Čengić: Distribution of funds for citizens from affected municipalities must begin as soon as possible

Members of the Management Board of the Fund for Assistance to Flooded Areas of the Federation of BiH, Petar Ćorluka and Safudin Čengić, are requesting the FBiH Government to have the Fund start distributing approximately 4.4 million KM, collected in the account of the FBiH Government and intended for the reconstruction of flooded areas in FBiH, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

At today's session of the Fund's Management Board, the members requested the FBiH Government to use all its authority to complete the procedure for establishing the Fund, appointing a director, and other necessary procedures required to operationalize the Fund for Assistance to Flooded Areas within five days, so that the money from the FBiH Government's account intended for flooded areas becomes operational in the next few days.

Ćorluka stated that the Government has been slow so far and needs to react faster to resolve the problems of citizens in flooded areas.

- We all must get more involved to help these people because winter is coming - said Ćorluka, as reported by NAP.

The Government of the Federation of BiH established the Fund for Assistance to Areas Affected by Natural Disasters on the territory of the Federation of BiH, which will finance the reconstruction of flooded areas in our country that were hit during May this year. However, although more than 90 days have passed since the natural disaster that struck BiH in May, the Fund is still not operational. Some members of the Fund's Management Board, such as the Mayor of Maglaj Municipality Mehmed Mustabašić, blame politics for this situation.

Safudin Čengić, a member of the Fund's Management Board, also stated that people from affected areas cannot be satisfied with the pace of assistance they are receiving and that this must change as soon as possible.

- We must work 24 hours a day to make the funds we have available as soon as possible - said Čengić.

- Priority must be given to individual and collective residential buildings. It is also necessary to rebuild economic entities so that people can return to their workplaces. Unfortunately, certain procedures are hindering the start of the Fund's operations, and this must be overcome immediately - warned Čengić.