It is with great pleasure that I am among you today at the award ceremony of the 2022 State Architecture Awards, an anniversary event, as this prestigious institution completes 30 years of creative presence.
Thirty years during which high examples of the work of Cypriot architects have emerged as a result of the strong dynamics that the sector has developed over the years.
It is in this context that I would like to warmly congratulate both the proposals awarded tonight and the other entries that took part in the different categories of the competition.
On the whole, the range of ideas and approaches presented stand out for their creativity, technicality and innovation in design, as well as their functionality in terms of their intended purpose.
At the same time, through their compositional and morphological excellence, they have contributed to shaping a new reality in the existing built environment.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I feel particularly satisfied as the excellent and modern education of the professionals of the sector makes them the founders of new trends and techniques, as well as of modern architecture in our country.
Crises and recession did not leave us indifferent, and as a result of the measures we adopted, a large number of investments were recorded, an increase in both sales and in planning and building permits, while high employment rates and a vertical reduction in unemployment were achieved.
What I have mentioned is confirmed by the relevant statistics that record:
- An increase in the flow of new registered sales documents of 36% compared to the same period last year and 26% compared to 2019, i.e. before the pandemic.
- Foreign investment in the third quarter of 2022 shows an increase of 100% compared to the same period last year.
Regarding unemployment in the construction sector, I note that in 2013 it reached 37.1%, which in 2021 fell to 6.2%.
At the same time, in addition to tax, urban planning and other incentives, I would like to stress that additional measures have been adopted which have also brought about multiplier benefits.
Among these, I note. [*]The fast-track licensing procedure for strategic investment projects and further facilitation of business activities of Cypriots and foreign nationals. [*]The revision and preparation of new Development Plans, with provisions and policies based on modern urban planning principles. [*]The adoption of the new integrated housing policy framework which formulates a package of urban planning incentives, with the possibility of increasing building rates for the creation of social housing and the production of affordable housing. [/LIST]
It has been our goal to build a state that is responsive and responsive to the needs of citizens
And I am really very pleased because, despite the multiple challenges we have faced, next month we will deliver an economy built on solid foundations and, through the reforms we have adopted, a modern and more flexible state apparatus ready to respond to any possible crises.
Most importantly, the momentum we have created is reinforced by the perspectives and plans we have included in the Cyprus Tomorrow Plan. In conclusion, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the President and the members of the Jury Committee who worked with professionalism and zeal for the evaluation of the projects proposed, as well as to all those who contributed with their support to the Jury Committee to the successful outcome of the Competition.
In conclusion, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the President and the members of the Jury Committee who worked with professionalism and zeal for the evaluation of the projects proposed, as well as to all those who contributed with their support to the Jury Committee to the successful outcome of the Competition.
In addition to the winners, I congratulate once again all those who participated in the competition, as well as the project owners who commissioned the studies and financed the realization of these special constructions.
I would like to wish everyone even more success. I am absolutely sure that the art of architecture in Cyprus will take even more leaps with all of you.
(PM/MB)
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Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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