Government to Discuss Questions Chechnya's Economic and Social Spheres - 4 April, 2003

On Friday, April 4, Prime-Minister of Russia Mikhail Kasyanov will hold a conference on the rehabilitation of the economic and the social spheres of the Chechen Republic, the government information department said. The conferees intend to discuss the compensation of damage to the republic's inhabitants who lost homes and property. Vice-Premier of the Russian government Viktor Khristenko, Ministers and heads of other federal bodies of executive power are expected to participate in the conference.

Minister for Chechen Affairs Stanislav Ilyasov said last week, the restoration of housing and the compensation for the lost property will cost, in different calculations, a total of 20-23 billion roubles (31 roubles equals about 1 U.S. dollar, and just over 33 roubles amount to 1 euro).

According to RIA Novosti, the work to form and correct the lists of the inhabitants subject to the compensation for the lost property and for the destroyed housing will be completed within the next 3-4 months. Presumably, this question will be discussed in detail on April 4.

Last week, head of the State Construction Committee Nikolai Koshman also noted that, according to his agency's forecasts, 600 individual municipal houses will be commissioned in Chechnya on the "turn-key" basis by the end of 2003. It is also intended to restore 20 schools, 41 hospitals and 9 social infrastructure facilities.