In this context he praised the fire service for a job well done.
More news about the earthquake can be found in the Lifestyle section.
