Filenews 8 July 2021
A review of a chronic problem concerning the quality of services provided on the beaches, both in terms of infrastructure and human resources, was carried out during a meeting, held today under the chairmanship of the Minister of the Interior.
The meeting, according to a statement from the Ministry of interior, was attended by the relevant departments of the Ministry of interior, the provincial administrations, the Department of Public Administration and Personnel of the Ministry of Finance, the Association of Municipalities and the Union of Communities, representatives of the Associations of SEK and PEO and representatives of the organized lifeguards.
In order to address the above-mentioned problems and shortcomings, it was decided:
(a) The Municipalities of Paralimni and Ayia Napa are part of the "SALAMIS" Project in which they have not participated to date, with effect from 01/01/2022. With this development, all the beaches of the country are managed in a uniform way.
(b) The Ministry of the Interior shall proceed immediately in July to a tendering procedure for the construction of 45 guard stations of modern specifications.
(c) At the expense of the Ministry of the Interior, the immediate purchase of 5 additional jet skis for the lifesaving needs of all provinces and the supply of lifesaving equipment such as defibrillators, portable radios, etc. with a total cost of €153,000.
In addition, work issues of lifeguards were discussed, including beach staffing hours, salary upgrading and conditions of employment.
The Minister of the Interior, as stated in the Communication, takes the initiative to consult the relevant Agencies and representatives of the organised groups with a view to a brief and definitive settlement of the matter.
In view of today's decisions, the Cyprus Association of Professional Lifeguards has informed the Ministry of the Interior that it is suspending the three-hour work stop scheduled for Friday.
