Filenews 27 February 2023 - by Dora Christodoulou
2023 finds Paphos leisure centres preparing for important innovations required in their operation regarding the issue of health conditions set by the Municipality of Paphos. The three years of the pandemic and the various restrictions have contributed to chronic problems remaining pending or new ones appearing, emphasize the industry officials, with the result that the post-coronavirus era requires drastic and continuous interventions and decisions to restore a complete normality in the sector. Long-standing industry issues are pending, such as certificates and operating licenses, canopies and more. The changes are necessary as tourism is recording record rates.
The issues that concern the catering industry in Paphos were extensively analyzed for the first time at the recent event organized by the Paphos Association of Leisure Centre Owners (SIKAP). The president of the Association, Angelos Onisiforou, told "F" that the problems raised by the members of SIKAP have to do with the licenses for drinks, music and operation, the health certificate, the windows and the pergolas, but also the general issues created for hundreds of recreation centres by the redevelopment of Kato Paphos in the area of Theoskepasti and the surrounding streets.
The Director of the Health Services of the Municipality of Paphos, Christos Christou, spoke about securing the Health Certificate, suggesting that the submission of the supporting documents be done en masse through SIKAP and specifically that the executive secretary of the Association, Petros Kechriotis, take them over. Mr. Christou spoke about food safety and hygiene, noting that it is now state legislation and it is imperative that each centre has managers who will pass the appropriate seminars. He also announced that for the members of SIKAP, the health services of the Municipality of Paphos undertake to organize the seminars free of charge, giving to those who will attend them the relevant certificate. Already last Tuesday, the first of these seminars took place at the Annabelle Hotel in the tourist area of Kato Paphos.
Regarding the garbage, Mr. Christou informed the representatives of SIKAP that garbage sorting will now take place, a process that is required to be fully implemented by 2030. For this reason, he added, an organic garbage bin will be placed free of charge in each recreation centre, while compressors and presses will be placed at various points.
"For all these health issues, about which Mr. Christou informed us in the first phase", stressed the president of SIKAP, "it is expected that in a very short time a special meeting of the two sides will be held so that the industry can be informed in detail on all issues. In particular, however, with the license for drinks and music, SIKAP will request a meeting with the mayor of Paphos".
Angelos Onisiforou spoke about the difficult situations that the industry is going through as a result of the pandemic initially and the war in Ukraine afterwards. All this, he said, created huge problems in the operation of the recreation centres. The positive thing, he observed, is that the messages we are receiving, regarding tourism in Cyprus for 2023, are very positive:
"We are informed that in a few days, the reopening of the hotels in Paphos that had been closed is slowly starting, since tourist arrivals are expected. Related to this development, as far as our sector is concerned, is the issue of personnel, which continues to concern us. Right now it's the biggest problem in our industry. SIKAP through its dynamic interventions, managed and succeeded in the employment of asylum seekers in cleaning and in fact with summary procedures. It is not a solution to the problem, but I believe it has helped. It also succeeded in employing students from third countries who, in addition to the cleaning sector, are now also employed as waiters and bartenders. We have also succeeded in employing third-country workers with visas for all categories of centres. The process here may require the completion of several documents, but those of us who have done the paperwork and submitted them to the Department of Labor, have received approval and hired such employees. We achieved the same with the Ukrainians, since from the first moment we took the appropriate actions and achieved their easy employment".
SIKAP for all cases has the necessary documents that it can provide to its members, but also to inform them about the supporting documents they need in each case, Angelos Onisiforou pointed out.
The first seminar on ensuring hygiene in the Paphos leisure centres and their services was held last Monday and is judged, both by the Municipality of Paphos and by SIKAP, as a vital action for the establishment of Paphos as a destination of quality and superior level.
The seminar, under the title: "Basic principles of food hygiene", was attended by members of the Paphos Leisure Centre Owners Association and was presented by the Director of Health Services of the Municipality of Paphos, Christos Christou and the Health Officer Lefteris Mavrotheris. Mr. Christou said that food safety and hygiene is governed by legislation and it is imperative that each recreation centre has managers who will attend the appropriate seminars to handle the whole issue. The participants were informed about what is in force according to the legislation, while during the discussion that followed, questions were answered about various issues that concerned them. At the end of the seminar they received a relevant certificate of attendance. The seminars, co-organized by the Health Services of the Municipality of Paphos and SIKAP, will continue and become more specialized. The next one is set for March 7.
Reconstructions are troubling
In addition to the hygiene of food and the resolution of the chronic pending issues with the necessary permits for their operation, the recreation centres of Paphos and especially those of the tourist area are of particular concern this year to the renovation program of the Municipality of Paphos, since this now "touches" the predominantly tourist areas of the city.
On this issue, the president of the Paphos recreation centres, Angelos Onisiforou, observes that already for the works to be carried out in the area around the church of Theoskepasti, the first presentation of the redevelopment of the area was recently made by the contractor who won the relevant tender, so that entrepreneurs know what to expect and operate accordingly.
"Redevelopment will also take place on the central Poseidonos Avenue, which is currently closed for the passage of vehicles in its section near the pier". "As far as we know, the affected shopkeepers have been informed about the progress of the works, while at the moment the Municipality of Paphos has already begun the configuration in the area of the land area of the port, with significant delays in the schedules, which are of particular concern to us".
