The Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Mr.Yannis Karousos, presented today, before the Parliamentary Committee on Finance and Budget, the Ministry's Budget for 2023. After the discussion, the Minister made statements to journalists as follows.
A typical example of the development policy of Nicos Anastasiades' administration is the significant increase in the budget of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works from €257.5 million in 2015 to €469.45 million in 2023, an increase of €212.12 million or 82.3%. These are projects which have been delivered in the last few months, are either being executed, are in the process of being tendered or will be tendered in the coming months and which are included in the Ministry's budget, but also in the budgets of other ministries, projects which we have undertaken to implement.
The above is a particularity of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, since it also implements a significant number of projects which are not included in its budget, but in the budgets of other ministries.
The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works implements a significant number of projects which are not included in its budget but in the budgets of other ministries. This is a fact and a peculiarity that we need to emphasize in terms of our budget."
Then, Mr. Karousos said that the Ministry's budget for 2023 amounts to €469.45 million. He stressed that, despite the globally difficult economic conditions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the State's development policy continues at an upward pace as far as the Ministry of Transport is concerned, and an increase in its development expenditure from €109.8 million in 2022 to €141.1 million in 2025, an increase of 29.1%, is planned.
The Minister went on to say: "I am particularly pleased that we have completed, are implementing and continue to tender long-awaited projects that have been long-awaited for decades by local communities. Projects which have been announced by the President of the Republic and placed on his priorities. In 2022 we completed projects worth €76.36 million, while projects worth €460.78 million are under execution, such as the Astromeritis - Evrychou, Pafos - Polis, Limassol - Saitta motorways and the upgrading of the Larnaca - Dhekelia and Deryneia - Sotiras road networks.
Very important projects worth €366.43 million are expected to be signed in the coming months, among them the largest cultural project in our country, the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia worth €144 million expected to be signed before the end of the year, the Paleochori - Nicosia motorway with a budget of €71.4 million, which will be signed around the end of January 2023 and the improvement and construction of Ippokratous and Argyroupolis avenues worth 30.7 million expected to be signed in December 2022.), the Building Complex Development for the housing of the three Ministries (Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Public Works) (90 million), the State Chemistry (77 million), the new Legal Service building (48 million), the Pissouri Subsidence Resolution Project - Phase B (39.6 million) and the next phase of the perimeter (26 million).
The Minister also referred to air connectivity and the strong action developed by Cyprus at EU level, which resulted in the inclusion of Cyprus' suggestions in the proposed EU Fit for 55 legislation to mitigate the negative impact on island and peripheral states of the EU in the air transport sector, since the price difference between sustainable fuel (SAF) and conventional fuel will be covered by 100% for islands like Cyprus.
The Minister also referred to air connectivity and the strong action developed by Cyprus at EU level, which resulted in the inclusion of Cyprus' suggestions in the proposed EU Fit for 55 legislation to mitigate the negative impact on island and peripheral states of the EU in the air transport sector, since the price difference between sustainable fuel (SAF) and conventional fuel will be covered by 100% for islands like Cyprus.
The Minister pointed out: "Despite the loss of flights from Russia and Ukraine, we managed, with coordinated actions together with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and HERMES, to have around 9.1 million passengers in 2022. With the liberalization of the market for ground services at airports and the implementation of new incentives for the period 2023-2027 amounting to 165 million, we expect an increase in passenger traffic by 2027 by 52% (from 9.1 million to 9.1 million).
With regard to the development of the cruise sector, the Minister stressed that an increase of 71.8% has been achieved in 2022 compared to 2019 (from 109 million to 13.7 million passengers).
Also, the development of Larnaca Marina and Port, the largest investment we have in Cyprus today, amounting to €1.2 billion and expected to yield €120 million, is being implemented.
The development of Larnaca Marina and Port, the largest investment we have in Cyprus today, amounting to €1.2 billion and expected to yield €120 million, is also being implemented.
In addition, the development of Larnaca Marina and Port, the largest investment we have in Cyprus today, amounting to €1.2 billion and expected to yield €120 million, is being implemented. per year to the economy and 4,000 additional jobs.
Continuing, Mr Karousos said that the Ministry's goal is to fully utilize the Recovery and Resilience Fund for the period 2022-2026. "We have undertaken the implementation of projects and actions with a total budget of €89.3 million, including the implementation of the Sustainable Mobility Plan (SMP) projects with a budget of €31.5 million, the implementation of the Grant Scheme for the Purchase of Electric Vehicles with a budget of €30 million, the implementation of the Plan for the Decommissioning of Hazardous Vehicles and Granting Incentives for Alternative, Low Emission Modes of Transport with a budget of €15 million, the implementation of the Grant Scheme for the Installation of 1,000 Recharging Points in Publicly Accessible Areas, Businesses and Local Authorities with a budget of €4 million and the Integrated Implementation of Intelligent Transport Systems using Digital Twin Technology with a budget of €4 million."
Some of these actions and projects have started to be implemented, such as the electric vehicle grant scheme and the decommissioning of old polluting vehicles and the expansion of cycle paths on a nationwide basis. Today we have a 186-kilometre network of cycle paths in the country and this will increase by 55 kilometres to 241 kilometres, Mr Karousos said. With the new passenger transport contracts worth 72 million per year, we will have increased kilometres and a more efficient network and we expect a substantial increase in passenger traffic and better quality of service, while at the same time we are promoting the creation of an integrated bus lane network in Nicosia as well as in Limassol and Larnaca through the SBAK.
We will also reinforce the "Door to Door" programme for primary school pupils, which operated on a pilot basis this year, and we are promoting projects such as the Nicosia perimeter, Hippokratous - Argyroupoleos roads, Stavros junction and Constantinople road, which aim to relieve congestion on main roads. At the same time, we are also proceeding with the use of technology for traffic management and the use of a regional control and management system for urban traffic with the tender for "smart lights" to be announced next month, as well as with the implementation of flexible working hours in the public service, Mr.Karousos said.
Regarding Road Safety, Mr.Karousos mentioned, among others, the installation and operation of the Light Detection Camera System amounting to €34.08 million, the increase of the road safety budget from €150 thousand to €1 million, the Motorcyclists' Protective Equipment (Airbag) Purchase Grant Scheme of €1.05 million, the grant scheme for child seats in buses and the promotion of other actions and legislation such as the regulation of motorcycle driving with a learner's permit, accompanied by an instructor only, the mandatory protective equipment for motorcyclists using motorcycles for business purposes and the modernisation of legislation on Driver Training Schools and Instructors.
The Minister thanked the Parliamentary Committee on Finance and Budget as well as the Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Communications and Works for the excellent cooperation between them. He also expressed his thanks to all the staff of the Ministry for their dedication and efficiency.
(ΘΓ/ΝΓ/EΧΡ)
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