Meeting of Limassol officials on regional development and municipal challenges

Mayors of Limassol and Amathounta, along with Chamber of Commerce (EBE) members and deputies, held a meeting to coordinate regional development priorities. Amathounta Mayor Kyriakos Xydias noted that while over 100 projects are currently being requested from the government, these must be prioritized into a core list of five key demands. He expressed strong criticism regarding the recent local government reform, arguing that municipalities were burdened with new responsibilities without receiving the necessary financial resources or administrative autonomy. Limassol Mayor Yiannis Armeftis highlighted the city's role as a major economic contributor to Cyprus and emphasized the need for institutionalized communication between local authorities and parliament. He rejected government suggestions for increased local taxes, instead calling for higher state subsidies. Both mayors identified traffic congestion as a primary challenge for the city. Furthermore, concerns were raised regarding the efficiency of planned transfers of school boards to municipalities.