Larnaca demands accelerated development of marina and port: authorities insist on clear deadlines

Mayor of Larnaca Andreas Viras and representatives of the city’s business community addressed Cyprus’ Minister of Transport, Alex Vafeadis, demanding written and clear schedules for the development of the marina and port. The request follows numerous delays after the state terminated the contract with Kition Ocean Holdings.

According to the mayor, the city expects a response within one to two weeks regarding the proposal from Prosperity Group — a former shareholder of Kition Ocean Holdings — to resume the project. Currently, this proposal is being reviewed by the Legal Service of the Republic of Cyprus.

“We asked the minister to present the government’s official position as soon as possible — whether this proposal can be implemented or not. The city will express its opinion once all facts are known,” Viras said.

The mayor emphasized that after the contract termination, deadlines were missed both for the technical-economic feasibility study and the architectural competition, and demanded a more formal approach to planning.

The Minister of Transport stated that:

• dredging works in the marina will be completed by the end of the current month;
• the architectural competition for the Larnaca Yacht Club building can start immediately;
• a study prepared by the Greek superfund on the future of the marina and port will be delivered within a week.

After this, according to the minister, consultations with the local community will begin, followed by preparations for announcing new tenders.

President of the Larnaca Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nakis Antoniou, stressed that project implementation is vital for the city’s economy:

“We want jobs to be created in Larnaca so that young people can stay and work here, instead of moving to other cities and countries.”