194 actions costing €397 million are in the process of being implemented. for the development of mountainous Cyprus, said Mountain Community Development Commissioner Kostas Hambiaouris from Stato Agios Fotios, Paphos district.
The Government of Nicos Anastasiades, recognising on the one hand the problems faced by mountain communities and the consequent high cost of their abandonment, and on the other hand their potential, dynamics and prospects, decided to adopt and implement a comprehensive policy for the development of mountainous Cyprus, said Mr. Referring to the course of implementation of the National Strategy for the Development of Mountain Communities and its extension to the Pafos and Larnaca districts and other communities of the Limassol and Nicosia districts, Mr. Hampiouris, speaking on Friday evening at an event in Stato - Agios Fotios.
Referring to the course of implementation of the National Strategy for the Development of Mountain Communities and its extension to the Pafos and Larnaca districts and the other communities of the Limassol and Nicosia districts, Mr. Hambiaouris said that "tonight we are presenting to you the course of implementation of the National Development Strategy, a course that will be followed for your areas as well, and as you will understand it is a substantial and brave model of development, which is neither monothematic nor static, but, as we will see later, is constantly enriched with a structured, holistic and targeted program of projects, actions, as well as support plans prepared by the Ministries".
Committed to the President's announcements and policy for mountain communities, to date, he continued, either 194 actions have been completed or are in the process of being implemented, at a total cost of €367 million.
Starting from the horizontal interventions, which have an institutional character, Mr. Hambiaouris said that these are bills and studies of strategic importance, which are expected to be completed by the end of 2022, with the significant contribution of Legislation Commissioner Louisa Zannetou and the cooperation of the Ministries of Interior, Energy, Agriculture and the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.
He then referred to the actions considered of strategic importance, as they aim both to define the framework of principles and the general objectives of mountain policy and to promote alternative forms of agricultural activity and increase the income of the rural family, enrich the unique tourist product of Troodos and increase the number of visitors, as well as to create conditions for retaining and attracting population to the region.
Among these actions, he said, are the establishment of the mountainousness principle and the mountainous areas policy, the inclusion of the mountainous communities of Paphos, Larnaca and the rest of the Limassol and Nicosia districts in the National Strategy for the Development of Mountainous Communities, the new Troodos Policy Statement, which is the staff spatial planning. Furthermore, he added, the recognition of cottage industry as a sector of secondary production, the identification of specific conditions and specifications for the development and operation of multifunctional farms open to visitors, the preparation of a Strategic Environmental Impact Study for the ESAOC and the preparation of an Integrated Development Plan for the Tilliria Area.
Alongside the horizontal interventions, actions of a multisectoral and holistic nature are in progress or have been completed, he said, concerning all sectors of human activity, focusing primarily on people. He then presented indicative actions, since due to time constraints it was not possible to present all the actions underway.
Source: CNA
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