Minister for Physical Planning, Construction, and State Assets, Ivan Paladina, said on Tuesday that the reconstruction of the Banija region in central Croatia which was hit by a powerful earthquake in December 2020 "might be completed in three to four years."

“I think four years is realistic, possibly even sooner. It’s a realistic time frame. In my opinion, two years is not realistic,” Paladina said in response to questions from reporters during his visit to Petrinja, the largest town in the region which was devastated by the earthquake two years ago.

Paladina said that “at least 50 construction sites, and preferably 100,” should be operating monthly at an agreed pace.

Paladina was asked if he was satisfied with the pace of reconstruction in the capital Zagreb, which was hit by a separate quake in March 2020. State news platform Hina quoted a reporter saying that “nearly three years have passed since the earthquake without a single house having undergone structural reconstruction.”

“That’s not true. Ten family houses and two apartment buildings in Zagreb have been rebuilt structurally,” Paladina retorted.

State news platform Hina did not independently verify whether Paladina or the unnamed reporter were right.