An appeal to the President of the Republic, Nikos Anastasiadis, to take measures to rescue small and medium-sized enterprises in the tourist areas of the free province of Famagusta, was addressed in a letter by the "Committee for Rescue of small and medium-sized enterprises in the tourist areas of the Famagusta Free Province".
The letter was sent today to President Anastasiadis after a meeting organized by the General Assembly. of POVEK and its Associations, in the morning at the City Hall of Ayia Napa and which was attended by, among others, the Mayors of Ayia Napa and Deryneia, a representative of the Municipality of Paralimni, the Commune of Frenaros, MPs and representatives of Parliamentary parties.
The Race Committee asks President Anastasiadis to accept its delegation "as soon as possible to examine the issue and take immediate appropriate measures."
It is added that "the General Assembly of POVEK Larnaca-Famagusta and its Associations, Shopkeepers of Ayia Napa and Protaras, Association ENEMOTO of Famagusta and Association of Owners of Medium Water Sports for Famagusta, in collaboration with the Association of businesses in the tourist areas of the Famagusta free area ".
In this decision, it is noted "led the vertical decline of tourism, on which the pure tourist areas of Ayia Napa and Protaras depend entirely, in combination with the huge operating costs, with rents occupying the first place. "It is clear that most small and medium-sized enterprises are being driven, with mathematical precision, to bankruptcy and final closure."
Also attached is a Resolution with a notification to the Government, the Speaker of Parliament and the leaders of the parliamentary parties, prepared by the Struggle Committee on 23 July 2020 during a mobilization organized in Ayia Napa "in which many small and medium-sized businesses expressed their concern for future of their business ".
The Resolution, among other things, calls for "Ayia Napa and Protaras to be declared an affected area, since they are special areas with specific data. They also demand by law, a substantial reduction of rents, suspension of evictions for three years in order to give time to companies to reorganize and a comprehensive package of support and rescue of small and medium enterprises in tourist areas ".
It also states that "tourist areas are dying, the tourism industry is being destroyed and no one can whistle indifferently. We call on the Government and the Parliament to take bold decisions and to support the businesses in the tourist areas ".
In his greeting at the meeting, Nikos Stamatis, Secretary General of POVEK Larnaca-Famagusta said, among other things, that the free province of Famagusta with its tourist areas of Ayia Napa, Protaras and Sotira "holds the scepters of the tourism industry. position in the economy, with a total contribution of around 20% of GDP ".
He added that "the contribution of the tourist areas of the free province of Famagusta to this percentage, far exceeds 30% and are an important blood donor to the Cypriot economy. The destruction or degradation of the tourism industry of Famagusta will hit the economy of Cyprus crucially "he said and noted that" the tourism of Cyprus is seasonal, but also the tourist areas of Famagusta are purely tourist areas and work 5-6 months a year and with the income they have, they are called to cover their obligations for the whole year, while ensuring their viability and profitability ".
In his greeting, Mr. Stamatis referred to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown that followed, noting that "they dealt a severe blow to businesses, as they remained compulsorily closed. However, the expenses were still running, as a result of which debts and liabilities were created, which expose them to serious risks, since tourism has been affected ".
He also stated that "in the period January - July 2020, tourist arrivals amounted to 320,589, compared to 2.181,994 in the corresponding period of 2019, recording a decrease of 85,3%. The hopes that in the summer the coronavirus would be inactive and the economy could restart proved to be hollow "with the result that the crisis hit the whole of Cyprus from one end to the other.
However, he continued, "the blow was bigger and crucial for the purely tourist areas of Famagusta, Ayia Napa and Protaras, because they deal with and serve almost exclusively foreign tourism. "Unless immediate action is taken to rescue them, businesses within tourist areas are doomed and most of them will not reopen in 2021 because they will have gone bankrupt."
After saying that the whole free province of Famagusta with various businesses "lives and depends to a great extent on the tourism of the region" he noted that since the mobilization that took place on July 23, sending a Resolution to the Government and Parliament "unfortunately there was no reaction to date ".
He also stated that today's meeting is being held "with the certainty that the leadership of the free province of Famagusta,
the people who have been elected by the people for the people, will have the sensitivity and will feel the responsibility to join forces for the salvation of the region. We declare that our fight is not for the price of weapons and we will not rest until we reach the final goal "concluded Nikos Stamatis.