November 2008 Articles:

'Tales of the Unexpected' - Aircraft crash delays start of first trial at the new Paphos airport

I WAS once told that you should always expect the unexpected but I'm sure that Hermes did not imagine in their planning of the trial runs at the new Paphos International Airport that a light aircraft would crash on the runway seconds before takeoff and just a few minutes before the start of the first new airport trial.

The aftermath of the crash of the Cessna 150 luckily saw the two people aboard only suffer broken bones but there was an hours delay before the other 99 people plus myself were allowed to continue on our 'journeys'.

There were 100 people for the first trial run and I was interested journalistically to see how it would all run.
Having picked up our baggage (two per person) from in front of the airport we were ready to begin when the announcements were made regarding the crash and apologies made for our wait. As we were all free agents with nothing much else to do the banter was light-hearted and nobody quite seemed to mind the delay.

What would have happened if this was after the airport opened, might have been a different matter.

Three Destinations

There were three different destinations chosen with tickets from one of them in the pack handed out at the beginning. I was to fly to London (Gatwick) - the other two destinations being Amman and Glasgow.

We march into the departure hall to find our checking points - mine happened to be at the very end - and we queued as normal with our baggage.

Obviously, it was a bit slow at the start but it warmed up very quickly and I was soon at the front dropping my bags on the belt weigher prior to the bags disappearing for loading on the imaginary plane.

I should imagine, although I didn't time it precisely, that we were an hour before facing the ordeal of the security check. This was a normal thorough operation with the usual unsmiling operators quickly examining your hand-baggage etc; (I made the mistake once of jesting with a security officer at Gatwick when flying over to Cyprus and was punished by having to go through it all again. So now I don't smile either!)

Then it was on to the departure lounge past the unfinished shops, which hopefully will add a little warmth and colour to the rather dull vast buildings. The departure lounge was full of the usual uncomfortable metal-seats, although ergonomically designed for your body, here we were given a sandwich pack, which contained two sandwiches, and apple, a bag of crisps and a bottle of water.

PA System problems

The PA System reminded me of the average British Rail station with the announcers sounding like they had blocked noses or adenoids problems. Barely distinguishable but was thankfully in English.

Then it was onto a bus, quick circuit of part of the runway and into arrivals, passports in hand. This seemed a simple operation and I was looked on by the young Cypriot with no real suspicion that I might not be who I was.

Then the usual push and shove to get a pole position of the baggage reclaim before picking up two cases somewhat similar (they might even have been the same) and through Customs to the outside world again.

I have often wondered why I feel so furtive faced with the 'Nothing to Declare' sign even when I do genuinely have nothing to declare.

I had no real complaints - except for an improvement in the PA System, which seem endemic with establishments of travel and the new airport is certainly a big improvement on the old one - now looking slightly decadent.

The exercises that concluded on Monday October 27 with the return of all those who had taken part in the three previous trials as part of staff training programmes, which Hermes Airports hope will ensure smooth travel experiences for passengers using the new airport when it opens November.

All those taking part in one trial and on the final day are being offered EUR50's worth of shopping coupons from Debenhams and Super Home Centre and in addition each participant will also be entered for a draw for EUR5,000, held on the final rehearsal day.

Whatever the outcome, I will always be able to repeat the immortal words of the Welsh comedian, Max Boyce, - "I was there."
 

Smoking Ban Law in Cyprus needs better implementation - says EU

THE EUROPEAN Union's ban on smoking is being flouted regularly in Cyprus and the EU's Health Commissioner has order the government’s Health Minster to tighten the law up.

The EU’s Health Commissioner, Androulla Vassiliou has expressed her disapproval regarding the failure of Cyprus to implement the ban properly.

The government’s Health Minister, Christos Patsalides examined the current law’s shortcomings and sent a letter to the Justice Minister, Kypros Chrysostomides asking for a stricter implementation of the law for no smoking in public areas.

The current fines for breaking the ban are €34 fine in nightclubs and €85 on public vehicles, which Patsalides says are inadequate and do not act as a deterrent.

The 2002-2004 Protection of Health (smoking) unified Laws prohibit smoking in all public places, including nightclubs, cafes and restaurants, in all government buildings, public transport and in private cars carrying passengers under the age of 16.

Each individual bar, nightclub or restaurant has the right to designate a well-ventilated smoking area.
Of the nearly 21,400 checks carry out by the police on nightclubs since the beginning of the year, 1,066 were reported for not implementing the law’s provisions.

Leftover money to fund Paphos-Polis highway!

MONEY LEFT over from projects that were budgeted for but didn't go ahead last year will be used to help fund the construction of the Paphos to Polis Chrysochous highway, which will start in mid-2009.

This was revealed when the Communications Minister, Nikos Nikolaides, presented his ministry's 2009 budget to the House Finance Committee. He told deputies that he planned to use EUR40m to fund expropriations next year.

His procedure, he said, would be complete by the middle of next year, when the road’s long awaited construction will finally begin.

Said Nikolaides: "The favoured investor has been chosen and from September 9 this year, negotiations began to achieve and sign an agreement by the beginning of 2009. He added that the whole construction would cost an estimated 275 million.

The main highway will be 30.5 kilometres long and will include byroads for Polis Chrysochous to Pomos and Latchi as well as a connection to Mesogi around eight metres long.

The Communications budget also provides for - an upgrade of the construction of connecting roads between a number of communities including Ayios Nicolaos and Mandria.
 

Accident Death Toll Close to Last Year's Total

WITH THE deaths of two men taking the total toll on the island this year to 66 since the beginning of the year, the number is now dangerously close to last year’s total at the same time.

There had been a slight fall in the number of fatalities but the latest figures again highlight how badly Cyprus compares with other EU countries.

The main problem is, as the latest accidents indicate, that speeding, dangerous driving and not wearing seatbelts cause the majority of accidents. It seems that despite yearly awareness campaigns and increased police clampdowns on speeding and drinking drivers, nothing seems to make any great impact on road deaths.

"Cyprus, unfortunately, is very much deprived of the proper road safety standards of other European countries," says Communications Minister, Nikos Nicolaides.

(Editor's note: Many would also argue that it is due to a poor standard of driving, particularly among the younger drivers, and also a lack of concentrated police presence. To enforce the Law requires Law Enforcement.)
 

October 2008 Articles:

Handed Over - On Time - and not a day over!

A proud boast - but will it all work on the day?

The construction of the new Pafos International Airport and all its installations and systems has been completed - on time and on budget - and was handed over to Hermes at the beginning of September and the launch day set for November 17. By then it should be working like clockwork. The big question is - WILL IT?

What you don’t expect to go wrong - often does!

TRUE - there are still a few teething problems to iron out but with equipment and construction at around 126 million Euros you might expect that a few hitches will occur before the day despite every effort to ensure that it all goes right on the day.

All the systems have been checked and verified by the constructing company Bouygues Batiment International of France, its associates and all the various sub-contractors working on the project, and a lot of time will be spent from handing over day to when it opens training all the personnel who will work the new installations and sophisticated technical equipment.

The new building, which has an area of 18,500 sq.m, has 24 check-in counters, systems that supply information to the travelling public, three conveyor belts, four security arcades, a VIP room, specially equipped room for businessmen and closed circuit television and 800 parking spaces outside.

 It will employ around 1,800 people and should service some 2.7 million people annually.

The underlying architectural theme of the airport that makes it pleasing to the eye is the well-known Cyprus goddess, Aphrodite, with wall mosaics giving it an artistic touch.

"We want passengers to feel that they are in Cyprus by promoting the heritage of the country which is so rich," said Michel Hochet, managing director of the Cyprus branch of Bouygues Batiment International, the French company responsible for the project.

"Everything from beginning to end, from the first design to the build was to reflect our concept," added the art curator, Yiannis Toumazis.

"From the colours we have used to the materials, we wanted to reflect Cyprus and its history."

The whole area from check-in counters, the stone floor and the local pebble mosaics, provide a pleasing appearance and contrast to the present terminal. The sculpture of the goddess Aphrodite at the entrance and the space that portrays the history of Cyprus all add a certain ambience to keep passengers in the right mood.

You get the feeling that every effort has been made to provide comfort while being functional and it certainly has a Cypriot feel about it.

I toured a Paphos beach and talked to some of the holidaymakers here about what they hoped from the new airport.

"I just want to be able to get through and away as quickly as possible when I go home with the minimum of delay. If there is a delay I like to have somewhere comfortable to sit and wait," a holidaymaker from Essex told me.

"Information about what’s going on is very important," said a Manchester lady. "If there are delays and something is going wrong you need to be told, so that you can prepare and relax. Nothing is worse than not knowing what’s going on."

"I just want to see a few smiling faces. Pretty girls always make me feel happier," said one teenage boy from Bristol.

At least when Paphos has been tried and tested the information gathered can be passed on to official of the building at Larnaca Airport, which is scheduled to open on time in November 2009.

Dummy runs for the new Paphos Airport first scheduled for last month will take place this month. Passengers will be used to give a real test of the airport’s readiness to begin operation for business.

* ONE difference that has already emerged between the two airports is the shuttle service that has been operated so successfully at Larnaca airport. There now seems little chance that this will be operated at Paphos. The explanation would appear to be that Paphos Airport is so close to the town itself that the service it is deemed unnecessary. The most likely reason is the vehement protest by the airport’s taxi-drivers, who were angry over the perceived competition for their services.
 

Collapsed airline – The mess that gets left behind

THE COLLAPSE of an airline company is nothing new - it seems to happen at regular intervals. The collapse of an airline catches the headlines but it the mess that it leaves behind that causes the heartaches.

Although a pretty comprehensive rescue package was mounted from the UK to all points that the XL airline reached, the collapse left stranded passengers in many locations. The after-effects were that it would also have an impact on the island’s already beleaguered hotel industry.

XL was the UK’s third-largest package holiday group and XL Airways operated eight flights per week to both Larnaca and Paphos airports from Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Heathrow. In all, they were bringing around 2,000 passengers to Cyprus each week.

Around 80,000 passengers were stranded in various locations abroad and aviation authorities faced a daunting task in flying them back home with around 450 flights needed to complete the task.

Many thousands, not covered by protected packages, had to find their own way home.

The backlash was the fact that some €200,000 would be lost to Cyprus hotels in lost bookings.

Paphos polluters must clear up or be fined

"OH! WHAT a circus. Oh! What a MESS!" Seems to be the cry from Paphos residents as they survey the once very pretty municipality.

Sure, there have been improvements in recent times but renovations, road works and the continuing construction of the concrete jungle haven’t improved its overall appearance. However, the main problem that remains is the continuing indiscriminate tipping and littering.

 A Paphos councillor said: "It's a general problem here in Paphos but there is a law which we, as councillors, voted in. This allows for people fly tipping or littering to be fined.

"Unfortunately, to date this hasn’t been exercised properly by local authority employees," he added.

Many would agree that Paphos is a cleaner place but it still needs to be improved and one way to do that would be to enforce more penalties for dumping rubbish. And, they cannot keep relying on volunteers to clear up the rubbish, as happened recently.

The main problem is the dumping of old cars, tyres and household goods, which isn't helped by the fact that Paphos, and indeed Cyprus in general, has no proper recycling processes.

The other problem is the many building sites that abound in the area. There is a huge amount of building work in progress at the moment and many of the sites are left with rubbish that needs to be cleared away and dumped on a landfill site.

Questions must be asked when the various councils of the district meet and action must be taken.
 

August 2008 Articles:

Is Cyprus still the island paradise to be living on or are ex-Pats better off going back to the UK?

DESPITE ALL the brochure talk of Cyprus still being one of Europe's top property spots and places to live is it really still continuing to grow in popularity for overseas buyers or are we seeing a backlash to the dramatic price rises in just about every commodity here since the advent of the Euro?

Yet all as most ex-Pats know, it's not so much the Euro but the dramatic drop in the value of sterling that is affecting them here.

An Island Paradise where the sun and the Mediterranean meet

SOME OF the ex-Pats that thought Cyprus was the place where they wanted to 'end their days' are considering whether or not to pack up and return to the UK. Some have already done just that even after being here for several years!

But is it the lure of wanting to be 'back home' or just that Cyprus has now become expensive?

There is no doubt that prices have risen over he last decade and those rises have accelerated sharply in the last year. Recent surveys have revealed that prices of 'essential' goods have increased by nearly eight percent in the last 12 months.

Let's be clear about one thing - in many ways Cyprus is no longer a cheap place to live. However, it could be argued that it is still cheaper than the UK and what ex-Pats are suffering from now is the oncoming of a recession in the UK.

Their investments have lost value due to the drop in sterling (one man told he had lost £20,000 on his investments in the last six months) and their pensions have a lower value due to the exchange rate of sterling again the Euro.
The advice I received when I came to Cyrus four years ago was to make sure that my financial position was secure not just then, but for the future. If you have the cash resources to offset any future price rises, you should be OK, my financial adviser told me.

The move into the Eurozone at the beginning of the year has been largely welcomed by all except those with money still invested in the UK. The big drop in value of Sterling has meant that the conversion rate from the English pound to the Cyprus Euro has dramatically dropped.

Is a return to the UK a good move?

So for those who want to return - what are they returning to?
A very unpopular government, which seems to be lumbering from one crisis to another, and an opposition that has no real ideas but is riding high on the government's unpopularity. Those returning will face higher domestic fuel bills and petrol charges. If you think that petrol is getting dear over here (and the good news is that the two biggest petrol companies on the island EKO and Petrolina have both announced cuts in both diesel and unleaded) than try buying the commodity in the UK.

Most importantly, can they afford the ubiquitous Council Tax charges again?
Another couple I met told me that they were giving Cyprus a 12-month trial and then they would decide whether or not to stay or go home.

"It's very much a case that our money back home is worth less but prices here keep increasing. We are very much caught in a trap," they told me.
One lady told me that she was only returning because she missed her family and particularly hr grandchildren.
"They can't afford to come here because the air-fares are so pricey so I am, in some ways, reluctantly returning to the UK, although my husband is not so sure that we are doing the right thing," she said.

Crime rate here is still low compared to UK
Cyprus has always boasted a low crime rate and when I first came here 16 years ago it was almost unheard of but, while there is an increase - particularly in the worrying area of juvenile crime, it is nothing compared to what goes on in the UK.

True, we make joke about Cypriot drivers with their constant breaking of traffic laws - speeding, shooting lights at red, not using seat-belts, using mobile-phones while driving, and motor-cyclists without safety-helmets but at least he motorway roads are clear and you can drive from Paphos to Ayia Napa –- a distance of around 170 kilometres - in under two hours.

I have always said that to enforce the law, you need law enforcement – and Cyprus just doesn’t seem to have a big enough police force. The problem is that booking a few speeding motorists will not change the attitudes of most islanders.

The motoring laws only apply to other people.

There is no doubt that there is more freedom here than in the UK. The 'big brother' state has yet to make an impact over here. Life is so much easier and more relaxed.

We all know about the beauty of the island. The forests of the Troodos, the lovely beaches at Ayia Napa, the wild life and flowers and the fruit trees. And there is a lot more that makes this island the paradise it is.

In Cyprus you have an excellent variety of fresh food - good fish and meat, good vegetables and a wide variety of fruit. If you stick to a healthy diet, which includes olive oil and lemon juice dressing, according to many, you will live longer!

I have had four very happy years here and hopefully will enjoy many more on this island where the sun shines most of the time. I personally, have no desire to return to the cold, wet land of my birth. There is nothing there that I can’t get here and I feel that there is much more here than I can get there.

Don’t become what the Aussies love to call us - 'whinging poms- - believe you me this beautiful island is still the place to be - you are far better off here!
 

Police to get tough on teenage crime and the reasons for crime


A RECENT spate of incidents involving youth crime has sparked off a debate on how to deal with the problem of the rise in juvenile offenders.

In the last two years the number of juvenile offenders has risen dramatically and, although figures dropped last year from 2006, they are still well above what they were three years ago.

It has also been noted that in the past two years there has been a steady increase in the number of girls involved in juvenile crime.

Among the more serious offences were; grievous bodily harm, burglary, arson and malicious damage, firearms and drugs, while minor offences included disturbing the peace, property damage and conspiracies to commit crimes.

A group of seven academics have submitted a report to the Education Ministry suggesting ways to combat the rise in crime amongst young people in the short and long term but even they admit that it is a complex issue.

"Such a complex social problem has to be tackled on many fronts at the same time," said Professor Andreas Kapardis, who was commissioned to write the report. Kapardis pointed out that one of the main issues was the lack of respect displayed by young people to those in authority.

"They no longer see a priest, teacher or police-officer and even parents to some extent, as role models," he added.

The recent spate of teenage vandalism has seen thefts, abuse and beatings causing in some cases a lot of damage. Three teenagers were arrested in Paphos for a series of break-ins and arsonists set fire to the town's new youth centre just weeks before it was due to be opened.

Nearly 60 extra police officers are to be deployed in the Paphos district to try and stem this rising tide of crime. Police Chief Iacovos Papacostas, who visited the area in July, said that 47 special police will be sent to Paphos to reinforce security at Paphos Airport and the General Hospital, while 30 officers would be sent to the town station after they had finished their training at the Police Academy.

It has also been announced that Kato Paphos is to get a new police station to meet the needs and problems of the area. It is hoped that the police will then be able to deal more effectively with such things as timeshare and holiday club touting, thefts from hotels and apartments and bag snatching in the streets.

Motorists watch out - those dreaded speed cameras may soon be back!

IF MOTORISTS in Cyprus thought that they had seen and heard the last of traffic cameras then they must think again.

A new traffic camera system is expected to be in operation within the first six months of 2009 after the green light was given for tenders to be submitted. The government intend to install 440 cameras (400 fixed and 40 mobile) in three stages over the next five years.

The Director of the Police Traffic Unit, Theodoros Achilleos, said that fixed cameras will be put at junctions where it is proven that accidents take place, while mobile ones will be used at areas classed as 'high risks'.
During the 10 months that the traffic-cameras were in action under the previous system, accidents were reduced by 70%. The old system was deactivated last September due to a dispute with the supplier over technical problems.

British tourism on the slide and next year it could be a lot worse!

TOURIST ARRIVALS from the UK have always amounted to over half of the total visitors to the island and this market has for a long time been the mainstay of the Cyprus Tourist industry.

The British market may have reached saturation point now and has dipped considerably over the last five years but it still managed to account for 55% of tourists last year. To a degree it has held it's own this year because many people will have booked their holidays before global prices began to spiral out of control.

But the future for next year looks bleak as the credit crunch hits the UK with as much as £250 being added to the price of some package holidays.

The British market, which has seen a downturn of 3.7% this year, is unlikely to recover for next year as both flights and hotel prices increase.

Only Ayia Napa seems to have escaped the downturn with Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos down and Polis occupancy numbers falling to a third of the average - its worst year in living memory.

The entry of Cyprus into the eurozone has done little to lure British holidaymakers as the exchange rate between the Euro and sterling is very unfavourable for UK holidaymakers.

There are some in the industry who believe that Cyprus should wean itself off the UK market and look more to other areas such as Russia and Scandinavia.

The roadworks outside several Paphos hotels have not improved matters with hoteliers complaining that it has lost them business. They say that works in the harbour areas may have cost them up to 10% of arrivals.
Paphos Mayor, Savvas Vergas, has said that the work is on target and the seafront will open again on September 15.

Water farce as Kourris Dam nears empty

WHAT A FARCE the pumping of water from Greece seems to be turning out to be.

At first it was expected that the Greek water would be flowing before the weekend of July 19 but by the following Wednesday it still hadn’t begun to flow and Limassol Water Board called a crisis meeting with the Agriculture Minister.

"If the Greek water doesn’t begin to flow by the beginning of August, the Kourris Dam will not be able to supply the urban area of Limassol as the dam's resources will have run out," said Socrates Metaxas, Director of the Limassol Water Board.

 There are 50,000 tons of the precious liquid in a tanker anchored off Limassol and only 2m tons left in the Kourris Dam. Kourris is the island’s biggest dam with a capacity of 115m tons.

Yet the island has a long history of water shortages and this isn’t the worst drought that it has had to survive. Based on historical evidence around 306 AD the island was almost deserted through lack of water. Islanders have had to find various means to deal with water shortages over the years, mainly from drilling wells, and when there was British rule in 1878 the Royal Corps of Engineers repaired many irrigation works.

However, the British policy of drilling boreholes led to a serious depletion of water supplies in the main water-bearing areas of Famagusta, Morphou and Akrotiri.

The impact of climate change also means that snow in summer on the Troodos is a thing of the past, yet another factor in the troubled history of water supplies on the island.

So it appears that water cuts could be here to stay unless new giant drills can go deep enough to find more supplies. And, as if to compound the problem, temperatures in June were two degrees above the normal with a high of 41 degrees C - seven percent above the summer average.
 

July 2008 Articles:

CTO Chief urges all Cypriots to SMILE…to save tourism!
…And he wants more action from the Government

By Chris Mills

"Light up your face with gladness; Hide every trace of sadness - Smile, what’s the use of crying; You'll find that life is still worthwhile...If you just smile."

THOSE WORDS from the song 'Smile', which had actor/comedian Charlie Chaplin as one of its three lyric writers, appears to have inspired Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) chairman Panos Englezos to wax lyrical.

He told delegates at the Cyprus Hotel Association's AGM that all Cypriots should be nice to visitors because the island was in danger of losing its traditional hospitality.

"We as a people have to go back to our genuineness. We must show more respect to our visitors. We are all responsible through profiteering, a lack of consciousness and awareness and a bad environment."

The fact that the majority of hotels workers are no longer Cypriots but lower-paid workers from Eastern Europe wasn’t mentioned nor were many of the other causes of the decline in tourism from its near 25% contribution to GPD to the present 12%.

Tourism globally rose by six percent last year. In Cyprus it was below one percent. The biggest loss came from the British market that declined 15%.

The plain truth is that Cyprus has lost its edge competitively. It has become an expensive destination with high airfares, higher hotel-bills and higher restaurant charges. In fact, higher prices all round.

Hotel Association chairman, Haris Loizides, has told the President Demetris Christofias, that they are looking forward to a new chapter from his government.

"We will be making proposals - not demands. But we have lost time and now it is the time for decisions. We have lost a lot of time discussing what should be done. The government now needs to simplify procedures and find ways out of all the bureaucratic traps.

"Occupancy has dropped to 42 percent in the winter leading to many hotels suspending their operations, although indications for 2008 look more positive."

The fact that many private villas were being rented out illegally doesn’t help, he added.
Although there are more hotels being built in Paphos its position as the number one holiday destination on the island has dropped behind Ayia Napa and Protaras.

One senior hotelier has said that the poor road infrastructure, dirty open spaces, messy building sites and work in the harbour have all contributed to the decline. Numbers are also very low in Polis prompting calls for the proposed road from Paphos to Polis to be constructed urgently.

The news that the government has set aside a budget of €12m over the next three years to promote winter tourism has been welcomed by the CTO and the Institute of Travel & Tourism (ITT) has placed itself fully behind the efforts to bring Cyprus back as an up-market destination.

However, fuel price hikes have added to the ticket prices for Cyprus Airways with fuel cost now the airlines largest expense ahead of labour costs.

"Since the beginning of this year we have paid out an extra €25m on fuel costs,” said CY spokesman Kyriacos Kyriacou. "We have had no alternative but to pass these costs on to passengers. And the fuel costs keep on going up."
 

New Marina for Paphos - Is about to happen?

A LEAKED email from a UK financial services consultants to its clients suggesting that buying property in the Peyia area will pay dividends now that the contract to build the new Paphos 1000 yacht marina has been awarded, is causing some speculation.

In fact, owners of land surrounding the site for the new marina have seen its value triple since the decision to build the new marina was taken.

The EUR70million+ contract has been awarded to a consortium headed by the Leptos Group and includes - Cybarco, JNP Avax, Francoudi and Stephano, Athena and KAT - and the winning group will have to pay the government an annual rent of €4 for the next 19 years.

The announcement of the award was made by government Commerce Minister Antonis Patsalides for the project in Potima, Paphos.

Competition for the project was said to be 'stiff' with four consortiums concerned and work will start immediately and must be completed in three years.

The Marina will have moorings for 1000 boats, slipways and a boatyard. There will also be further leisure facilities, including a restaurant, bar and parking.


Water from Greece will ease pressure on island supplies

By Chris Mills
PRESSURE on the very depleted water stocks on the island may soon be eased with the final preparations for bringing water from Greece being close to completion after some complex infrastructural logistics.

Construction workers have been working round the clock to lay pipes along the dry Yermasoyia riverbed to be eventually connected to the Yermasoyia Dam - part of the Limassol Water Board reservoirs.

The water will arrive at Yermasoyia in tankers that have sailed from Elefsina in Greece. The six tankers being used had previously carried foodstuff and agricultural products but have now been specially adapted to carry water.

The EUR35 million contract was signed on April 21 between the Water Development Board and Ocean Tankers Holding Public Company Ltd. It provides for six tankers carrying 50,000 sq.mtrs of water every day.
The estimated total of water transported over a period of six months is said to be eight million sq.mtrs. The current shortage of water on the island is said to be 16 million sq.mtrs

The project has involved the co-ordinated efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture; Athens Pireas Water Company (who will check the water quality before it leaves Greece), the State Lab, Port Authority and Ocean Tankers.
Besides the imported water from Greece, the island’s two desalination plants will be upgraded to increase production capacity and new desalination projects, including a portable one, are also being implemented.
Water cuts have been introduced in all areas but there are fears that more leaks can occur when water is switched back on, especially during hot weather.

The cuts imposed by the government haven’t pleased the Mayor of Paphos, Savvas Vergas. He had resisted turning ff supplies in the firm belief that Paphos could get by on its own underground water supplies and three dams in the area.

Said Vergas: "We cut supplies from our dams but continued with uninterrupted supplies from the underground sources."

Others were worried about the effect that a cut in supplies would have on the already diminished tourist trade.
 

Overseas Promotions Campaign Increased by CTO

IN A BID to encourage tourists to the island, the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) has increased its promotion and advertising campaign budget abroad with more focused strategies.

Said the CTO's director general, Phoebe Katsouri: "For this year we have an increased budget which is being allocated in a more focussed way in the hope of bringing tangible results."

She explained that they were organising nationwide campaigns in 14 countries and using such international media as Euronews and CNN. The CTO is also the only sponsor of BBC World’s prestigious tourism programme - 'Fast Track' , which gives Cyprus extensive cover internationally.

"We hope that with our expertise we have achieved better cooperation agreements and campaigns that are being staged now, which will be repeated in the autumn, will be in time for the winter tourism," she added.

The CTO had also, she stated, achieved effective cooperation agreements with tour operators and travel agents abroad.

*AIR TRAFFIC in and out Cyprus increased by 12% in 2007 and is expected to rise by roughly the same amount during 2008. This is according to forecasts by Eurocontrol, the EU's organisation for the safety of air navigation. They also predict that after a period of stagnation, growth of air traffic in Cyprus would average five per cent over the next five years.
 

Are Improvements in Harbour Going to prove counter-productive?

Is summer the right time to upset tourists?

IT WAS ALWAYS a source of great amusement to some and annoyance to others in the UK when, three weeks after a road had been dug up for new telephone cables and had carefully been tarmaced over again afterwards, along came the workers from the local sewerage to dig it all up again and make a further mess, writes Chris Mills.
Crazy - you would say - why didn’t they do it all at once! But it was yet another example of town hall departments simply not working together.

For any town in England - cue Cyprus and Paphos. The old harbour of Paphos - one of its great tourist attractions with its medieval fort and many restaurants – has been in a mess for some time now but you would have thought that come the tourist season work would be suspended for a while - especially in view of the diminishing number of tourists and the need to impress those that are here.

But work on phase two of the seafront project began on May 19 and will continue for the next six months.
Hotel owners in the area - such as the Almyra, Annabel and Alexander the Great - are naturally up in arms because they say it is ruining their summer business.

Paphos Municipality's consultant civil engineer, Diofantos Hadjimitsis, said: "It is a problem as the work follows the coastline and will affect the hotels in the area. Apart from creating a new look for the coastline in front of these hotels, this phase includes an extra construction of three vertical walkways and we admit it will cause some disruption to some hotels."

"Disruption could cause end of Paphos Tourist industry"

This area has seen a great deal of upgrading work in the last few months which Paphos mayor Savvas Vergas thinks was necessary and will be completed by April 2009.

"The work will only cause disruption for two winters and one summer," he commented.
Although the hotel owners agree that the work is necessary, they find it difficult to believe that they’re had to be one in June and will not be finished until next year.

With tourist arrivals for May three percent down, particularly British numbers that have dropped sharply, it seems foolish to put visitors off even more by turning the area into a building site.
Said Natasha Michaelides, the communications manager of the Thanos group of hotels who own both the prestigious Almyra and Annabel hotels:

"Some tour operators are already fed up with Paphos because of the previous work and if they have to start paying compensation to disgruntled customers, they will soon drop the venue. People want, among other things, good quality pavements and beaches. Once the word gets round about the present state, they will not come.
"I think carry on this construction work during the summer will cause far more damage than having to pay out more money. It could be the end of the tourist industry for Paphos."

Spend, spend, spend - it seems the only way to be in Cyprus!

By Chris Mills

LET'S FACE IT - Cyrus isn’t a cheap place anymore. Cheaper than the UK in many respects still, yet prices for many things keep rising - and now we are told that higher prices are here to stay.
So I suppose we better get used to it.

Prices have been creeping upwards for the past few years but have certainly accelerated this year - dearer petrol, dearer food, dearer utility costs and it can’t be blamed on the change to the Euro.

OK! Many will point to world prices - especially that of crude oil that has reached nearly $1.50 per barrel - this pushes up the cost of everything - and wheat prices that push up the cost of that most essential of foods - bread.
There will be profiteers who will take advantage of this but in the main, the extra prices can be justified if not appreciated.

Many older folk, like myself will remember, sunny Jim Callaghan when British prime minister in the mid-70s saying during a currency crisis - "Crisis, what crisis?" - and it appears that this is also the Cypriot view of the current situation.

They have now got used to a certain 'well-off' style of life and intend to keep it up. Cypriot households are €17 billion in debt, which is the highest figure ever, while at the same time inflation stands at nearly five percent.
You would think that now was the time for cutbacks.

But no, petrol sales are five percent up, holiday sales are five percent up, while food prices have risen six percent, electricity 13 percent, petrol 16 percent and even the cost of having a meal in a restaurant is nearly eight percent dearer.

It appears that the locals may watch what is happening in the rest of Europe - demonstrations against higher prices and belt-tightening all round - but with little overall interest and all that just seems to be accepted.
As long as the banks are lading out money, just get deeper into debt and don’t worry. It is when the banks start to call in the loans that the worry will start. And there are always the good old pieces of plastic – the credit card. Between January and May this year nearly €760 million was spent on Cypriot credit cards – a rise of 25% over the same period last year.

Perhaps my old Granny was right - 'Neither borrower or lender be!'

Louis Tourist Agency step in to aid Road Safety

THERE HAVE been 36 deaths of the roads of Cyprus this year and now a leading tourism organisation – the Louis Group – has announced a road safety plan to try and reduce the number of death

They have decided to name 2008 as the 'Year for Road Safety Awareness' as part of its corporate social responsibility policy. The action plan will be part of the EU’s European Road Safety Charter, which Louis has signed.

Louis will print leaflets to be handed out to all passengers checking in for their return flights home along with their boarding-passes. (Louis Tourist Agency deals with more than 30 airlines in both Larnaca and Paphos airports.)

* THE BIGGEST tragedy is the number of motorcyclists killed - most not wearing crash helmets. Yet daily on the roads you will see motor-cyclist riding along with no helmets, many off them over the handlebars or strapped to the back of the bike – not on their heads where they should be and the police seemingly do nothing about it.

Protect the Grass Snake or face action says EU

LET'S FACE it - snakes - have never had a particularly good press.

Often portrayed as deadly, dangerous, slimy and crafty creatures they have never had the love and affection that other animals get. And now Cyprus is in trouble with the European Commission (EU) for not giving one of its eight species - the grass snake - adequate protection.

The EU has now given the island two months to take action on protecting the snake - the most endangered of the eight species to be found here or face court action.

The Commission had warned Cyprus that it had not followed European directives regarding the protection of Natrix natrix cypriaca, which is classed as an endemic species, on this matter when told and must now act or face the consequences.

The main interest centres around Paralimni Lakes, which is the most important habitat of the snake and is a designated Protected Habitat area. The north side of the lake has undergone lot of development in recent times.
Latest figures estimate that the remaining number of the species may only be around 50 and this may have been reduced still further in the last four years. The species was first recognised in Cyprus in 1787.


Call for Smoking Ban to be implemented properly!

Two top judges have made a CALL for the full implementation of the current Anti-Smoking Law and a total ban on smoking in public areas.

In an open letter, Supreme Court judges, Takis Eliades and Demetris Hadjihambis, have said that the law banning smoking in public places was passed by the House in June 2002 but was not being implemented.

"According to the provisions of the law, smoking is banned in areas that include restaurants, cinemas, theatres, hospitals, private clinics, doctor's offices, dentists, concert halls, galleries, government or semi-government offices, banks, factories and other places where foodstuff is prepared or sold, common areas of government buildings, closed sports centres, airports, ports, vehicles of private use and cars of public use in which there are passengers under 16," the judges have said.

The law also states that in areas where smoking is banned, smoking can only be allowed in designated areas that have been specifically set aside and which have adequate ventilation systems.

Also at the workplace, employers can only allow smoking in designated areas.
According to the two judges, for smoking in recreation centres such as restaurants, cafeterias, bars, coffee shops, disco and dance centres, there must be a specially regulated area for smokers and nobody should smoke in no-smoking areas.

They added by saying that owners of recreational centres have flouted the law by putting up signs saying - 'Smoking Permitted' - claiming that they were obeying the law! Also, no police action was being taken to 'warn or arrest smokers'.

The judge's conclusion was that a total ban on smoking should be implemented in all public areas.
Other countries in the EU such as France, Italy and the UK, where there were many keen smokers, had implemented such laws with quite severe penalties for non-compliance.

The judges were also concerned that not enough was being done to warn smokers of the dangers of smoking. Official statistics for Cyprus show that 650 people die every year as a result of smoking, compared with around 90 in road accidents and 17 from drug related causes.

There were also the dangers of passive smoking to be taken into consideration because non-smokers inhale double the amount of nicotine that smokers do.

* GO INTO any taverna or bar in Paphos and you will find many smokers just puffing away merrily ignoring signs with little attempt by managements to point out the non-smoking ban. Among the worst are some ex-Pats who, along with fellow Cypriots, seem to think that the law doesn’t apply to them!

Progress on target for the new Paphos air terminal

PAPHOS International Airport at present handles over 1.5 million passengers per year but in November this year when it opens its new terminal and runway extension it will eventually be able to handle 2.7 million per year.
The plans to expand both Paphos and Larnaca airports were first put forward in 1988 and the upgraded project master plan prepared in 1993. The new terminal and runway extension, which is based on those original plans, will be able to handle two million passengers in the first phase and a further 0.7 million after the second and be able to handle even the largest aircraft like the Airbus A321.

Passenger growth is expected to be around 3.5-4%.

The concession for the new airport has been given to Hermes Airports for a period of 25 years.

 Work is approaching completion with construction scheduled to be finished by the end of June when the testing phase will begin. The Paphos Airport will have 20,000 sq.m of floor space, 24 check-in desks (currently 16), six security-screening positions, three baggage reclaim carousels and an 800-space (currently 150) car park.
The airport runway is being extended from its current 2,700m to 3,100m allowing it to handle even the largest aircraft.

Outside a four-lane highway is to be constructed to link the airport to the town of Paphos 10 kilometres away.
Cost for work at both Paphos and Larnaca is estimated at EUR645m.

Action on Animal Cruelty

CRUELTY TO animals is something that most people don’t want to tolerate and this island has in the past come in for its fair share of criticism on the way it treats its animals.

"Whether its dogs, cats, horses or donkeys, we repeatedly see examples of mistreatment," says Stella Stylianou, who is secretary of Cyprus Voice for Animals (CVA).

It appears that the biggest problem, according to the CVA’s President Mary Anastasi is 'ignorance'.

"A lot of people don’t know how to treat animals or how they should be kept. They don't necessarly mean to harm the animal but it gets harmed because they don’t know any better," she added.

But the organisation has now had a meeting with government officials, representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Interior & Justice, the Police and others, which was chaired by the Agriculture Ministries Permanent Secretary, Panicos Pouros.

The two women said afterwards that the outcome had been extremely positive.
"It looks very promising. For the first time everyone involved showed a will to try and solve the problems" said Anastasi.

One of the first suggestions is the setting up of dog pounds for stray dogs. Animal welfare organisations have also been asking for the construction of more sanctuaries and increased grants.

"The Law is strict but nobody seems to be enforcing it," added Anastasi.

Rise in Car Registrations

CAR REGISTRATIONS in the first quarter of the year increased by 4.3% over the same period last year. The total registration of motor vehicles from January to March this year increased to 17,024 from 16,325 in 2007.
Ironically, the sales of used cars outnumbered the sales of new cars. Private saloon car sales rose 3% from 12,262 in January 2007 to 12,625 this January. Out of the total of private saloon cars over 53% were second-hand, while nearly 47% were new.
Vehicles for commercial use increased by 5.3%, light good vehicles by 2.2% and heavy goods vehicles by 16%.
Registration was also up for motorbikes and mopeds. They increased by nearly 5% compared with registration up to January 2007.

Don’t they know there's a water shortage?

THE CONTROVERSY over the watering and the setting-up of private desalination plants for golf courses runs on. And, getting the blame for setting this up is the Cabinet of the former President - Tassos Papadopoulos.

It appears that his cabinet bypassed a ruling by the Building Relaxations Council and went ahead with the moves. This was in violation of a decision of the Council and effectively stripped it of its powers provided by town-planning laws for the approval of private desalination units for watering golf courses.

And it couldn’t have happened at a worse time with the island going through a severe shortage of water, as well as the financial burden of increasing oil prices, electricity prices and the delay in importing natural gas.

Because desalinisation plants are Category B industrial developments, applicants can only get permission to build through town planning and an exemption from the Relaxations Council (an independent body made up of people in the development business which approves exceptions to local development plans under a strict criteria).

The Relaxation opposed applications in 2007 but at the same time the Cabinet approved a proposal by the Agriculture Ministry to exempt businessmen who wished to build desalination plants for golf course from having to go through the Council.

This was at a time when the Government was offering generous incentives for the creation of golf courses as a means to improve tourism.
 

June 2008 Articles:

Could cremation happen in Cyprus?

The Interior Ministry's permanent secretary, Lazaros Savides, is quoted as saying that Law Commissioner, Leda Koursoumba, was gathering the information and canvassing different ministries for their views. He said that his ministry and the Church had answered in favour of the proposal

The thoughts of many people here is that the Republic of Cyprus should allow people to have their bodies disposed of in the way that they choose and that steps must be taken now to amend the law so that permission is granted for cremations to take place.

Record-breaker dies in tragic crash

A PAPHOS man who flew in a micro-light aircraft from St. Albans in the UK to Cyprus in record time in 2006 to raise money for children's charities was tragically killed when the power-glider he was piloting crashed in the Ayios Efrem area, near to Lemonas village.

David Armstrong (71), who lived in Tala, had taken off from Paphos International Airport at around 9.45am in the morning but 10 minutes later contacted the control-tower to report severe turbulence.

He then reported shortly afterwards that he had engine trouble but the control-tower then lost contact and he came down around 10.30 am.

According to witnesses he had tried to land the micro-light glider in a field but it came down erratically, first striking a tree and then plummeting down an embankment. Residents nearby arrived quickly at the scene and an ambulance and fire engine were also dispatched but he was already dead as a result of massive injuries.

His funeral was held at the Ayia Kyriaki Church with burial at Mesa Chorio.

Armstrong hit the headlines in 2006 when, along with co-pilot Jason Madhavani, they finished an eight-day, 2,700km journey from St. Albans to Paphos in 42 flying hours, which was believed to be a world record.

The Cyprus Air Accidents Committee is investigating the circumstances of the crash and has reported that the micro-light-s engine was new and the pilot experienced.

Heart Attacks and drinking warm water....

IT HAS BEEN found advisable to drink warm water after meals to help prevent heart attacks. This makes sense as the Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals so maybe it is time to adopt their drinking habits whilst eating!!!

It is also applicable to those who like to drink cold water. While it is nice to have a cold drink after a meal, cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer so it is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks:

You should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be where the left arm is hurting also be aware of intense pain in the jaw. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.

It is a fact that 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. So it pays to be careful and be aware. The more you know, the better chance that you could survive.

Tigers need new sponsor

PAPHOS TIGERS - the town's rugby club - are looking for a new sponsor.

Last year's sponsor - Chillingtons - has decided to withdraw leaving the Tigers the summer to find both a sponsor and settle on a ground.

At the first meeting of the new committee, hopes were expressed that the Tigers could win back the league title and with the Colts now providing a strong backing the new season could be faced with some enthusiasm.

If you would like to be next season's sponsor for the Tigers contact secretary Ron James on - tisron@cytanet.com.cy - he will be delighted to hear from you.

Square Pub takes to the round board

THE SQUARE PUB in Timi has taken to Darts.

They have now put in a board and oche for regular sessions on Tuesday nights. This has already attracted a group of local Brits, who hope to put out a team in the second division of the Paphos Darts League for the next winter season.

The Pub played its first friendly fixture against Seahorse and, while they were completely overwhelmed by a much more experienced team, it gave all a chance to get together.