Timetables for port, marina and maritime group of Larnaca, says Vafeadis – Vafiadis and Vyras also said that there is interest in the two developments from both domestic and foreign investors – On the floor in a two-hour meeting with the ad hoc committee
The preparation of tender documents for the assignment of studies to experts will begin immediately, which will be presented by mid-September to ad hoc committee for its comments, said the Minister of Transport, Alexis Vafiadis after the two-hour meeting on Monday at the Ministry with the said committee for the development of the port and marina in Larnaka.< /p>
The opinion of the involved local bodies is important, he said, so that everyone knows how we are proceeding, what we want the experts to cover and what issues we will be asked to decide on in the future. They will proceed, he said, at a rapid pace.
For the short-term projects, said Mr. Vafiadis, which concern the implementation of the projects announced on July 31, the start of the study for the navy< /strong> group, the construction of the landscaping that will connect the area of Finikoudes with the area of the marinas and the upgrading and maintenance of the marina, will proceed in two ways. Regarding the upgrading and maintenance of the marina, he said that the study begins under the responsibility of the Department of Public Works, whose experts will prepare tender documents for both the dredging and the maintenance and upgrading of the marina. “Until our next meeting with the ad hoc committee we will inform when we will go out to bids”.
The project of the naval group, he continued, will be the subject of an architectural competition and the Minister announced that he has already arranged a meeting with ETEK, which will undertake the architectural competition, for the implementation of which a technical committee will be established with representatives of EOA, the Municipality of Larnaca and of the Ministry of Transport. “I insist on the architectural competition because I want an emblematic building for Larnaca and Cyprus and we hope that the architectural competition will give us this result,” he said.
He also said that for the boat entry and exit point within the marina that “conflicts” with the location where the marine group will be erected, he will discuss with the Department of Public Works whether this point can be moved more quickly to don't delay the project”.
In September, Mr. Vafiadis said, he will have a new meeting with the ad hoc committee to inform it about the actions and schedules, as they are being formed.
< p>In response to a related question, Alexis Vafiadis said that they are working to meet the schedules. “If there is any reversal along the way, we will inform the public“.
Asked if the proposal of the Ports Authority for the port of Larnaca is rejected,the Minister said that they discussed the issue of the Authority's participation. “We say that the issue of the development of the port in Larnaca is part of the entire strategic planning of the state in terms of port infrastructure.” There are, he continued, studies for the Vasilikos area, there is Larnaca and Limassol and “we have to see them all together and strategically decide what role each infrastructure will play”.
Consequently, he said , what will happen in Vasiliko affects what will happen in Larnaca. Until we know the big picture, strategically where we want to take the country, he said, we cannot make any decision about who will implement which part. We don't know, he said, what investment will be needed, “it may need 500 million, it may be 1 billion. Depending on who is the right body, what is the money needed, where will the project be financed, the right decisions will be made about who will implement, which part of this overall strategic planning”.
Larnaca, he added, already has a commercial, touristic character that it will continue to have and “we want to deepen this character. We want to know from the experts how we compare for example with all the Eastern Mediterranean ports, how we are affected by geopolitical changes in terms of world trade. These will help us to have a much better picture of Larnaca, if it should grow (the port), if the arms should change, if we should accept bigger ships or smaller ones”.
Asked when the first excavator for the first project will enter the Larnaca marina, Mr. Vafiadis said that the timetables that have been set will be confirmed within September and announced. Today we are taking the first steps, he said, which is the initiation of studies for short-term projects and the hiring of experts for the first projects. “These are the first things we can do and today, August 19, we start this action”. September – October, at the meeting of the technical committee that will be appointed for the short-term projects, said the Mayor of Larnakathey will say specifically when the tender starts and ends, when the tender documents will be ready and when the project will start and finish. “If these steps are not taken, I believe that any timetables we say will run the risk of not being implemented. But what we keep is that a strict schedule has been put in place and we don't let time pass and every meeting is determined when it should be”.
We knew that after the wreck with KITIONthings would not be easy, Mr. Vyras added, “things take their time, but strict schedules and strict supervision were put in place to ensure that these projects will start properly and be implemented. This is what we will ensure this time”.
For the repair of the marina, he referred to the statements of Vafiadis regarding the involvement of Public Works, saying that the call for tenders for the repair will be much shorter.
< p>For the medium and long-term projects, Mr. Vyras said that it is positive that it was decided today to start the work immediately to find the experts who will help in how to proceed with the developments. “It's not just what you want, but also what is feasible and realistic to do. Because I may want all the cruise ships to come to Larnaca, but very likely there are no cruise ships in the Eastern Mediterranean and there is no such interest, due to the other data that exists” he added.
He considers it important, he said, to have the numerical data in front of them.
When asked if there is a possibility that KITION will reverse these plans, the Minister of Transport said that “to date there is no such indication. We are proceeding normally with our plans”.
Vafiadis and Vyras also said that there is interest in the two developments from both domestic and foreign investors and they will soon initiate contacts to see the their own plans and visions. “I consider it very important to listen to investors, we will all become wiser. We will not commit to anything, we will simply all become wiser and the ad hoc committee and the Ministry”, added the Minister of Transport.
In the last two months, Mr. Vafiadis said, they received requests for meetings both from investors in Cyprus, as well as from abroad and he called it gratifying that there is also interest from many Cypriots.
The Mayor of Larnaca announced that in an open municipal meeting probably in October, the citizens of Larnaca will also be informed about the all designs and projects.
