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I am sincerely pleased to be present today at the Pancyprian Conference of the Union of Cyprus Communities, on the topic "Reform of Local Government in Cyprus - The Next Day of Communities". My presence, as well as that of the Minister, is a sign of appreciation and recognition of the very important work you are doing.
Before anything else, allow me to welcome to Cyprus the representatives of the Central Union of Municipalities and Communities of Greece. It is a pleasure to have you with us. Greece's rich experience in the field of Local Authorities has been and still is for all of us in Cyprus an object of study and utilization. And your presence here shows your interest in Cyprus.
In the context of a modern state with a human-centred character, which is the basic component of our governance, the role of local government in the administrative system of the country becomes even stronger and more important, since local authorities should play a leading role in determining the conditions for the development of local communities. Taking this basic fact into account and since we all envision a better tomorrow, a quality of life that meets the expectations and demands of the citizen, the need for actions towards further modernization of the institution of Local Authorities and the safeguarding of its autonomy and social credibility is becoming more and more acute.
The Government, precisely recognizing this need and the important role played by the Local Authorities in this direction, stands as a helper and fervent supporter, supporting the numerous efforts made by all of you, often under adverse conditions, for the social, economic and cultural development of our Communities.
Your Conference today offers, therefore, the opportunity to evaluate what has been done, to have a fruitful discussion and to take stock of the action through an assessment of the work produced, the objectives achieved in this effort, as well as, and for us this is the most important, to codify the weaknesses and problems that have arisen. The Conference is also offered as a platform for the submission of proposals, in the context of dialogue with society, towards the promotion of issues that community leaders face in the exercise of their very essential duties.
The concept of community, especially in Cyprus, is identified with the countryside primarily and the countryside is for our country, among many others, a vital cell of geographical, cultural and social balance.
The concept of community, especially in Cyprus, is identified with the countryside primarily and the countryside is for our country, among many others, a vital cell of geographical, cultural and social balance. In this context, the development of the countryside and the improvement of the standard of living of our compatriots who live there is a key priority of our governance. The importance attached over time is reflected, among other things, in the numerous urban planning and development projects that have been carried out in all communities, but also in various additional grants for cultural and agri-tourism projects or for projects for the conservation of traditional buildings, restoration of built monuments and natural monuments.
In the context of our policy approach for further regional development and social cohesion, the Government's approach focuses on improving and expanding incentives, particularly for housing projects in our countryside, in order to create conditions for stabilising and strengthening the population. Our planning aims, among other things, to reverse the declining situation prevailing in many communities as a result of the population decline or depopulation observed in recent years, so that we can achieve the objective of returning to the countryside, particularly for young people. In addition to housing projects, we must create the infrastructure. For a young family to return, the two main conditions to consider before making such a decision are health issues and education issues. And that is where our effort is focused among many other factors, but the first things a young family will consider before making a decision because of the prices that exist in cities for housing.
Your conference today also coincides with the effort to implement perhaps the greatest challenge in the modern history of local government in our country, that of the Reform. And I take your decision on the theme of today's Conference as a clear indication that your goal and everyone's expectation is to continually evaluate data to achieve the goal of strengthening and developing the capacity of our Communities. I would like to congratulate my hon. Friend the President of the Union of Local Authorities and the Union's Executive Committee for organising today's conference, which comes at a time when local government reform is at the centre of interest both to us and to you and wider society.
This Government has prioritised the successful implementation of local government reform as a priority and remains committed to the principles that underpin it. The ultimate aim of the whole exercise, moreover, is to strengthen the capacity of Local Authorities to deliver better quality services to their citizens, and it is something that is a goal for all of us.
Turning specifically to the provisions of the reforms relating to the operation of communities, I want to point out that the creation of service clusters was a suggestion that came from you, from the Union of Communities. It was a good suggestion that was adopted. The clusters, I believe, will enable each community, however small and remote, to provide services by appropriately trained staff, which the current situation does not allow in most cases. As the Government, we will substantially support the establishment of this new institution, both with the transfer of know-how and financially, so that it can function as well as possible, for the benefit of the communities themselves and possibly, through experience and the benefits that the communities are expected to gain from the operation of the institution, we may decide to proceed in the future to a next level, which is the creation of rural municipalities. We have to proceed with the reform as soon as possible, the timetables have to be met, we have no other choice and certainly in the course of implementing such an important reform, which will be continuously evaluated, in case problems and difficulties arise we are here to discuss without changing the philosophy of such an important reform.
Speaking of such an important local government reform my mind goes to the GESY, the biggest social reform of the country. It started, we see the problems, we evaluate, we are here to address them, but without ever changing the overall philosophy.
We must dare to go further (with local government reform) and continuous evaluation is our obligation and yours.
From the next municipal and community elections, which will be held in June 2024, we will have to operate under the new legislative framework.
We are already in the second year of preparation until the full implementation of the new model in local government and the relevant services of the Ministry of Interior are in constant communication with all relevant stakeholders at every level. Especially with the Union of Communities there is a continuous consultation and close cooperation and I am sure that in this spirit we will proceed to the end of this journey in order to give the citizens in 2024 a local government that can successfully meet the expectations of the local community in the current challenges they face.
The Union of Communities from its establishment until today has carried out an important and remarkable work in the field of local government. The co-operation of the Union of Communities with Government Departments and in particular with the Home Office has been excellent over the years and this undoubtedly facilitates the implementation of the Government's Regional Rural Development Policy. I therefore express my sincere thanks to the Association for our constructive and productive cooperation. I am sure that this will continue with the same zeal and consistency and will contribute substantially and decisively to the achievement of our common goals, which is the progress and development of the countryside and, by extension, the improvement of the quality of life of its inhabitants.
I would also like to thank the community leaders of our occupied villages - we will have a meeting soon - for their contribution to the common effort to keep the memory of our occupied communities alive.
I would also like to thank the community leaders of our occupied villages - we will have a meeting soon - for their contribution to the common effort to keep the memory of our occupied communities alive. I repeat once again, 'the present state of affairs cannot be the solution to the Cyprus problem, it cannot be the future of our homeland, we will do whatever is possible, whatever is necessary to create conditions for a solution to the Cyprus problem.
In conclusion, I would like to assure you once again that the Government will stand by the Union of Communities and Local Government in general, actively supporting your efforts and providing all possible assistance in your work, which is also our work and has the sole aim of improving the quality of life in our communities with all the positive consequences of such a development.
I believe that the solutions to many of the problems that the Cypriot people are facing today, problems for which we have the obligation to respond - I mentioned earlier the housing problem because it is the number one problem for our young people in particular - can be found through upgrading, through more actions on our part towards our communities.
(PM/IS)
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