Filenews 11 November 2025 - by Vassos Vassiliou
Those entrepreneurs who did not pay the amount they pledged in order to be granted a license to create golf courses, while also constructing villas that they sold or sold to make a profit, will face problems to the point of cancelling their licenses.
The above was clarified by the Minister of the Interior, Mr. Konstantinos Ioannou, in response to a question by MP Alexandra Attalidou, who had observed that some not only use valuable water for irrigation of their fields from government projects, but do not even pay the amount that was agreed. He also noted that while initially there was talk of creating 2-3 stadiums, 14 applications were finally approved.
The minister explained that the criteria for golf courses have been tightened and requests from those affected have not been approved even though they have been coming and going for six years, as he characteristically mentioned.
He further explained that a few months ago it was decided jointly with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, that those who do not pay the amount that was originally set within a year, even licenses that have been approved will be cancelled.
It is recalled that initially an amount of €5 million was set for each stadium, as compensation for the villas that the state allowed them to build without being entitled. However, along the way, pressure began for non-payment of the amount, despite the fact that some land owners sold a large number of villas.
Those affected must comply in practice, the minister added.
Mortgage
Regarding the applications for the concession of Turkish Cypriot houses for housing purposes, the minister, answering a relevant question, stated that "518 applications have been submitted for 20 available houses", which also reveals the housing needs of the citizens.
Regarding the KtiZO Plan in the settlements, Mr. Ioannou, responding to a remark by MP Ms. Rita Superman, that only 4% of the project has been implemented so far, acknowledged that there is a problem mainly because the refugees of each apartment building do not agree with each other on how to proceed.
There is an apartment building which is being completed while in another case they did not even agree on the necessary steps, the minister added.
Responding to the acceleration of property sales, the minister said that private appraisers would also be involved, because the Land Registry appraisers were delayed.
Regarding the displaced beneficiaries of a housing plan for the revitalization of mountainous, remote and disadvantaged areas, the minister stated that with the new announcement of the plan in 2026, they will receive an increased sponsorship by 20%. This reference was criticized with a reference by MP Nikos Kettiros, that while the announcement was made by the President of the Republic, in the end its implementation did not begin.
Developing the budget of his ministry, Mr. Ioannou said that in the next two years, 1,476 residential units are expected to be added to the market, of which 251 will be available at affordable prices.
The minister's estimate results from the number of applications (for the issuance of development permits) submitted until October 2025 in the context of government housing plans.
As Mr. Ioannou explains, in parallel with the above, through the acquisition of incentives from a Plan of the Cyprus Land Development Organization (CBD), inflows of €8 million have already arisen which will be used by the Organization for the implementation of its programs aimed at the construction of affordable homes for purchase or rent.
The minister also referred to the introduction of accelerated licensing, through which 1,328 applications for detached houses and duplexes and 253 applications for apartment buildings up to 20 apartments and developments of up to 12 houses in a row were examined.
As he explained, this means that more than 3,500 families will permanently resolve their housing needs in a much shorter period of time.
Budget: €779.7 million
The budget of the Ministry of Interior for 2026 amounts to €779.7 million. and shows a substantial increase of €28.3 million compared to the initial approved budget of 2025 and almost €130 million compared to actual expenditure in 2024.
Personnel expenses were budgeted at €107.7 million, operating expenses at €54.4 million, transfers €322 million, other co-financed projects €110.8 million, other revenues/expenses €0.6 million, expropriations €51.2 million, projects under construction €113 million. and loans of €20 million
