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- Ελληνικά
The goal of a substantial reform cannot be other than the better and more efficient functioning of local authorities, in order to be able to respond to the increased expectations and needs of citizens, Nicosia Mayor Constantinos Yiorkatzis said in a written statement ahead of the debate on local government reform before the plenary session of the House of Representatives.
We want municipalities, he says, with clear roles and responsibilities and with financial independence, which will be able to provide quality services to citizens at lower costs in the long run.
"It is my deep belief that Nicosia can gain a comparative advantage if all the city's forces work together for the same purpose and not if they compete with each other. That is why I believe that no municipality in urban Nicosia should be absent or excluded from the integrated planning and operation of the city. It will not be in the interest of either itself or the city as a whole to choose to follow a different path, either alone or jointly with other municipalities in the region," he says.
We all recognise, he continues, that urban Nicosia needs to become more competitive. In order to achieve this, he adds, it is necessary to plan and operate in an integrated manner at all levels, urban planning, traffic, smart city, but first of all strategically.
The Mayor of Nicosia notes that the urban area of the city is specific and consists of the municipalities of Strovolos, Aglantzia, Egkomi, Ayios Dometios and Nicosia. Among these municipalities, he clarifies, there is spatial relevance and the required critical population mass and there are homogeneous characteristics, with common demographic and socio-economic challenges. Yiorkatzis points out that every city must have a clear economic model on which it can base its sustainability and development in the long term.
"Other cities in Cyprus focus on the coastal tourism industry and shipping. Apart from being the administrative centre of the country, Nicosia should have the character of a university city and a research and innovation centre."
Issues such as sustainable multimodal mobility, the circular economy and digital transformation can be a key tool for growth and progress.
There is also an opportunity for integrated urban planning, integrated traffic planning and integrated implementation of legislation, whether it concerns urban planning issues or illegalities related to the road network, noise pollution and others.
The synergies and economies of scale that will result from the reform of local government and the consolidation of municipalities, with the consequent economic benefits for the city and our citizens, should not be overlooked.
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