Strong concern was raised during the debate in the Parliamentary Finance Committee by the fact that the 2025 Amending Budget includes a budget of approximately €4 million for the "photo radar list" system implemented at the Republic's airports.
AKEL MP Aristos Damianou complained that the Police decided to implement this specific system at airports without any legislative provision, pointing out that the authorities are stopping travelers for outstanding fines without the required legal framework.
Mr. Damianou recalled that the Legal Affairs Committee had unanimously decided that the relevant budget would not be approved, emphasizing that the attempt to restore it “through the back door” is unacceptable. Responding to a relevant question, he left open the possibility that the system is already operating, which, as he stated, would also constitute a matter of fiscal responsibility, since the relevant appropriations have not been approved by Parliament.
The discussion was held in the context of examining the amending budget of €229,9 million, which concerns the reallocation of appropriations for social benefits, projects and individual state needs.
"The state must certainly implement the laws, but the state must not act like a mafia boss to deceive the people," he said.
Mr. Damianou also said that the practice of checking travelers at airports, in front of dozens of citizens, for extrajudicial checks that they may be unaware of, constitutes a serious violation of their rights. He recalled that the issue had been discussed ex officio at the initiative of AKEL in the Legal Affairs Committee since April, where all parties had unanimously warned that the budget would not be approved, as it concerns a system without a legislative basis and without respect for citizens' rights.
At the same time, Mr. Damianou expressed satisfaction with the fact that a fair request from the municipalities and the Union of Municipalities, as well as a demand from the Interior Committee, which was the expenditure to cover the maintenance needs of roads of primary importance, is being satisfied through this specific amending budget.
Photolabeling system
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Issues surrounding the operation of the photo-tagging system also raised concerns, citing additional appropriations requested to finance the program. MPs raised the issue of transparency regarding the amount of funds required to operate the system and the agreement with the private company that manages it on behalf of the state, with concerns about whether the burden on the public sector increases as the number of complaints issued increases.
MPs requested further information on the final cost of the services. As a result, it was decided to invite the relevant Ministers and involved bodies to the Committee, so that they could present the costs in detail and document the necessity of the additional funds.
MPs also requested clarification on the timing of the amending and upcoming supplementary budget, which is expected to arrive next week.
Source: KYPE
