They must move forward with swift measures and decisions, and there must finally be a comprehensive plan for what needs to be done in Cyprus regarding waste management, said AKEL Secretary-General Stefanos Stefanou on Thursday, noting that Cyprus is already facing three infringement proceedings for failing to meet targets set by the EU, while at the same time an investigation is underway—the status of which we do not know—regarding actions taken in Pentakomo, namely regarding potential criminal offenses.

In remarks made following a visit to the Integrated Waste Management Facility in Pentakomo—which followed his visit to Koshi—Mr. Stefanou, according to a statement from AKEL, said that these visits “are part of our efforts to address a major issue concerning environmental policy and public health related to waste management.”

“All of this smacks of a scandal, which certainly needs to be investigated,” said the AKEL Secretary-General, adding that “it is well known that there are enormous problems with the operation of both facilities, which arose due to what are clearly mismanagement, poor planning, and failures.”

Mr. Stefanou called on “the government, the relevant agencies, and the responsible ministries to finally move swiftly on this very important issue—which, I repeat, concerns both the environment and public health—so that we can address issues that are gradually reaching a critical stage—because while we encourage people to recycle, it is well known that there are procedures, measures, and actions that actually come at a cost and place a burden on municipalities as well; ultimately, we recycle at the source or separate materials at the source, and in the end, these materials are not recycled, they are not properly managed but are simply buried—and this is unacceptable and must be addressed.”

Mr. Stefanou said that “when you speak with various experts, it becomes clear that we lack a comprehensive plan to ensure that everything is in its proper place, and for decisions to be implemented within the set timelines, with the result that instead of missing deadlines being the exception, it has become the rule.”

He added that targets and timelines are constantly being pushed back, and waste continues to be dumped—essentially burying the majority of it—when it should be the opposite, which places an enormous burden on both the environment and public health.

The Secretary-General of AKEL stated that on June 1, 2027, responsibility and authority for managing the facility here in Pentakomo will be transferred to the Limassol Environmental Agency, and we will once again witness the same pattern: the central government simply shifting responsibilities to the, just as it has shifted responsibilities to the municipalities for various issues—issues for which, while the law does provide for the assumption of responsibilities, this should only occur after the problems have first been resolved and the necessary services or procedures have been established in the municipalities and the EOA with resolving any outstanding issues.

In conclusion, he stated that “obviously and likely, the intention is to use stalling and delays to shift responsibility to the EOA and then to point the finger at the EOA and local government for serious problems they have inherited from the central government without having been given all the necessary resources to provide solutions.”

Source: KYPE