We need a comprehensive policy for the countryside
Statement by General Secretary of the Central Committee of AKEL Stefanos Stefanou at the “Kopiaste” Festival in Farmakas
22 October 2023, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia
The General Secretary of the Central Committee of AKEL, Stefanos Stefanou visited “Kopiaste” Festival of Local Traditional Food & Products, in Farmakas today.
“At the big traditional festival, Cypriot producers have the opportunity to exhibit their products, but also various bands present their work,” said Stefanos Stefanou.
The General Secretary of the Central Committee of AKEL noted that “every year the Festival is full of life and not by chance. People embrace the Cypriot countryside, our traditions, the importance and role of the countryside for Cyprus”.
Stefanos Stefanou stressed that “what is crucial for the present and the future of our countryside is for the government, the state, embrace in deeds the Cypriot countryside holistically and comprehensively”. He continued, “there needs to be a comprehensive policy elaborated which includes not only road works for easier access to the countryside, especially in the mountainous area, but also structures and infrastructures to enable young couples to stay and/or return to the countryside. Incentives are needed to create productive units in the area and to create jobs.
If all these things are not in place to constitute a comprehensive policy, then we will continue to have the problem of urbanisation and our rural communities, especially the remote and mountainous ones, will continue to suffer a slow death.”
Finally, Stefanos Stefanou also mentioned that “the various programmes that are running need to be adapted to the real needs of the people of the area, because we hear complaints – and not without justification – that many times even the existing programmes cannot meet the people’s real needs”.
