People are dying waiting for new homes, MPs hear

The House refugee committee on Tuesday called on authorities to speed up work of the government’s Ktizo plan to rebuild dangerous apartment buildings on refugee estates.

MPs said there are delays in the works to rebuild and restore some of the buildings.

According to committee head and Akel MP Nikos Kettiros, MPs were told by the town planning department that the 19 apartment buildings had been identified and steering committees had been appointed while in some cases, tenders had been invited for the selection of a contractor.

However, he said, there is a delay in the timelines.

“We knew that we would face problems that may not have been foreseen when the plan was tabled before parliament, but we cannot have the same problems persisting for more than a year,” he added.

“People have yet to see the plan being implemented despite the fact that on paper it is indeed moving forward,” Kettiros said.

Is it possible the interior ministry is still begging banks to lend to people who want to get apartments, he asked.

Disy MP Rita Superman said problems are arising which are causing very long delays.

Over time, several elderly beneficiaries have passed away, which, she said, “inevitably delays the implementation of the Ktizo plan”.

As she explained, “ownership has to be sorted out by the heirs and that in itself is bureaucratic.

“The suffering of the refugees who are in the rental until the plan is completed continues. Their aspirations are yet to be realised as no apartment building has been built to date,” she said.

“We expect the agencies to intensify their efforts so that these problems can be resolved and the implementation of the project can finally begin.”