€2.6bn spent on post-quake reconstruction so far

(Hina) - Construction and Zoning Minister Branko Bačić said on Thursday that so far, €2.6 billion has been spent "on all aspects" of post-earthquake reconstruction and he called the whole project "a historic reconstruction".

Informing the Sabor of post-quake reconstruction activities in 2023, when he took over the ministry, Bačić said that he was satisfied with the headway made.

Last year, the pace of reconstruction sped up, all the allocations appropriated from the EU Solidarity Fund for rebuilding the quake-affected public buildings and buildings housing public institutions were absorbed.

Citizens were moved from container settlements to more appropriate accommodation facilities, he added.

He recalled that the the devastating earthquakes that hit Zagreb and Petrinja in 2020 took eight lives and damaged 69,000 buildings.

The initial damage was estimated at €17 billion.

To date, 11,422 family houses and private properties with 45,600 housing units have been renovated, according to Bačić.

The minister said that 350 construction businesses with 11,000 workers have been hired so far in the reconstruction project, said the minister, underscoring the contribution of the construction sector to Croatia's economic growth.

 

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