On Tuesday, members of the ParliamentaryParliamentary Committee on Commerce.
The Committee Chair, DISY MP Nikos Georgiou, stated after the discussion that extending the deadlines for licensing hotel facilities is a necessary and substantial measure to support tourism, which is a key pillar of the Cypriot economy.
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“The goal is to provide a reasonable amount of time, as part of a last-ditch effort, to complete the legal licensing procedures for hotels and tourist accommodations, without penalizing businesses for delays and bureaucratic obstacles that are not solely attributable to them,” he added.
“Decades of inaction and inefficiency on the part of government agencies have created distortions and a backlog of unresolved issues, which businesses are now called upon to address. The extension, however, cannot serve as an excuse to perpetuate the problem. It must be used as a real opportunity to definitively resolve these outstanding issues, with specific timelines, effective coordination among the relevant agencies, and a clear commitment to compliance,” he noted.
“We support entrepreneurship and the competitiveness of our tourism product, with the obvious prerequisite of complying with the law and ensuring the safety of visitors and workers. We need a government that facilitates lawful entrepreneurship, assumes its responsibilities, and provides solutions—not one that perpetuates the problems it itself allowed to accumulate,” she emphasized on the matter.
For her part, Alma MP Eirini Charalambidou, called it inconceivable that, at a time when Parliament has already granted four extensions and has pledged that no further extension will be granted, that there are still accommodations that pose a danger to both tourists and Cypriot citizens.
“The Fire Department can’t just come and tell us that only 12 accommodations have submitted permits. ETEK cannot come and tell us that 54 rooms must be demolished and that stairwells have been built right on the beaches for this very reason, yet they are not submitting an application. And worst of all, the Ministry cannot, just to get out of a difficult situation, pass the buck to Parliament, have our colleagues draft a proposal, and for the Deputy Ministry to distance itself from security issues and tell us that it won’t take responsibility—but that you, the members of Parliament, should shoulder the burden— and for the Legal Service to point out that there was absolutely no consultation with it, given that there is also a report from the President of the Republic to the Supreme Court—which will be heard on November 11—concerningexactly the same issues,” he continued.
“Is it possible to play with people’s safety? Is it possible to allow a dangerous situation to continue, having already granted four extensions and now wanting a fifth? Where is the state? Where are the state institutions to enforce the framework for protection? The Fire Department was clear, and ETEK’s positions were clear as well: there cannot be both illegal and legal operators, nor can there be unfair competition between the illegal and the legal ones.
“They’ve had many, many years to rectify the situation, but they didn’t. Parliament will not be held responsible in the event of an accident, with everyone pointing fingers at Parliament while the government washes its hands of the matter. We understand that there are elections coming up; we understand that it’s very important to be on good terms with everyone, but this issue is the government’s responsibility, not the Parliament’s,” he emphasized.
Yiannis Laouris, a member of parliament for Direct Democracy, said in turn that it is unacceptable for 8 out of 10 hotels in Cyprus to have been operating illegally for decades, to consider this the main source of income for Cyprus, and for there to be a risk that a single accident could lead to the country being referred to an international court and its entire economy collapsing.
“It is inconceivable that all hoteliers—whether they engage in minor or major illegal activities— to resolve the problem for decades and rely on the tolerance of the state and Parliament that they’ll be granted an extension—and today we’re discussing the fifth extension they’re asking for so they can apply to becomelegal—and that from the last extension to the present, only 12 out of 700 have become legal,” he continued.
“These temporary solutions are wrong, and Cyprus must realize that we have to stop turning a blind eye. Cyprus cannot remain a captive; Cyprus must take flight, and those who are ready to fly with the Cyprus of the future must do so, while those who are not ready must shut down. Hoteliers, too, must finally realize that there are those who are serious and law-abiding, and there are others who are stowaways. “We must open our eyes and put an end to this tolerance,” he emphasized.
