Transport minister stresses collaboration with district authorities

Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades on Friday highlighted the need for collaboration between ministries and district self-governance organisations (Eoa) to coordinate efforts in resolving various issues, for the benefit of the public and to improve people’s daily lives.

Speaking after a meeting with Larnaca district governor Angelos Hadjicharalambous, Vafeades said the encounter provided an excellent opportunity to understand the challenges faced by the organisation and explore ways of cooperation.

“We discussed how we can work together to help the Eoa meet its responsibilities,” he said

The minister added that the relationship is reciprocal. “The Eoa can also support the ministry. It’s a two-way collaboration that will help us fulfil our role, which is to assist the public and upgrade people’s daily lives,” Vafeades said.

Following the meeting, the minister said he left “wiser,” having gained a better understanding of the issues Hadjicharalambous and his team face. They set next steps to delve deeper into some of the problems at their next meeting and come up with solutions.

When asked about the transport ministry’s role in the local authority reform, Vafeades explained that certain matters are cross-cutting.

“For example, while flood control projects may seem to fall under the remit of the district officer, the ministry is also involved, as we have previously undertaken flood prevention projects,” he said. Other issues, such as sewage at the port, are still under discussion following the termination of the contract with Kition Ocean Holdings.

Vafeades stressed that some problems require the involvement of multiple ministries.

“Without collaboration between the ministries and the Eoa, appropriate coordination for solutions cannot be achieved,” he said.

“This is the main takeaway from today’s meeting: transport ministry, the Eoa, and other relevant ministries may need to hold some coordinating meetings to find solutions and determine the next steps, all for the benefit of the public.”

On his part, Hadjicharalambous described the meeting with Vafeades as excellent.

“We discussed issues affecting the Eoa and matters related to the ongoing local authority reform,” he said.

He added that the Eoa and the ministry are fully aligned, and the efforts being made in Larnaca are collective.

“The ministry and the minister are certainly part of this effort to find solutions and provide the quality services that we, along with the central government, have set as our goal under the local authority reform,” he said.

Hadjicharalambous added that common solutions and objectives were identified during the meeting, and the next steps were agreed upon. He expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the discussions and assured that with the cooperation of the ministry and the minister, all issues will be resolved as part of this challenging process.