President Nicos Anastasiades inaugurated a public escalator in the scenic village of Kalopanayiotis on Sunday, praising the community for effectively tapping into EU structural and rural funds.
“We continue to face major hurdles and have a long way ahead of us, but we will continue on the path of reforming public spending, but also the state’s best possible participation in development projects,” he said, after riding in the €1.4 mln project.
The elevator project (see photo at bottom), that is 50% financed by EU structural and regional funds, was built to solve the problem of transporting tourists and locals from the upper levels of the village to the traditional centre below, without affecting or damaging the scenic and cobbled narrow historic streets.
Praising community leader and creator of the Casale Panayiotis agrotourism hotel and spa, Yiannakis Papadouris, the president said that the village has utilised €9 mln in funds for infrastructure projects, while a further €14 mln were invested privately.
“Since 2001, when Papadouris took charge as community leader, specific projects were introduced that helped prevent the downfall of the village and revived it to the stage that it won the EDEN prize as a European destination of excellence for tourism and revival of natural communities.”
In 2002, the president added, an ambitious project was presented to the then Cabinet and so, upon EU accession in 2004, Kalopanayiotis rightly chased EU funds.
Anastasiades added that having already announced public projects worth €60 mln, last week he unveiled another programme for €173.9 mln in investments in Nicosia district and the capital, that should help improve the quality of life, implement development projects that will lead to growth and boost employment.
The ‘mature’ projects were announced during a meeting with the mayors of greater Nicosia municipalities, MPs, community leaders and other stakeholders.
Anastasiades said the projects were selected on the basis of their maturity, that is, the fact that the projects received the necessary licenses and a tender can be launched immediately.
The projects in Nicosia include the reconstruction of the capital’s high streets, a network of cycle paths, underground parking, the restoration of the Public Modern Arts Gallery and the old Municipal Theatre, the beautification of the area of the old GSP Stadium and restoration of the old Secretariat building and the Ministry of the Interior.
The project list also includes the restoration and reconstruction of the Pancyprian Gymnasium of Nicosia, a school founded in 1812, at cost of €9.4 mln.
Anastasiades said a architectural tender will be launched in 2016 for the new Archeological Museum to be constructed in the old Nicosia General Hospital with a total cost of €50 mln.
Outlying projects include the reconstruction of Tseriou Avenue and its connection with the Avenues of Strovolou and Spyrou Kyprianou, Aglantzia Avenue and parts of Larnaca and Famagusta Avenues, the home for elders in Palekhori, a new police station in Evrikhou, anti-flood works in Pera Khorio Nisou with a cost of €1 mln, the Solea regional sewage system, a wastewater treatment and recycled water installation for western Nicosia amounting and the extension of the Central Prisons.
