The bill for the facilitation of strategic developments in Cyprus, which was discussed on Thursday by the Interior Committee of the House of Representatives, aims at a quick and efficient examination of strategic developments in Cyprus, while reducing bureaucracy and ensuring transparency.
In his remarks, Committee Chairman Aristos Damianou said that in 2019, the Ministry of Interior with the Ministry of Finance submitted to the Committee an Investment Facilitation Bill, which was extensively discussed in its previous composition, significant comments were made and the Government came back this year with a revised bill.
He said this is an important bill with major economic, environmental, social and other implications and with this in mind in today's debate the Committee raised a number of questions to the relevant stakeholders on issues related to good governance, sustainable and green growth, transparency, consultation and many others.
He added that the intention is for the Commission to assist in the drive for sustainable development but with a balance and full respect for the principles of good administration, environmental protection and the role of citizens in such processes that affect their lives.
The article debate will start on June 9, he said.
DISY MP Kyriakos Hatzigiannis said it is a very positive development to discuss the adoption of the bill, as there are ideas and proposals that stumble in the endless bureaucracy and the mentality of the public sector. Today, he said, through this bill it will be determined whether it is a strategic investment and then with a new process to speed up its processing.
Nothing else changes and no concerns should be raised. In this way, we believe that we will provide an answer to the challenges we have with investments that mainly concern the green transition and the energy sector, he said.
DIKO MP Panicos Leonidou said that the bill attempts to fill the gaps that currently exist and to create the conditions for speeding up the procedures for strategic developments.
He said there are too many gaps which the committee will attempt to fill during the debate, adding that one of these gaps concerns the concept of strategic developments. This term, she said, we want it to be specific, to be thorough so that no suspicions are created.
Referring to specific points in the bill, Ecologist MP Alexandra Attalidou said that permits for investments should be given with a lot of scrutiny, taking into account all the issues in the past with the case of passports and others. She also said that the elimination of bureaucracy should be a goal not only for large developments, but for all.
Furthermore, she said that we should know before proceeding with the consideration of the bill what the government considers strategic developments, as she noted that anything that is not within the EU's goal of implementing the green deal should not be promoted.
She said that she believes that the Home Secretary and the Director of Planning are being given super powers.
Source: CNA
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