In statements following his visit to the KEPO Xylofagos, the Minister said that the creation of the Centre was "a long-standing request of the Xylofagos Community that has been met, since it was also the insistence of the Community Chief. The Community has provided the space for both the Post Office and the Citizen Centre which now serves not only Xylofagou, but also the wider area of Kokkinochoria, while every day we see that citizens come to the KEPO to use the services."
He added that "Cyprus Post Offices are upgrading, utilizing the network they have to offer other services to citizens in general. The message I want to send to citizens is that we are close to all citizens, to all municipalities and communities, regardless of the request that exists, whether it is big or small."
He expressed satisfaction with "the operation of the KEPO in the Xylofagou Communityy, which was a fair request, which has yielded results, and we have a lot more to do in Xylofagou. There are other projects in the area, such as the improvement of the road connecting Ormidea to Xylofagou, a project that has been signed and construction will begin in the coming weeks."
The Transport Minister expressed thanks to the Parish Chief and the Xylofagou Community Council "for all their help, because they have proven that when the Government and the Community Authorities work together we can do wonders" and thanked the Ministry's Services, the Postal Services, the Department of Public Works and all other Services that have worked to ensure that this project is implemented and delivered on time.
In his statements, the Minister also said that "taking into account the new circumstances prevailing in the postal services on a global basis, there was a decision of the Council of Ministers according to which the Government would proceed with the autonomy of the Cyprus Postal Services. We have considered that this decision should now be annulled and that the Cyprus Post Office can be upgraded and reorganised and become part of the Government as is the case in other countries of the world, such as the USA where the postal services are state-owned and even protected by the US Constitution".
Therefore, he continued, "after evaluating all the facts, we have decided that the decision for autonomy should be cancelled, it has already been cancelled, a proposal has already been submitted to the Cabinet and approved. Now we are continuing together with the management of Cyprus Post and we are preparing a plan, a plan to reorganize and upgrade the services that Cyprus Post will offer, since" as he explained "they have an excellent network throughout Cyprus and the result that exists in KEPO Xylofagou is an example of how Cyprus Post can offer more services to the citizen".
For his part, Xylofagos Community Mayor Georgios Tasou described the KEPO operating in the community as a "jewel", noting that "this was the result of the wider policy of the state and the government" and recalled that the first Minister to accept his proposal for the creation of a KEPO was the late Socrates Hasikos, who made the necessary representations.
He also referred to the "enduring support of all Ministers to make this project a reality. It is a project that serves the entire region since many residents of not only Xylofagos but also other communities are served on a daily basis."
Tassou expressed thanks "to the Minister of Transport and the government for their interest in this project which was given priority, to all the stakeholders and services that worked to ensure that the KEPO was completed on schedule, and to the members of the Community Council."
Source: CNA
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