The District Local Government Organizations appear to be in favor of assuming oversight of jointly owned buildings, though they have set specific conditions for the effective implementation of the new legislative framework. Speaking on the Alpha Kalimera program, the President of the Limassol District Organization, Yiannis Tsoulofta, emphasized the need to avoid the mistakes of the past, when responsibilities were transferred without the necessary legal and financial tools.
As he noted, during yesterday’s debate in Parliament, the EOA reiterated its positive stance on assuming this responsibility, while the key conditions it has set appear to have been accepted by the Ministry of the Interior. He explained that a joint working group of the EOA has prepared a detailed scientific study, which was submitted to the Department of Cadastre and Surveying and was accepted almost in its entirety. The bill is now in the stage of article-by-article review, with the Organizations asking the Committee on Internal Affairs to take their joint positions into account. “We believe that this authority belongs to local government and not to the central government,” he noted.
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He placed particular emphasis on the mechanisms for enforcing and collecting fees, pointing out that the local authorities must have the financial capacity to meet their new obligations. “It makes absolutely no sense to take on this responsibility without having the necessary tools and financial support,” he stressed. He clarified that the National Sports Organizations operate as self-financing entities, without government subsidies, and that the transfer of funds from one activity to another is not permitted. “We do not receive any government subsidies—not even one euro in government subsidies. Regional organizations are self-financing, independent, self-governing entities, and all their revenue comes from the services they provide to citizens,” he noted.
At the same time, he emphasized the need to create a modern online platform and an electronic registry for the management of jointly owned buildings. According to the data he cited, this involves approximately 17,000 buildings and 180,000 residential units—numbers that make the digitization of these processes essential. He pointed out that the EOA is also requesting access to Land Registry data so that it can effectively carry out its responsibilities. “To manage this enormous volume, you can’t rely on the notebooks and ledgers that have been used until now. We need a modern online tool, a modern online platform,” he said.
Referring to previous experience with the local government reform, Mr. Tsoulofta recalled the problems that arose in 2024 with the operation of the “Ippodamos,” which, as he said, was delivered without having been adequately tested, causing difficulties for about eight to ten months. For this reason, the EOAs are requesting that the new platform be developed by the central government and undergo a trial run before the transfer of authority. “This tool should be developed by the central government and put into trial operation at least six months before we assume this responsibility,” he emphasized.
The President of the Limassol EOA made it clear that the organizations’ positive stance does not imply unconditional acceptance of the new responsibility. He reiterated that the transfer must be accompanied by an adequate legal framework, financial sustainability, and functional digital tools, so that the supervision of jointly owned buildings can be carried out in a modern and effective manner, without repeating the dysfunctions of the past.
