€378m for projects in Paphos district in past six years (Updated)

A total of €378m was allocated for projects that have been implemented or are being implemented in Paphos over the last six years, President Nicosia Anastasiades said on Friday.

The president was speaking during the inauguration ceremony of recent projects in Paphos and Yeroskipou, before he visited the new haemodialysis unit at Paphos general hospital.

The first project concerned the construction of breakwaters in Yeroskipou, with a total budget of €3m.

Another project, amounting to more than €6m, involved the completion of the coastal road connecting the historical centre of Yeroskipou with the Marios Tokas avenue coastal front, including the construction of kiosks and infrastructure for people with disabilities.

“Through the completion of the first and second phase of the specific project…the way was essentially opened for the regeneration of the coastal front of Yeroskipou,” Anastasiades said.

The president added that the upgraded image of the organised beach following an initiative by local authorities, has transformed the municipal beach to a “popular destination, with increased traffic, both for locals and holidaymakers”.

Another important project was the creation of 25 beds for dialysis patients thanks to the collaboration of the private with the public sector, the president said during his visit at the new haemodialysis unit later that day, accompanied by Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantelas, Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos and Government Spokesman Marios Pelekanos.

“The unit, which is part of Okypy, will be ready to be delivered before the set time,” Anastasiades said, to resolve the transportation issue of dialysis patients as ambulance services will be able to transport the patients from the unit to their residences.

Works for the three-storey unit started on April 14 with a total budget of more than €4.5m. It includes a specific unit for patients suffering from hepatitis B or Aids.

The president also attended the inauguration ceremony of the €3.8m Paphos’ multipurpose centre of social welfare, aiming to unite social programmes according to the needs of the local community.

During the ceremony, Anastasiades also addressed the concern of protestors outside the centre, who were demonstrating against the closure of ERA Korivos department store in the district. “Our main concern is to keep your jobs, to see how, in a legal way, prospects can be created to avoid the unpleasant incidents you are facing,” Anastasiades said.

Overall, in the Paphos district, since 2015 projects totalling €378m have been implemented or are being implemented “with the decisive contribution of the government”, either through the allocation of national resources or by promoting a series of projects for co-financing by European funds, he said.

Of those, the projects of the last eight years that concern Yeroskipou municipality, either those that have been completed or those that are in the process of implementation or have been launched, amount to €28.5m, Anastasiades said.

Among the projects that have been completed, totalling €1.3m, are the construction of a road network that connects Paphos airport with the municipal beach, the expansion of the first kindergarten of the municipality and the upgrade and construction of sports facilities.

Moreover, the Christoforos Hadjilambris community health centre, is under construction and amounts to €2.2m, while in the works are additional projects of €17m including the second phase of upgrading of Archiepiskopou Makariou avenue (€4.5m), construction of Makariou and Ippokratous avenues which has been completed and upgrading of the traditional core of the municipality (€2.5m).

Anastasiades referred to promoted projects that will benefit Yeroskipou residents and nearby areas such as €6.5m construction of the north bypass of Yeroskipou which will be completed by 2022 and the €2.2m construction of a roundabout at the junction of Kinyra street with the north bypass.