Filenews 24 July 2024
How much will we pay for rubbish collection this year and especially now with the reform of Local Government? What accounts will they find in their mailboxes when those on vacation return?
Some bills have already been sent and received and what the citizens will find is that almost nothing has changed. Gone are the "economies of scale", gone are the fine words, there are also the hopes. That's at least for this year, because by next year a lot can happen.
Of course, for this year there is an answer regarding the fact that the fees remain largely at the same levels as last year, since the instructions given were that the fees for the year 2024 should be sent to the citizens by June, ie before the elections on July 1.
The merger of Municipalities and their services will theoretically bring savings, but this would be true if everything went smoothly and as planned by the Municipalities, which, as is known, had repeatedly approached the Parliament raising the issue of increasing fees. However, the Parliament, for its own reasons, did not approve the increases, although the municipalities indicated that the request was not arbitrary but related to ATA, the increase in fuel, materials, labour etc.
Of course, municipalities will breathe a sigh of relief from the fact that their employees who were involved in issuing planning permits were seconded to the District Self-Government Organizations (EDA), but at the same time the landscape remains cloudy as to "who will collect what" from the fees for issuing planning and building permits, with municipalities demanding to take part of the pie which for the time being seems to be shared by the EDA and the government, through the permits issued by the Town Planning Authority.
In addition to the above, the Municipalities were burdened with the management of dangerous buildings, which only cause damage, in the sense that they pay themselves (through their citizens) for the support of dangerous buildings and often cannot collect the cost from the owners. At the same time, the Municipalities were charged with the maintenance of roads, even roads of primary importance and for this project they will be allocated a budget of €3 million (for one year).
As the President of the Union of Municipalities, Mr. Andreas Vyras, had indicated before Parliament, the €3 million budget allocated by the government is sufficient only for the streets of Nicosia.
It is reminded that before the Parliament there was also a question of changing the fleet of garbage trucks and as was said by the then Mayor of Engomi, Mr. Zacharias Kyriakou, the cost ranges from €15 million, which of course will be borne by the citizens.
The rest of the Municipalities face similar problems and in the process it is expected to become clear whether the reform will work in favour of the citizens or whether the changes made by increasing the number of Municipalities from 17 proposed to 20, will have serious consequences on their survival.
As far as the citizens of all municipalities are concerned, at this stage they should know that this year they will pay as many fees as last year, so they can make their planning.
