In a statement on Saturday, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides referred to the ongoing reform of the local government as “perhaps the greatest challenge in the history of the local administration in the country.” Stressing the need for swift implementation, Christodoulides emphasised that the reform should proceed without delay.
The Cyprus parliament recently approved a comprehensive reform of the local administration, aimed at reducing the number of municipalities from 30 to 20. This will be achieved through the merging of current municipalities and communities, with the reform set to come into effect on June 1, 2024.
Addressing the Union of the Cyprus Communities conference in Limassol, President Christodoulides acknowledged that the reform has a strict timeframe that must be adhered to. He declared, “We should proceed with the reform as soon as possible; timeframes should be met, and we have no other option.” He also assured that the reform process will be subject to continuous evaluation, with any potential issues to be thoroughly discussed.
However, Christodoulides made it clear that the fundamental philosophy behind the reform would remain unchanged.
The President also highlighted the proposed creation of services clusters, which would enable communities to provide services through skilled employees, an aspect currently lacking in the existing system.
Minister of the Interior, Constantinos Ioannou, described the reform as the “greatest institutional change in the map of the local administration, which creates a new state of affairs.” Ioannou expressed confidence that they were in the final stages of the reform process. The Ministry, in collaboration with the central advisory committee, temporary municipal organs, and the Union of the Cyprus Communities, is actively preparing the new operational framework governing the functioning of the local administration.
Ioannou emphasised the objective of achieving stable growth in rural areas and improving the living standards of the residents. He stated, “To achieve the aim for a stable growth of the rural areas and the improvement of the living standards of the people living there, we need a strong and contemporary local administration, capable of responding to the modern needs of the citizens as well as the structures of a modern state.”
