Projects worth billions are bogged down, with construction industry stakeholders in despair and warning of huge losses to the economy and government coffers.
The Ministry of the Interior has identified the problem and is proceeding with the recruitment of 40 architects throughout Cyprus, while aiming to abolish the issuance of planning permits for very small developments.
Blocked and blocked in the examination of applications for new permits is the Department of Town Planning, with huge consequences for the development and economy of the place.
Thousands of applications are floundering, the state is losing revenue that no one can accurately calculate so far, while the system of issuing Town Planning Permits itself, instead of encouraging development, is a brake and a very serious one at that.
Last week, ETEK had an emergency meeting with the director of the Urban Planning Department with the aim of dealing with the problem, while a new meeting with the Minister of the Interior will follow next Monday.
Konstantinos Ioannou has already given instructions for manning the provincial departments and shortening procedures with the aim of unloading.
The recruitment of architects will be done in two phases.
The first phase in October and the second in January 2024.
They will staff the provincial departments and will remain there even after the Local Government reform in June 2024.
The Fiscal Council is also particularly caustic to the bureaucratic and other entanglements of the state machine.
The real reform of the state machinery is pending, without substantial planning to achieve it. A reformist mood with political boldness is not found in any of the plans or strategic plans.
According to the Fiscal Council this is an extremely important omission which should be addressed without further delay.
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Source: EconomyToday