AKEL again with the fire-affected communities

 

AKEL will monitor the implementation of measures and works

16 September 2021, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

An AKEL delegation, headed by Parliamentary Representative Giorgos Loukaides, held meetings yesterday with the local community heads from the fire-affected communities of the mountainous Larnaca and Limassol districts, in the Melini local community and in the presence of representatives from the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance and the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.

The AKEL delegation included Larnaca District Secretary of AKEL Chrystalla Antoniou, AKEL Famagusta MP and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Larnaca MP Andreas Pasiourtides, the Head of the AKEL Environment Affairs Bureau and member of the Central Committee Christina Nicolaou, and the members of the Central Committee of AKEL Nicolas Kalogirou and Renos Georgiou.

The meeting reviewed the progress in the implementation of the government’s measures to provide support to those affected by the fires and the environmental rehabilitation measures.

With regards the measures for compensation of damaged and/or destroyed premises, the procedure seems to have proceeded smoothly. However, significant delays have been identified with regards compensation and support for professional and, in particular, non-professional farmers, on which the representative of the Ministry of Agriculture had made commitments that the procedure will proceed immediately.

With regards the flood protection projects, we have been informed that the start of the first phase of construction work is scheduled to commence next week and its completion is expected by the end of October.

AEKL Parliamentary Representative G.Loukaides expressed the need for the necessary flood protection works to be promoted and completed immediately, so that these affected communities will not face a new disaster caused by possible heavy rainfalls. To this end, AKEL has asked the competent Ministry to submit the plan of the flood protection works, as elaborated with the University of Athens.

In addition, AKEL supports the demand to extend until December the period during which the state will cover the social insurance contributions of working people in the agricultural sector.

Finally, Giorgos Loukaides reassured the local community leaders of the fire-affected communities that AKEL will monitor closely the progress of the implementation of the Ministerial Council’s decisions on providing support for affected people and for the environmental restoration of the areas. In the event the timeframes for their implementation are not met, AKEL will bring the issue back for discussion in the relevant Parliamentary Committees.