The project contractor responsible for delivering the completed fishing shelter at the Liopetri river has been granted a new deadline of December 17, 2024.
The contract duration was initially set at 30 months from the project’s start in September 2020. By March 2023, the project was nearly halfway completed, prompting an extension to May 2024, followed by another to 1 July 2024.
Yesterday, the Town Planning and Housing Department informed the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee of the Central Committee for Changes and Demands’ decision to grant the contractor an additional extension until 17 December.
It was stressed that this would be the final extension, and measures are in place to terminate the contract should the contractor deviate from the requested timeline.
Despite assurances from the contractor, there is widespread scepticism regarding the likelihood of meeting the new deadline. This sentiment was echoed by MPs, fishermen, elected leaders of the Famagusta district, and technocrats overseeing the contract.
The District Organisation President of Famagusta, Yiannis Karousos, who previously served as Mayor of Ayia Napa, reminded attendees that some of the current demands had been addressed in 2020-2021. He pointed out that the issue lies in the project’s monitoring.
The re-elected Mayor of Ayia Napa, Christos Zannetou, asserted that the delay has devastated families, forced restaurant closures, and deprived fishermen of essential facilities.
The new Deputy Mayor of Liopetri, Markos Koumis, added that after the refurbishment’s completion, new studies and designs would be conducted for dredging the river to allow fishermen to moor their boats.
Professional fishermen attending the Agriculture Committee meeting for the sixth time expressed frustration at being kept uninformed and always learning of developments last.
They urged Parliament to intervene with the government for financial support to compensate for lost income.
The Committee will revisit the issue in September. Representatives from the Town Planning Department noted that for the project to advance without further delays, the contractor must commit resources and engage subcontractors to expedite the work. They acknowledged the significant delay and the slow progress.
Engineers on the project mentioned that terminating the contract has been considered, and if completion prospects appear bleak, the contractor will be formally notified.
The contracting company, however, stated that according to their current schedule, they aim to deliver the project by 17 December unless unforeseen circumstances necessitate yet another extension.
