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Ayios Amvrosios protests over falling 8.5m short of winter fuel payout

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Ayios Amvrosios residents blocked traffic access at the Kantou-Omodos road for one hour on Saturday demanding a winter fuel allowance.

The protest started at 10am with residents holding banners and shouting slogans about how “we don’t want to be cold” and calling on the president to ‘not forget’ them.

Ayios Amvrosios falls 8.5 metres of altitude short of the 600 metre limit set by the interior ministry to be eligible for the scheme.

In a statement, the community mayor of Ayios Amvrosios, Stelios Gregoriou expressed the indignation of his fellow villagers for the unfair treatment they receive compared to residents of neighbouring villages.

“It is the only village that does not receive a subsidy, the villages around us, that is, all the other wine villages receive it and we who are in the middle do not receive it. It is a pity that a community from the wine villages is not receiving this allowance,” he said.

“We want the government to include the mountainous region in their programme so that Ayios Ambrosios also gets the allowance.”

Residents and community leaders of neighbouring villages were also on the side of the protesters, who expressed their support for the just, as they said, demand of the residents of Ayios Ambrosios.

Meanwhile, the residents are determined to escalate the measures.

“We have taken decisions, of which we will announce later, we are determined to continue,” said the community leader.

The hour-long road closure took place in the presence of police officers and caused a temporary traffic jam in the area.

The heating allowance is granted to Cypriot and European citizens who permanently reside in communities with an altitude of more than or equal to 600 metres and who have been living in the community for the whole year for at least the last two years are eligible for financial assistance.

 

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