Limassol: The actions of all government services in Cyprus are set to continue without interruption next week, despite the upcoming August 15 public holiday. Commissioner for the Development of Mountain Communities, Charalambos Christofinas, confirmed to CNA that the pace of work will remain steady across all services.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Christofinas emphasized that government services are committed to supporting fire-stricken communities, ensuring that their efforts will not be hindered by the public holiday. He stated that all services are actively present in the communities, with their tasks still ongoing. “Everyone will continue their work, the services will not stop, no service will close,” he assured, emphasizing that procedures related to damage recording, compensation, and other critical issues will persist uninterrupted.
Christofinas provided updates on the financial assistance initiatives, stating that the payment of lump-sum amounts to families who lost their main residences has been largely completed. He also mentioned that compensation assessments for partially or completely destroyed houses have been submitted by Cyprus’ Scientific and Technical Chamber to the Limassol District Local Government Organisation. These assessments cover approximately 300 damaged homes and 100 completely destroyed ones, with further details on total estimates expected soon.
On agricultural compensation, Christofinas reported that a significant process has been finalized, and farmers facing total losses have been compensated. The Department of Agriculture continues to document remaining damages to agricultural machinery and land, while new revitalization plans for the sector are underway.
The Water Development Department has initiated tendering for flood prevention projects, with the first phase expected to conclude by October. Social Welfare Services continue their efforts, and Mental Health Services are addressing specific cases with new programs. A meeting with the Deputy Minister of Culture is scheduled to address issues with affected monuments and cultural activities.
In addition, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism will provide details on Monday about programs initiated following Cabinet decisions, with some compensations already distributed to accommodation owners. The Ministry of Commerce’s programs for impacted businesses are also ongoing.
Christofinas noted that the Ministry of Labour has already disbursed payments for August, September, and October to employees of affected businesses. Regarding temporary housing for those displaced until their homes are repaired, efforts are underway to find more permanent solutions, though the process is challenging.
The Electromechanical Services of the Ministry of Transport are assessing damages to motor vehicles. So far, damages for destroyed cars have exceeded 1 million pounds, with assessments approximately 50-60% complete.