Legislators hound government over building safety regulations

Legislators on Thursday hectored the government for taking its time delivering legislation to tighten up the earthquake-proofing of buildings, saying that lives are at stake – while the interior ministry responded that it will forward the relevant bill to parliament as soon as possible.

The issue of building safety has gained more traction in the wake of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey earlier this year.

At the House interior committee, Akel MP Aristos Damianou recalled that last November the interior ministry – under the previous administration – had promised to bring legislation in two months’ time.

Should the ministry delay any longer, MPs would table legislative proposals of their own – but these proposals would only address isolated issues, rather than deal with the matter holistically.

Matters of safety should not be politicised, added Damianou.

He asserted that no first-level seismic checks have been done either on public or private buildings.

“Without wanting to push the panic button, we are raising the alarm and calling on officials to start acting like officials.”

The Akel deputy also said no comprehensive documentation has been made regarding the stability of buildings, nor a categorisation of which buildings are most at risk in the event of an earthquake.

And he called for the creation of a separate agency to handle these matters.

Dipa MP Marinos Mousiouttas said they heard the government bill is being vetted by the attorney-general’s office – and that it’s still unknown when the government will table it to parliament.

He said a process must be formalised for structural integrity and earthquake-proofing checks on all types of buildings – residences, hospitals, and schools. These checks should be carried out every five or 10 years.

Citing government officials, Mousiouttas said that Cyprus is in good shape in terms of dealing with tremors.

But, he added, “no one knows when the next earthquake will hit, or how big it will be. We need to be ready.”

Lawmakers also heard from officials about ‘Engelados’ – the name given to a disaster risk management plan that deals with the consequences of a powerful earthquake.

Later in the day, the interior ministry put out a statement denying that they had taken too long in bringing updated legislation.

The ministry said that a public consultation with all stakeholders had to be carried out. This was completed last week, and the bill has since been forwarded to the attorney-general for legal vetting.

Once the attorney-general gives the bill the nod, the legislation will go the cabinet for final approval. After that, it will be tabled to parliament as ‘Urgent’.