Natasha Christoforou
Boat owners are expressing strong concern for their future in the Larnaca marina, due to the financial consequences that the change of management will bring, since the investor will take over the space from April 1st. About 350 boats are moored in the marina, with the vast majority of owners being Cypriots.
Boat owners are upset and set up a Steering Committee to advance their demands. Speaking to “F”, Costas Psyllidis, a member of the Coordinating Committee, stated that the owners have already requested information from the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Tourism.
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“Our issue has two aspects. The first concerns the mooring fees until April 1 and the second the increases that will be imposed by the investor. The problem has arisen with the fees we were asked to pay from October 2021 to April 1, 2022, as these were calculated arbitrarily, on the basis of quarterly and daily prepayments, instead of annual fees which are up to 50% lower. In addition, the investor informed us that a 15% increase will be imposed immediately, without committing to the charges afterwards “.
Regarding the mooring fees until April, the Ministry of Tourism requested an opinion from the Legal Service and informed the boat owners that until a decision is made, it suspends the charges to those who declare that they will stay in the marina after April 1.
“It was the only popular marina in Cyprus”
The owners say that the marina of Larnaca was the only “popular marina” that remained in Cyprus and gave the opportunity to middle class citizens who love the sea, fishing, sailing and navigation, but also professionals, to use it creating maritime activity in the country. With the wrong handling of the Government, as they say, which did not provide for alternatives, now the marinas are addressed only to millionaires and the maritime activity by the citizens of the island is in danger of being eliminated.
“Before making luxury marinas, the Republic had to ensure basic infrastructure for the naval activity of the Cypriot citizens. There is no other place to go. The fishing shelter in Zygi has no space. We do not know what we will become when the investor takes over, who from the first day will impose increases, while for the next years the marina will be a construction site. “Basically we have been left with no choice,” added Gogo Georgalla, a member of the owners' committee.
Mooring fees are determined on the basis of the length of the vessels. Most boats in the marina are 40-50 feet and the annual charge was two to three thousand euros. If the fees increase, then the owners will be forced, as they report, to sell their boats, while some will look for cheap mooring in Greece. It is noted that in the marina of Larnaca are based diving and navigation schools, but also professional boats that transport tourists.
“We want to keep the owners”
Clarifying that the investor does not intend to evict the owners from the Larnaca marina, the CEO of Kition Ocean Holdings Ltd, Panos Alexandrou, stated that hundreds of millions will be invested in the area. “People need to understand that any investor expects to get their money back at some point. Today we have a dangerous and neglected marina in Larnaca. “Our goal is to highlight this gem so that someone is proud to have space inside the marina, receiving modern services.”
Regarding the increases that will be imposed, he noted that from the first day work will begin on infrastructure and upgrading services. “We have been informed that no increase has been imposed on the marina since 2008. If I give 2 thousand euros for my boat and now the amount becomes 2,300 per year, we do not consider it to be such a big increase.”
He added that instructions were given to find ways to move the boats inside the marina and that a new arm would be created. “We want to keep the world going. We asked for the details of the boat owners and we find it difficult to collect them, because the committee, for some reason, instructed its members not to give them to us. “If on April 1, a boat catches fire next to others, who will we take to come and move them?” He asked.
Karousos: Humiliatively low fees
Asked to comment on the issue, the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Giannis Karousos, stated that he would have a meeting with the owners of boats, in order to hear their requests. He pointed out, however, that the marina is being privatized and “it is logical that there will be an increased charge. The fees that Larnaca Marina charges at the moment in relation to the other marinas are humiliatingly low “.
The Ministry of Tourism, for its part, replied that it has studied the issue and that it has in mind a long-term solution, however, it is waiting for legal advice in order to proceed.
