Larnaca’s mayor and business leaders have pressed Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades for written timetables and faster action on the city’s marina and port development, expressing frustration over repeated delays since the Government terminated its contract with Kition Ocean Holdings.
Mayor Andreas Vyras also demanded answers within two weeks about a proposal from Prosperity Group, a former shareholder of the failed contractor, to revive the project. The Law Office is reviewing the proposal.
“The first thing we asked the minister is the Government’s position on a proposal that has been made public and is being discussed intensely in the city for reviving and continuing the project from where it was,” Vyras said.
“We told the minister we must have the ministry’s clear position as soon as possible on whether this proposal can be implemented, and as a city we will express our views when we have the facts before us. I hope that within the next one to two weeks this matter will be clarified.”
Delays mount
Vyras said Larnaca told the minister the Government must be more formal with timetables after missing deadlines for both the feasibility study and architectural competition since the contract termination.
Vafeades said the first project—dredging the marina—completes this month. He gave the green light for an architectural competition for the Larnaca Nautical Club building to proceed immediately, despite major delays, whilst the Project Note and Viability Study remain pending.
The minister said the Greek Superfund’s completed study determining the future of the two state-run infrastructures will be sent within the next week.
“We will then proceed with consultation with the local community,” Vafeades said. “We have committed to the mayor and EBE Larnaca that we will return immediately with clear timetables, both for the presentation and consultation of the study, and regarding the next steps for announcing the tender so we can start all the works.”
He added the project is of utmost importance to the Government. “We want to move forward, we share the local community’s concern and therefore we must deliver results immediately.”
Vyras welcomed the decision to accelerate procedures for the Nautical Club but said Larnaca needs strict timetables in writing covering every stage from the Superfund study delivery to announcing tenders for new investors. “Larnaca cannot wait any longer for this project,” he said.
EBEL president Nakis Antoniou made a public appeal to Vafeades for works to start in Larnaca. “We want jobs created so that Larnaca’s children can stay, work and contribute to Larnaca and not be forced to work in other cities and other countries,” he said. “We have confidence in the Ministry, we trust that soon we will have solutions and certainly we want information about the Superfund study as soon as possible.”