Construction Minister Darko Horvat, on Monday dismissed criticisms that the government had done nothing for Zagreb after the March 22 earthquake, and added that 20 million kuna (€2.6 million) would be allocated from the budget for the reconstruction of Petrinja and Sisak after a series of earthquakes hit the area on Monday.

The head of the Zagreb emergency management department, Pavle Kalinic, on Monday slammed the government, saying it has done nothing about the reconstruction of the capital after a March earthquake. He added that the law on post-earthquake reconstruction had been adopted, but that implementing acts were still not in place.

“They will help Petrinja and Sisak just as they helped Zagreb. What a disgrace for this government,” Kalinic told the RTL commercial television channel.

Horvat rejected Kalinic’s claims, saying that the government had adopted the necessary implementing acts and prepared initial tenders, adding that public calls would be issued in about two weeks.

“Zagreb is a building site”

“Right now Zagreb is a building site. Of 1,007 emergency repairs, we have dealt with more than 50 percent, disbursing over 30 million kuna (€4 million) to those who have begun reconstruction,” Horvat told RTL.

“The reconstruction process began with the receipt of applications. The Ministry is responding promptly. We will issue decisions and based on these decisions we will begin reconstruction in an organised way,” he added.

Horvat said that the government had so far obtained about 12 billion kuna (€1.5 billion) in EU funds to start the reconstruction of Zagreb. In a similar way, we will set aside about 20 million kuna (€2.6 million) from the budget for the reconstruction of Petrinja and Sisak, he added.

All of those whose property in Sisak-Moslavina County was damaged by Monday earthquake will be able to report their damage as of Wednesday. Horvat said he was not sure whether this amount of money would suffice, adding that the government would have to wait until January 1 or 2 before it could allocate funds from the 2021 budget.

“A similar methodology to that we used for Zagreb will be used here. Emergency repairs will be carried out by owners,” Horvat said, adding that all areas hit by the earthquake would receive aid for cost compensation.