The certainty that through what has been achieved so far the Government will manage to deliver a Local Government that will be worthy of the expectations of citizens, expressed President Anastasiades in his address to the 40th Annual General Assembly of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities, in Lefkara.
The President noted that Municipalities may gain an economic autonomy, however, the state will never be far from the policies they make because there are funds that can be absorbed for mature projects in municipalities and communities from the EU, from the central state through loan guarantees, etc.Therefore, he said, what close cooperation has paid off so far will continue with any government because, he said, no one is indifferent to the welfare of the demos, the countryside and the citizens of this country in general.
The President of the Republic stressed the substantial strengthening of the development role of the municipalities in key areas, through the implementation of the reform of local self-government,
He noted that with the cooperation of the municipalities, one of the most important reforms in the course of the Republic of Cyprus has been passed so far.
"The final result may not fully meet the goals we had set as the executive and/or may have caused individual reactions in municipalities and communities, but what emerges is a substantial strengthening of the developmental role of municipalities in key areas, following the model of most European countries and best practices," the President said.
The new Law on Municipalities, he added, provides for the creation of a total of 20 municipalities by merging the existing 30 municipalities operating in free areas and 63 communities.
At the same time, he said that the mergers were not an end in themselves, but the means to create stronger and more efficient municipalities, stronger and more efficient local governments that would be able to provide effective and quality services to their citizens.
"The passage of the laws was a very important achievement for everyone," he added.
The President said that with the Local Government Reform, which will come into effect in May 2024, the new municipalities will have increased responsibilities and powers on a wide range of issues.
He also noted that the new municipalities will be essentially independent from the Central State and will no longer be subject to expediency control, but to legitimacy control.
He added that the new municipalities will be administratively independent from the Central State, so that they will be able to exercise real policy in the local community.
At the same time, as larger entities with enhanced powers, they will have the necessary functional structure to be able to provide quality services to the citizen.
The Union of Municipalities, the President noted, as the coordinating body of the municipalities, is being established as a legal entity under public law.
He also said that the criteria on which the mergers/mergers of municipalities are based are not one-dimensional, but take into account various data/criteria (geographical, population, social, economic, etc.).He referred to the financial sustainability of the new local authorities, saying that in addition to the increased revenues due to the extension of the competences of the municipalities, the financial support that the municipalities will receive from the state will now be stable at 117 million per year and significantly increased from the existing grant of 71 million.
Referring to the financial sustainability of the new local authorities, he said that in addition to the increased revenues due to the extension of the competences of the municipalities, the financial support that the municipalities will receive from the state will now be stable at 117 million per year and significantly increased from the existing grant of 71 million.
"At the same time, we are strengthening internal control, transparency by making decisions and data public, as well as the role of the citizen in decision-making, in line with the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government of the Council of Europe," he added.
The President also said that the State has proceeded to implement more than 1000 development projects amounting to more than 4.5 billion euros in every municipality and community in Cyprus, which have either been completed or are under construction.
"It is well known how much we have been favourably inclined to the municipalities, all of them without exception, regardless of the ideological background of the mayor. On the contrary. Where and when there were mature projects, there was a direct response from the state. And I am happy to say that through cooperation we are witnessing the reform of the municipalities, a new breath to the municipalities, with projects, with specific actions that generally upgrade the local authorities, "he added.
He also recalled that the Government, through a decision of the Council of Ministers on July 19, 2017, undertook the repayment of the guaranteed loans of the Local Government Authorities, totalling 178 million euros.
At the same time, he said that responding to the appeal of the President of the Union Andreas Vyra, the Government will look very carefully at the issue of property tax for municipal properties. He assured that strenuous efforts would be made so that a solution to this problem could also be found.
President Anastasiades expressed confidence that the reform has achieved administrative and financial autonomy and flexibility and the acquisition of increased and expanded powers by the Municipalities and Communities and the goal of providing all citizens, wherever they live, with quality and upgraded services from the Local Government at the lowest possible cost.
Source: KYPE
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