Cyprus Mail 7 December 2020 - by Elias Hazou
Crucial infrastructure projects which are already underway or in the planning stage, will go forward in the new year, Transport minister Yiannis Karousos said Monday.
He was speaking in parliament during a review of the transport ministry’s budget for 2021. The ministry’s balance sheet comes to €367 million in expenditures, with €268 million in anticipated revenues.
Karousos said that development expenditures – spending on items other than operating costs and payroll – as a percentage of the overall budget have grown in recent years and would continue doing so.
Around €91 million were allocated to development projects in 2020; €116 million have been allocated for 2021; €154 million planned for 2022; and €164 million for 2023.
“We have seen to it that all development projects that have begun, or are about to begin, will proceed immediately,” Karousos told MPs.
Projects to be promulgated, and for which implementation will begin in 2021, include: the new Cyprus museum budgeted at €111.7 million; the Paphos-Polis road for €86.8 million; the Astromeritis-Evrychou highway for €83.3 million; the Nicosia-Palechori highway (Anayia-Agrokipia section) for €72.6 million; the Stavrou junction (entrance to Nicosia) for €30 million; and the third phase of the Nicosia ‘orbital’ motorway for €25.8 million.
