The Parliamentary Committee on Commerce is proceeding with the regulation of the licensing and the specifications of the self-catering accommodation, type Airbnb, after today it completed the discussion on the issue.
The draft law was submitted jointly by the President of DISY Averof Neophytou and the MP of EDEK Elias Myrianthous with basic provisions to be the registration of the premises in a special register and the payment of taxes, based on the legislation.
In his statements, the Chairman of the Commission, Andreas Kyprianou, said that today the discussion of the much-discussed issue of the institutional regulation of Airbnb in Cyprus has been completed, noting that "we have greatly simplified the process".
"I believe that we will have a positive response once all the changes that have been made are incorporated in the text, which leads to the simplification of the registration process for these accommodations and the easy rental process," he said.
The purpose, he added, "was for everyone to register for VAT, to obtain a register and for this market to be properly and properly controlled", referring to "a new and strong branch of the tourism industry".
AKEL MP Costas Costa, said that AKEL does not disagree with the control of the quality of services provided, safety and health issues and compliance with various laws, in self-catering accommodation, however, expresses strong concerns that "they should not be included in the draft law strict licensing criteria, which will create problems in the self-catering accommodation that operate today and may lead to the closure of some of them ".
As he said "at the meetings of the Trade Committee on 5/2 and 16/4/19, we asked questions on the revised text of the draft law and submitted suggestions for changes but also our concerns about some provisions", to add that "after study of the revised text, it appeared that the rapporteurs adopted our suggestion, to delete the phrase in the Fifth Annex, which allowed the registration in the Register of existing accommodation only and not the accommodation that will operate after the entry into force of the new legislation.
He also said that they adopted our suggestion for the creation of Self-Served Accommodation, while their suggestion for extending the transitional period from 2 to 3 years was also accepted.
However, Mr. Costa said that his party still has strong reservations and does not agree with the new wording of the rapporteurs on the licensing of a unit in jointly owned property, which he believes, as stated, will create problems.
DIKO MP, Angelos Votsis, said that "the discussion on Airbnb and hotels has been completed and it seems that the Commission may proceed unanimously to reach the clear solution, ie to allow anyone based on certain specifications to use its property. even an apartment with the method of short rent ".
As he said "it was a concern whether the approval of the owners or the management committee would be needed and it was decided at the end of the day after many discussions that the consent will not be needed".
Answering a relevant question, he said that "if there are any problems of harassment, there are specific laws, which one can rely on to address these problems."
"The purpose of the bill," he said, "is to make a register, where the real estate will be declared, the respective taxes will be paid, there will be the corresponding control by the competent authorities, so that what is done today will enter a more rational management mold and collection of the revenues that the state will receive from the taxation of these activities ".
EDEK MP Elias Myrianthous said that the Commission has reached the final text of the draft law on the regulation, establishment and operation of hotel and tourist accommodation, noting that the draft law has been simplified so that it can include as much as possible. most tourist accommodation, which until now did not have the right to be licensed under the previous legislation.
"We expect that until the closing of the work of the Parliament for the summer holidays, the bill will go to the Plenary for a vote out of the blue," he said.
Source: KYPE