The eight Community Clusters of the Limassol District have been operating without Services since their establishment on July 1, 2024, according to Mr. Lefteris Perikli, president of the Local Union of Limassol Communities. Speaking to “Entrepreneurial Limassol”, he added that efforts are underway, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, to provide temporary staffing for councils lacking personnel until the full organizational structure is implemented.
Mr. Lefteris Perikli pointed out that, apart from this issue, the transition to the new regime brought about by the Local Government Reform has been relatively smooth in the Limassol District, given that informal clusters had been operating for the past 15 years. The president of the Limassol Union of Communities also noted that some issues persist regarding the headquarters of the clusters, adding that every beginning comes with difficulties. He compared the establishment of the clusters to “an engagement that must inevitably lead to marriage.”
He further mentioned that the roadmap set to ensure the clusters' services become operational is aimed at July 1, 2025. The organizational structure envisions each cluster having a civil engineer, technician, health inspector, accounting officer, and other specialists. Mr. Perikli emphasized that with full staffing, the clusters could operate effectively for the benefit of the communities, while also strengthening the administrative role of the heads of the communities.
Regarding the transfer of water supply responsibilities in the Limassol clusters to the Limassol District Local Government Organization, for which an extension was given, Mr. Perikli (who also serves as the vice-president of the organization) stated that this is planned for 2029. However, he suggested that mapping the communities' networks should begin immediately to avoid repeating the issues encountered in the Kourio Municipality, where the organization faced significant problems, essentially “operating blindly.”
Mr. Perikli stressed that the Limassol Union of Communities maintains a fully operational office that provides assistance to communities and has excellent collaboration with the Union of Cyprus Communities. He also noted that as time passes, the clusters function more effectively since community leaders get to know one another and cooperate more productively.
When asked whether the clusters might evolve into rural municipalities, Mr. Perikli said opinions are divided. He reminded that former Minister of the Interior, Mr. Nikos Nouris, had conducted a study on rural municipalities, which was handed over to the current Minister, Mr. Konstantinos Ioannou, but “remains locked in the drawers.” He added that rural municipalities represent the next phase of development but suggested that the clusters should first be allowed to operate before any decisions are made.
According to Mr. Perikli, the most significant and enduring issue faced by communities is the registration of agricultural roads. “It is a difficult but solvable problem. There are many proposals, and a decision needs to be made,” he said. On this issue, the Minister of Interior Mr. Konstantinos Ioannou, during a recent meeting with community heads, stated that under instructions from the President of the Republic of Cyprus, a record of all requests for agricultural roads has begun. These requests will be categorized, and for the most critical ones, the required expropriation costs—which constitute the major obstacle—and available funds will be assessed to ensure that at least these cases can move forward.
Mr. Ioannou announced the convening of a broad meeting at the Ministry, involving all relevant services, to find solutions that would expedite the process and avoid years-long delays in expropriations. He also mentioned that amendments are already underway to address this longstanding problem and expressed hope that the effort would be successful.
