The problem of static in many of the houses and shops rented by eligible refugees from the T/C property management service, as well as the rent arrears in these premises due to the pandemic and punctuality, were the focus of the Refugee Committee of the Parliament.
In statements after the Committee's meeting, its President and AKEL MP Nikos Ketteros said that today the big problem that exists on the issue of the structural adequacy of T/C houses and shops that are granted to refugees was confirmed, noting that no proper inspection is carried out when they are granted, resulting in safety issues arising after years of use.
As he noted, the inspection done on these premises is by eye and this is tragic when the services believe that this is the adequate inspection they should be doing. "We are calling for a scientific audit of the structural adequacy of these residences or these shops because there may be an issue of waste of public money when money is wasted to repair some residences and then issues of structural adequacy arise," he said.
Kettiros said that when the Refugee Committee had requested that this audit be done in refugee settlements, it was found and is before the Planning Department, 43 blocks of flats which have not passed the structural inspection and this obviously applies to T/C houses and shops as well.
On the second issue concerning rent arrears to the T/C property management service, Mr. Ketteros said that the Committee had asked, because of the pandemic and the crisis brought about by the accuracy and the war in Ukraine, for better management by the service in order to make it easier for citizens who owe money to the service and not to be sent before the courts.
"The problem will not be solved by piling people into the Courts and prosecuting them, the Service must realise that it will have to make some arrangements. In addition, the 7% increase in the rent of T/C properties should be stopped," he said, and expressed the hope that the Interior Minister would look at the issue with more sensitivity than he sees other issues.
DISY MP Nikos Georgiou said that the report by the relevant Turkish Cypriot property management department that only a visual inspection is carried out and if any problems with the building's stability are found during the course of the work, then they are being addressed at the moment, is a policy which is "mildly unacceptable" and offends the welfare state, the public interest and the dignity of the refugee population.
As he said, the issues of citizen's safety are not subject to any negotiation and that is why he suggested that the Refugee Committee should move immediately and on its own initiative, by proposing a law, so that it is now a legal obligation of the state, before any T/C residence or building is granted, to conduct a static adequacy study beforehand. "The safety of the citizen is and must be seen as the highest good and obligation of the state," he said.
DIKO MP Zacharias Koulias said that today in the Committee, in addition to the multiple problems with the issues of statics and maintenance of T/C houses, the issue of understaffing of services in the provinces was raised and the Committee's request is for the Ministry to staff the services or to make them independent from the Prefects' offices so that they can be properly staffed and properly serve the displaced persons with the multiple problems they face with the issues of T/C properties.
Regarding the issue of rents, he said, DIKO's position is that for those who have T/q land which they lease from the state and due to the pandemic were not working, such as gyms, for example, the Service should write off some rents.
In addition, he said, the issue of citizens who were leased T/q land to do business is also raised. He said rents collected for those who failed to secure the necessary permits for reasons beyond their control should be written off. The Committee's position is that a bill should be proposed on this issue so that the Service can write off these rents in order to bring order to the issue.
ELAM MP Sotiris Ioannou said that there are elderly people living in the buildings that have static problems who cannot fix their homes and therefore the state should intervene immediately before victims are mourned.
Regarding the issue of understaffing of provincial services, Ioannou said that for the past 18 months there has not been a meeting in a particular province because of the understaffing of that province, resulting in 7 citizens "hanging" on this meeting and these decisions. He suggested the creation of a comprehensive policy for these problems and "we were pleased to see that there is a willingness from all parties and the Refugee Commission to move forward with legislation and other regulations to solve them."
Financial sponsorship from an Equal Burden Sharing Body
Regarding the proposal for a law to establish compensation for the loss of use and occupation of occupied properties, DIKO MP Christos Seneces said that today is an important day for the refugee world, as an essential step is taken to at least partially restore its solvency.
After consultation with other parties, on the basis of a specific law proposal we prepared as DIKO, we came up with a joint proposal for a law that will strengthen the State's toolbox to institutionalize compensation for the loss of use and occupation of occupied properties, Seneces said.
Therefore, he said, the way is finally paving the way for direct and equitable financial support for the refugee population, calculated on the basis of their occupied property.
Mr. Senekis said that in this way we also achieve the reconnection of the occupied property with the second and third generation refugees, because the Cyprus problem will exist as long as there are occupied Greek Cypriot properties claimed by their rightful owners.
DISY MP Rita Theodorou Superman said that in the Committee today, the common component was found for the tabling of a bill amending the basic law of the Central Body for Equal Burden Sharing to allow the Body to grant financial sponsorship or other financial support to a beneficiary person for purposes of loss of income from the non-use of his property as a result of the Turkish invasion as partial compensation for his lost income.
Source: KYPE
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