The President of the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Andreas Tsoulouftas, speaking on the “Alpha Kalimera” program.
Commenting on the statements made by the President of the Republic—according to which the state has the necessary resources to promote development projects, including in Limassol— Mr. Tsoulofta emphasized that traffic congestion has made daily life unbearable for the city’s residents.
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At the same time, he expressed his disagreement with the position that municipalities must present fully developed projects in order for them to be approved and move forward toward implementation, arguing that the responsibility for promoting such projects lies with the government.
As he noted, certain major projects have been delayed at the Ministry of Finance; a prime example is the Northern Bypass, for which feasibility studies were required.
The President of the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry noted that some municipalities have already taken the initiative, moving forward with the preparation of plans for road projects through private firms. However, as he explained, their capabilities end there.
“Beyond that, they can’t do anything else. These are projects carried out entirely by the state,” he noted.
Explaining the procedure followed, Mr. Tsoulofta noted that initially the design is prepared by the Department of Public Works and then submitted for approval to the Ministry of Transportation. Next, approval from the Ministry of Finance—and possibly the Ministry of the Interior—is required before the necessary funding for the project’s implementation is approved.
In conclusion, he expressed his strong dissatisfaction with the delays, noting that the problem is getting worse year after year, as the number of vehicles increases without the necessary solutions being implemented.
“Every year we discuss the same thing. The number of cars is increasing by the thousands, and we’re still at square one.”
