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Thank you very much for inviting me to be among you today at the General Assembly of the Union of Cyprus Communities, and for giving me the opportunity to convey the sincere thanks of the Government for the work you have been doing over the years in promoting the importance of local communities. I want to assure you that after the Elections, it is my personal commitment that we will focus on the remaining important issues that need to be resolved.
This year is the last General Assembly of the Union to be held with the present composition. In view of the implementation of the Local Government Reform, a long-awaited, radical and ambitious reform, we expect that there will be a significant upgrade and modernisation of the institution of Local Authorities. After all, it is our common ambition to give Local Authorities the leading role they deserve.
Our aim with the changes we are promoting is to help local communities to develop efficiently through the design and implementation of policies and the exploitation of the opportunities offered to us to attract European funds, by promoting programmes that strengthen sectors such as the environment, digital transition and rural tourism.
Our aim with the changes we are promoting is to help local communities to develop efficiently through the design and implementation of policies and the exploitation of the opportunities offered to us to attract European funds, by promoting programmes that strengthen sectors such as the environment, digital transition and rural tourism. At the heart of the whole project is, of course, the citizen and his or her quality of life.
Friends,
The implementation of the reform has now entered the final stretch. As expected, work is now intensifying so that by 1 July as many outstanding issues as possible can be completed and the clustering of the Communities can take place smoothly and without major problems. I am pleased to note, dear Andrea, my friends Chairmen of Community Councils, that the preparation of the Communities is progressing according to the timetables set, with the guidance and assistance of the Union of Communities and I must congratulate you on this.
On the part of the Home Office, as you know, we are working just as hard, assisting your efforts. In particular, three different organisational charts have been prepared for the 30 new Service Delivery Clusters, based on a categorisation based on specific and measurable criteria. In addition, new Budget Templates for both Communities and Community Service Clusters have been prepared to guide the preparation of their Budget for the second half of 2024. At the same time, new Service Plan templates are being prepared for all posts in the organisation chart.
I am also pleased to announce that a proposal I have tabled has just recently been approved by the Council of Ministers, which will financially support the 287 Communities remaining after 1 July with an amount of €4.5 million. This amount related to the part of the state grant to the 63 Community Councils that are merging with the Municipalities, while an annual state grant to the Community Service Clusters of approximately €3 million has been set, which is intended to cover the salaries of the additional employees that will need to be recruited in the 30 Clusters.
Finally, following close consultation with the Union of Cyprus Communities, an amendment bill to the Communities Law has been submitted to the House of Representatives, which aims to improve the legislative framework for the action and operation of both the Communities and the Service Clusters.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Ministry of Home Affairs continues to relentlessly implement development and infrastructure projects in rural areas, which demonstrates the importance attached to spurring the recovery and development of rural and mountainous areas.
The aim of the Ministry of Interior is to continuously improve the quality of life of the citizens residing in the communities, to modernise the services provided by making use of all modern means provided by technology and, ultimately, to improve the living standards and amenities of the rural population. Through targeted actions, we seek to reduce the phenomenon of urbanisation and prevent the abandonment of the countryside, to maintain the existing population in the Communities and to attract new residents, especially young families and individuals, to the rural areas for their revitalisation.
Believing that only through contact with the affected people themselves can one understand the facts in their true dimension, last autumn I held a series of regional meetings with representatives of Community Councils on a nationwide basis. At the meetings I had the opportunity to discuss and exchange views on important issues and problems facing communities located in rural and mountainous areas. I plan to repeat these meetings in the coming weeks to learn about the extent to which the problems raised have been resolved and to learn about possible other issues facing the Communities for which the Ministry's intervention is needed.
Dear Friends,
As we approach 1 July, I would like to thank you for the fruitful cooperation we have had so far and express my confidence that it will continue in the same constructive manner for the realisation of our common objectives. I would like to assure you of the support you will receive from the Ministry of Interior in the coming period until the implementation of the reform and even more so in the first period after the transition to the new environment.
In addition, I know that as Communities you embrace our vision of a reform that will provide you with the tools to staff yourselves properly, facilitate the delivery of your responsibilities and operate as efficient organisations for the benefit of citizens and the local community.
In closing, I would like to thank the departing Community Leaders for their valuable service over the past years and wish them personal and family health and happiness. I also wish every success to those of you who are standing for re-election.
I extend my warmest congratulations to all the members of the Union of Cyprus Communities for your multifaceted and important work, with the wish that this will continue with the same zeal. Thank you again for the invitation and I wish you every success in the work of your Convention.
(MQC)
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