The government on Thursday approved the establishment of a Fund for the Reconstruction of the City of Zagreb and the Krapina-Zagorje and Zagreb counties affected by the March earthquake and authorised Minister Darko Horvat to sign the agreement on its behalf.

The government adopted the first programme with the measures for reconstruction of buildings damaged by the 22 March quake and set up an inter-departmental task force for monitoring the use of grants from the European Union Solidarity Fund, earmarked for the reconstruction.

The agreement for the establishment of the reconstruction fund between the government and City of Zagreb and Krapina-Zagorje and Zagreb counties was signed after the cabinet meeting.

The fund, as one of the bodies that will implement the reconstruction process, was established pursuant to the legislation on the reconstruction of buildings damaged by the earthquake in the region of the City of Zagreb and the two adjacent counties and its founder will define the rights, obligations and shares of the stakeholders in the fund.

The fund will conduct expert and other tasks related to the preparation, organisation and implementation of reconstruction as well as monitoring the implementation of reconstruction measures.

The state will have a 70% share in the fund, the City of Zagreb will have 20%, and the Krapina-Zaogrje and Zagreb counties 5% each, said the Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets, Darko Horvat.