ZAGREB, Dec 31, 2020 – Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milosevic from the ranks of the Independent Democratic Serb Party on Thursday said that the first thing to be done is to secure containers and tents for temporary accommodation, for reconstruction to commence immediately and that those affected by the earthquake are relieved of paying contributions.
“The first task is to ensure containers, tents and temporary accommodation and then to quickly start with reconstruction,” said Milosevic, who arrived in Petrinja and visited the town and houses affected by Tuesday’s earthquake.
He said that account would be taken so that citizens affected by the earthquake are relieved of any contributions. “Everything will be taken into account. Everyone wants to be fully engaged to help citizens and make it easier for them. We will try and help citizens as much as possible and relieve them of any obligations to ensure that they have a dignified home,” said Milosevic.
The thing that the government will advocate is to embark on reconstruction with as little red tape as possible, he added.
He said that the state was doing all it can, all services have been deployed as well as the entire administration. The social welfare ministry will send mobile teams to villages that Milosevic visited on Wednesday.
Milosevic said that he had spoken with the president of the Serb National Council, Milorad Pupovac, who informed him that SNV had ensured ten containers via Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Republika Srpska entity and its President Zeljka Cvijanovic that would arrive in Croatia today as well as a lorry full of building material.
State and citizens reacted immediately
“The situation is difficult. There are a lot of problems. Villages are dispersed. However, aid is organised and is arriving to all those villages. Maximum effort is being invested to provide the minimum help at least and then everything else,” he underscored.
Responding to a comment by a reporter that it seems everything is occurring due to the enthusiasm of citizens and that the state should have a systematic solution, Milosevic claimed that the state reacted immediately and so did citizens.
“The Prime Minister and President immediately went to Petrinja. A cabinet meeting was convened and interventionary funds were allocated. We will monitor the situation. The state did everything it could do,” he underlined.
Asked whether he was bothered with Pupovac’s statement that a girl who was killed in the earthquake was from a mixed marriage, Milosevic said that neither he nor anyone he knows separated victims based on ethnicity.
“As far as I know, he (Pupovac) was replying to a question by a reporter from Tanjug, who asked whether any of the casualties were of Serb ethnicity. Had an earthquake occurred in Vojvodina, reporters there would certainly have asked if there were any ethnic Croat casualties. That was exclusively in that context. There was no intention to divide the victims,” said Milosevic.
