The new Earthquake Reconstruction Bill will be prepared for the government next week, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced at a cabinet meeting on Thursday.

“The public consultation on the Earthquake Reconstruction Bill has been completed. The Ministry of Physical Planning and Construction will prepare it for the government next week. Final opinions of all departments are expected,” the PM said.

The new bill, which was put to public consultation on 25 January, provides for the unification of the institutions involved in the reconstruction process, namely the centralisation of the Central State Office for Housing and Reconstruction and the City of Zagreb Reconstruction Fund, which will be merged with the Ministry of Physical Planning and Construction.

The aim of the bill is to streamline the procedures and reduce the necessary documentation, Plenkovic said.

He added that next week a plan would be unveiled for the provision of housing for earthquake victims staying in temporary accommodation, mostly those living in containers in the Banovina region.

The prime minister also mentioned the government’s plan to repeal the law on special pensions in order to reinstate the 10% cut from pensions for about 62,000 Homeland War veterans and their families.

The amount will be restored gradually – the first 5% on 1 July and the rest on 1 January 2024, Plenkovic said.