Osmanović: More than 1,300 households received construction materials

The Ministry for Displaced Persons and Refugees allocated 6.8 million KM for the reconstruction of residential buildings after the May floods, and more than 1,300 households received construction materials whose damage ranged from three to six thousand KM, Minister Adil Osmanović told the BiH news agency Patria.

He said that the Crisis Staff formed after the floods surveyed the situation on the ground among the returnee population in the RS and FBiH, together with engineers from five business entities.

- In two months, we surveyed more than 1,300 residential buildings in Doboj, Maglaj, Žepče, Sanski Most, Prijedor, Bijeljina, Modriča, Vukosavlje, Zvornik... We started delivering construction materials. Since we did not have sufficient financial resources, we invited non-governmental organizations to join us, and a significant number of them agreed to work together and co-finance the project. The goal was to help people have housing conditions in their homes before winter – Osmanović said.

Requests for assistance are still arriving, and this Ministry has signed an agreement with the Solidarity Fund of FBiH, which helped them finance the purchase of construction materials (tiles, carpentry, flooring).

- In Žepče, a project to build 10 houses is underway with the Islamic Community in BiH on a turnkey basis. There is still a lot of work to be done, and the state needs to get more involved – Minister Osmanović emphasized.

He also explained what kind of projects were discussed with the delegation from the United Arab Emirates a few days ago. A return visit is planned by the end of the year, so that these projects can start next year.

- We presented projects initiated in 2011, related to the economic empowerment of the returnee population. The returnee population finds it very difficult to find employment, especially in the RS and public institutions. Our goal is to employ more returnees and encourage entrepreneurs from FBiH to invest more significantly in the RS entity and prioritize the employment of returnees and the younger population – said Osmanović, who warned that there is a danger that the younger and capable returnee population from RS may seek employment outside of BiH.
- It is the obligation of FBiH to establish special ties in RS and to help this population – Osmanović stressed.

Projects through which this population would be helped include:

- agriculture (distribution of machinery, greenhouses, berry plantations),
- chicken farming (construction of broiler houses)
- beef farming (fattening of cattle)