Hasikos: "The existing model of Local Government has served the goals"

From the beginning, the goal of the Ministry of Interior was, through dialogue, to reach a broader consensus on the form of Local Government that we want for Cyprus tomorrow, said the competent Minister Socrates Hasikos, noting that they seek as much as possible. best possible service to the citizen, through the provision of improved and quality services, at the lowest possible cost and therefore with as few taxes as possible.

In his greeting, at the District Meeting with Commonwealth Leaders and members of DISY Community Councils, for the Local Government Reform, Mr. Hasikos said that "in practice, we want to strengthen the executive arm of the Local Authorities", noting that of the projects that local authorities are currently called upon to manage and the range of financial and other aspects with which they are intertwined, it is imperative that all the rules concerning good governance, transparency, accountability, efficiency, sound and fair governance ”.

"The attempted reform in the Local Government", he stated, "is not independent from that of the public sector. They are a comprehensive package of complementary interventions, which are expected to address the key dysfunctions of the wider Public Administration: Human resources, regulatory framework, structures and systems.

He went on to say that the Local Government Reform has occupied everyone, for many years, having the political will to give a final solution to the issue, for the benefit of the taxpayer and to offer the citizen better, better and cheaper services, away from micro-politics or petty partisan expediencies.

He added that the efforts of the Ministry of Interior started a year and a half ago, through a continuous, intensive and honest dialogue with all stakeholders (Union of Municipalities, Union of Communities, Parliamentary Parties), while adding that all possible solutions were presented and brought to the table. consultation of all possible scenarios, taking into account the dire financial situation in which the place is located, but also the authorities of Local Government.

"It is generally accepted that the existing model of Local Government has served its purposes but is now obsolete and anachronistic. It does not meet the challenges of the time, does not serve the needs of citizens and is not based on modern management trends. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Interior, with perseverance and patience, evaluated all the data it had before it and presented a third new composition proposal, based on the mandatory (by law) aggregation of services ", he noted.

He concluded that "the structural changes we propose are absolutely necessary for the Local Authorities, on the one hand, to become viable and competitive, and on the other hand to strengthen their role and presence in the wider public sector".

Source: KYPE