A total of €43 million has been set aside for community projects, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Monday.

Following a regional meeting in Kouklia, he said the funding would support a wide range of initiatives in local communities.

He said that ongoing local government reform is important, and described it as beneficial because it leads to the creation of administrative complexes.

“The reform is crucial for the functioning of communities. While there have been delays in staffing them, the central government will cover the budget for additional personnel through a decision of the Council of Ministers,” he said.

The minister expects the staffing process to finish by June.

He said once they are fully staffed with scientific and technical personnel, more projects can launch to benefit local communities.

The meeting brought together representatives from communities in the Paphos region.

Ioannou said officials would address outstanding issues and review the progress of projects initiated in previous meetings.

“The purpose of these regional meetings, which started two and a half years ago, is to visit small but important communities, discuss problems, propose solutions and examine the implementation of ongoing projects,” he said.

Officials were present to provide immediate solutions to local concerns and to monitor progress on initiatives that are already underway.

Ioannou said that follow-up visits are planned every six months to assess the implementation of decisions that were taken during the meetings.

Next week, officials will hold a session in Nicosia, and other districts will follow.

When asked about the pace of project implementation, he acknowledged that some projects are progressing well while others are facing delays.

Regarding efforts to encourage population retention in rural areas, Ioannou said that the ministry’s goal is to maintain the existing population and to attract new residents.

“We want to preserve Cyprus’ beautiful communities. This is why we are implementing numerous urban planning and housing projects as well as targeted subsidies for remote, mountainous and rural areas,” he said.

Ioannou did not announce new projects during the Kouklia meeting and noted that discussions focused on specific issues that were previously submitted by each community.

“The goal is to support communities both financially and administratively so they can develop sustainably while maintaining their unique character,” he said.