Filenews 31 December 2025 - by Vassos Vassiliou
In the end, will citizens and professionals be served faster than before the reform of Local Government in matters of development or has the service to which their applications will be delayed simply changed?
The question arises at the minute of the deadline given for staffing the NGOs (expires today, December 31, 2025) and after the finding that the Organizations were not fully staffed despite the fact that an 18-month timetable was set for them to prepare.
It is noted that for the purposes of preparation (of the EOAs) from July 1, 2024, 205 people were seconded to them from the public sector in order to facilitate their operation until they were staffed.
In the end, the five EOCs, some more and others less, were not fully staffed, resulting in gaps in their operation, which caused discomfort to the Ministry of the Interior, which had warned the Organizations to prepare in time.
One of the issues that concern the Minister himself, Mr. Konstantinos Ioannou, and which affects the important aspect of development control (compliance with plans, static adequacy issues, etc.) is not fully covered, and the Ministry puts the NOAs in front of their responsibilities. Although the Minister warned the EOAs in relevant letters that the secondments of civil servants (who temporarily staffed the Organizations) would not be extended, he accepted to extend the secondment until March 31, 2026 to 21 of them. And this, so that there is no malfunction in various areas of activity of the Organizations such as development and so on.
The Ministry clarifies that the renewal of the secondments of the 21 employees (out of a total of 49 requested by the EOA) was accepted due to the will to help the smooth operation of the Organizations. In fact, according to the Ministry, this was done to the detriment of the operation of the District Administrations (ED) and the Department of Urban Planning and Housing (TPO), which have increased needs for staff, in order to adequately staff their specific Branches (e.g. Conservation Branch in the TPO) and to carry out important policies that are in progress (e.g. revision of Local Plans).
It is noted that some of those who were seconded, retired or even returned to their service, while some claimed and secured a permanent position in the EOAs.
Regarding the secondment of civil servants in the licensing sectors of the five NSAIDs, the Ministry indicates that: On July 1, 2024, 205 people were seconded to the NGOs for a period of 18 months. Of these, 123 were permanent staff and permanent employees of the Department of Urban Planning and the District Administrations as well as 82 fixed-term employees, who had been hired at the beginning of 2024, in order to strengthen (initially) the licensing authorities and then the licensing sectors of the EOAs.
The purpose of the transfer of staff to the newly established Organizations was to support them for the smooth transition of the licensing responsibility until the permanent filling of the planned positions and the training of the new staff.
As indicated by the Ministry, overall, the EOAs were staffed with more staff than those previously employed in the licensing branches in Urban Planning and District Administrations.
Of the 123 civil servants (permanent and permanent employees) from the Urban Planning and District Administrations, to the EOAs, the distribution was as follows:
- HOC Nicosia: 45 employees
- EOA Famagusta: 15 employees
- EOA Paphos: 38 employees
- EOA Limassol: 52 employees
- EOA Larnaca: 37 employees
In view of the end of the secondment period on 31 December 2025, in their letters, the presidents of the five NNCs had requested the renewal of the secondment of staff (a total of 49 officials), as follows:
- HOA Nicosia: 6 employees for a period of 3 months up to 3+3 years
- EOA Famagusta: 8 employees for a period of 5 months
- Paphos EOA: 14 employees for a period of 5 months
- IOA Limassol: 13 employees for a period of 6 months
- EOA Larnaca: 8 employees for a period of 6 months
Bell from the Ministry of the Interior to the EOA
The ministry criticizes the fact that despite the fact that the EOAs had a period of 18 months at their disposal to proceed with adequate staffing, and despite the repeated reports of the Minister, that the seconded staff will return at the end of the 18 months (at the end of 2025), after consultation with the director of the TPO and the District Officers/Ass. District Officers, the following secondments (a total of 21 officers: 13 from the TPO and 8 from the Armed Forces) for a period of 3 months (until 31/3/2026) were requested (through a letter to the Department of Public Administration and Personnel):
| EOA | Number of renewals | Specialty | TPO/ED |
| Nicosia | 1 employee | Assistant Secretarial | Armed Forces of Nicosia |
| Limassol | 4 employees | 2 Urban Planning Officers / 2 Technical Engineers | TPO |
| Larnaca | 6 employees | 2 Technical Engineers / 3 Assistant Secretarial Officers / 1 Clerk | 3 from TPO 3 from ED Larnaca |
| Paphos | 8 employees | 1 Civil Engineer / 7 Technical Engineers | 5 from TPO 3 from Paphos ED |
| Famagusta | 2 employees | 1 Civil Engineer / 1 Assistant Secretarial | 1 from TPPO 1 from Famagusta Regional Unit |
However, the EOAs, despite the gaps they have in terms of staffing, are proceeding with the recruitment process and gradually increasing the pace of processing applications with the prospect of increasing performance. However, the issue of on-site inspection at construction sites is also considered important, something that was put forward by both the ministry and ETEK, when the reform in the field of licensing was being promoted.
As it is known, while until recently emphasis was placed on the control of the architectural plans of a building, now emphasis is placed on the on-site control of the project being implemented and whether the works are in line with the plans.
