Reduction of expenses and not of Municipalities, supports the Mayor of Deryneia

The Mayor of Deryneia, Andros Karagiannis, considers that the Municipalities should be divided into financially "strong" and "weak" in order to avoid the absorption of the "tidy Municipalities by any bankrupt".

"The conditions today due to the economic crisis have changed, with the result that many Municipalities are facing serious financial problems. "Rumors are often circulating about mergers and reductions of the Municipalities," he said, when asked to comment on views in this direction.

The institution of Local Government is the one that is closest to the citizen, through which we should fight for the strengthening of the welfare state and for the common interest of all our citizens, he added.

Referring to the issue of savings in the Municipalities, Mr. Karagiannis said that "the Municipalities could cooperate in matters of water supply, cleanliness, organization of cultural events and landscaping of green spaces or parks. We can work well together in this area, something we already do through the Garbage Collection Complexes and the Sewerage Boards. With proper financial management, tidy policy and order in our house, away from unnecessary expenses and allowances, we will be able to save our Municipalities ".

The Mayor of Deryneia also said that "if we have no choice but to follow the explicit orders of the Troika and the Memorandum for radical changes in the Local Government, then we should do it. However, the possible reduction of the Municipalities would satisfy the large population that will absorb the smaller ones ".

"We could apply a system similar to the one suggested by the Troika for the Cypriot banks, that is, to divide the Municipalities into financially 'strong' and 'weak' in order to avoid absorption of the neat by the bankrupt," he added.

In his statements, the Mayor of Deryneia said that "solutions for restructuring and reform of the Local Government exist, as long as they are not painful", saying that "this institution must be strengthened and supported. So instead of looking for the unknown, let's work on the possible and improve it. "

For the Municipality of Deryneia, the Mayor said that in 2014 the Municipality will celebrate 20 years of its founding, noting that within these two decades we upgraded Deryneia and improved the quality of life of our citizens. "The tidy policy that has been followed for years has established us as one of the most tidy Municipalities in Cyprus, despite the occupation and loss of our sea and land," he concluded in his statements.