Dora Christodoulou
As the first of its kind in Cyprus, the Multipurpose Center of the Municipality of Paphos now covers a large gap for the city and the province, serving, through the utilization of spaces with innovative equipment, the needs of families, young couples, working women and the elderly .
In this context, it is expected to be a milestone in terms of reconciling family and professional life and on the other hand the activation and active participation of seniors in society.
These were emphasized by the President of the Republic, during the official inauguration of the project, which is located in a central part of the city. Cyprus is changing, he said characteristically, with each Municipality and community having the stamp of modernization.
“I can proudly say that Paphos is one step ahead,” said President Anastasiadis. “All the projects we announced in 2015 and 2017 due to the Mayor and the Municipal Council, due to the correct planning and the maturity of the projects, it was possible to complete them on time and before their time. “Nothing is pending and I have to mention this because it is an example to be imitated and these must be said”.
The President of the Republic made a special reference to the introduction of the institution of the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, characterizing it as a message from the Government that we want such reforms to be made that serve the people.
“Through the projects and actions it has implemented and is implementing in the field of Social Welfare, the Government sends the message that genuine social welfare and care is not a monopoly of any political ideology or any political party,” he said. “I should praise the parties because we are in line with social policies.”
Regarding Social Welfare, President Anastasiadis spoke about 45 sub-actions on policies related to employment and job creation, support for children, women and the family, social protection and social cohesion and welfare.
He also spoke about the implementation of investment actions for social welfare provided in the National Plan “Cyprus-Tomorrow”, amounting to more than 50 million euros which, among other things, concern the creation of multifunctional centers for children and housing structures for children , adolescents with behavioral disorders, people with disabilities and people who need long-term care, the development of child care centers in municipalities and the construction of a special school Apostolos Loukas and the Red Cross rehabilitation school.
In addition to the Multipurpose Center for Social Welfare, a total expenditure of 4.5 million euros, which is co-financed by the European Social Fund, said the President of the Republic, since 2015 and have been implemented or are being implemented in the Municipality of Paphos, either through the allocation of national funds or contribution of the Municipality or through the co-financing from the European Union of 24 projects, with a total cost of over 85 million euros.
