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- Ελληνικά
It is with great pleasure that I participate in the Annual General Assembly of the Cyprus Association of Land and Building Development Entrepreneurs. A General Assembly during which, among other things, you will have the opportunity to review recent developments in the land development sector in our country and to determine your subsequent actions. A General Assembly that is also of particular importance for us since, as part of our approach to you, as Partners and Reliable Partners, we expect to be informed of the findings of your work and more specifically your suggestions on all that needs to be improved on our part in order to enhance entrepreneurship in our country. After all, you clearly know the market better and your suggestions are of utmost importance to us.
As a State, we cannot but note the long-standing dynamic presence of your sector, indeed with a substantial and decisive contribution to the upgrading and development of Cypriot business. At the same time, the partnerships that your Association develops, at European and international level, have obvious results in the implementation of large-scale projects in our country, leading it towards progress and development, always for the benefit of society, entrepreneurship and the economy in general.
It is an irrefutable fact that the peculiar prevailing conditions, as a result of external factors such as the war in Ukraine, previously the coronavirus, and now the unstable situation in our own region, create conditions of uncertainty and constitute a major challenge for the land development sector in combination with consequential effects, for example on the prices of construction materials. Nevertheless, land development entrepreneurs, all of you, are actively demonstrating, by having the right reflexes and the required experience, to quickly adapt to developments and continue to make a decisive contribution to our common goals for sustainable socio-economic and environmental development of our country.
Considering your long-standing contribution to the economy and society of our country, maintaining and strengthening the construction industry on a growth trajectory is a priority for the Government. This is because it is through your development that, among many other things, adequate and decent housing for our citizens is ensured, which is a primary concern for us, since I would rightly say that housing is one of the biggest challenges for our citizens and especially the younger generation. A challenge which, in fact, also causes other negative effects, such as family formation, under-generation and many other negative phenomena.
And it was precisely in this context, with the primary concern of meeting the housing needs of citizens, especially young people in our country, that the Ministry of Interior recently drew up and announced the new integrated housing policy of a human-centred and social nature, which includes short-term and medium-term plans and measures to mitigate the housing problem. And for the successful implementation of our housing plan we need your cooperation and contribution which will lead, among other things, to mutual benefits.
The actions of the integrated housing strategy we have announced are multi-level, with a five-year implementation horizon, and focus on two axes: on the one hand, increasing the production of new housing stock and the use of existing inert housing stock and, on the other hand, making it available on the market at affordable prices, giving choices to everyone regardless of their socio-economic status.
In other words, we are approaching the issue holistically with overlapping measures, bearing in mind that in order for the effort to be successful, we need the partnership and cooperation of the private sector, of all of you. And it is precisely for this reason that our strategy includes an attractive package of incentives that we hope will attract your participation and involvement in this effort.
By way of example, let me refer to the Built to Rent Scheme on private land, which is a novelty by Cypriot standards, and combined with the review of planning incentives and the regulation of fast-track permitting, because if we don't get it right the whole strategy will not succeed, will allow for the development of a large housing stock in the next few years, while at the same time providing a number of units of quality affordable housing.
At the same time, having identified weaknesses in the land development licensing procedures, listening to your suggestions, but also as part of our preparation for the operation of the Provincial Authorities and the implementation of the very important Local Government Reform, the Ministry responsible, the Ministry of Interior has prepared a plan - a specific plan with 22 measures, aimed at simplifying the process of examining planning applications and related permits. The main amendment is the removal, by legislation, of the obligation to obtain planning and building permits for small developments, which constitute the majority of developments, which is expected to reduce the time needed to examine applications, giving an upgraded role and responsibility to qualified architects and civil engineers. In addition, through the amendment and streamlining of the procedures to a large extent, the delays in the issuance of permits that are currently observed and constitute an obstacle to the development of our country will be eliminated. Most of the measures are already underway for implementation, always in collaboration with all of you land development professionals, with a milestone date of July 1, 2024.
In the same context of government policies aimed at our positive intervention, land development processes and mechanisms, the recent passage of the law facilitating the expedited permitting of strategic development projects is included. An effort initiated by the previous Government, debated in Parliament and returned to the Cabinet so that it can move forward.
Through a clear framework for rapid permitting, without delays and reducing bureaucracy, it is now possible to attract and implement strategic projects, thus contributing on the one hand to facilitate development, which is important, but also to strengthen the country's economic profile. In order to achieve our objective of facilitating development, the urban rezoning bill will also make a significant contribution, which aims, among other things, at the rational management of dormant residential land in the context of modern urban planning.
Furthermore, the State, in order to reduce bureaucracy and improve the quality of service to citizens and society at large, has created and operates a modern, reliable and user-friendly electronic land information system. The information is now easily accessible and transparent, and efforts are being made, because there is always room for improvement, to further simplify time-consuming procedures. To illustrate, with the new procedure expected to be implemented by the Department of Cadastre and Land Surveying in January 2024, title deeds for new horizontal and vertical subdivision developments will be issued in three months from the date of submission of the completed application.
What I have briefly mentioned above is indicative of the Government's clear political will not only to support the construction and building industry, but also to strengthen and empower it even further by promoting reforms, changes and improvements that will create an attractive environment of business stability in our country.
I would like to assure you that both I personally and the Ministers dealing with the issues of your sector wish to continue and strengthen our close cooperation and we are here to support and adopt realistic initiatives and recommendations that are the result of your scientific and business activity, knowledge and experience. Moreover, I strongly believe that we share the common goal of continuous modernisation and upgrading of the quality of both the State's and your work, as well as the attraction of new development opportunities that will result in the strengthening of our country's economy.
In closing, I would like to congratulate the Board of Directors and the members of the Association for the work you have done over the years, a work that is recognized by the state for your contribution to the progress and prosperity of our country.
I would like to express my special thanks to the President of the Association, Mr. Michalis Hadjipanagiotou, who is leaving the Presidency of the Association after four years of valuable and significant contribution. Thank you, Michael, and I wish you all the best in your next steps.
(PM/NZ/GS)
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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