The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has written to the board of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC), raising concerns about significant delays in connecting new buildings to the grid. It says some completed buildings have waited more than two years for power.
Businesses and parliament members have recently complained to the EAC about delays in connecting new buildings, housing developments and business premises.
Giorgos Mais, president of the Paphos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a member of the CCCI, said the delays burdened families unable to move into their homes, held up delivery to buyers and placed serious financial strain on property developers. They also harmed business activity, companies’ liquidity, investment and the overall competitiveness of the Cypriot economy, he said.
According to Mais, the chamber is proposing faster handling of applications, studies, network construction and final inspections, binding timetables for each stage of the assessment, and more staff for external crews where delays occur. It also wants simpler procedures, better cooperation with construction professionals and the relevant state services, and a mechanism to prioritise finished buildings that are waiting only for a connection.
The chamber has asked for a meeting with the EAC, with representatives of the business sectors involved, to agree on practical solutions that can be applied immediately.
Last week, AKEL Paphos parliament member Valentinos Fakontis said families who had bought homes with mortgages were paying both loan instalments and rent because they could not move in. Buyers of homes and plots faced months of waiting, uncertainty and extra costs, he said, while construction companies faced delivery delays, extra bank interest, possible penalty clauses and liquidity problems.
