Geroskipou is treated unfairly by the Ministry of the Interior’s Local Government Reform Study

Following an initial reading of the Techno-Economic Study on Local Government Reform, prepared on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior, the Municipality of Geroskipou wishes to make the following statement:

1. In general, the study raises questions with its formalistic fixation on figures (some of them incorrect), indicators and percentages, and the absence of the process by which the true objective of such a reform is to be achieved, namely the quality of the services provided and better service to residents.

2. The study is puzzling in its stance towards the Municipality of Geroskipou, as it uses a number of incorrect figures, evaluates various indicators arbitrarily, downplays or suppresses positive findings, while overstating those it considers negative through misguided comments.

3. Scenario A of the Techno-Economic Study on Local Government Reform (the compulsory merger of the Municipality of Geroskipou with the Municipality of Paphos) does not have the support of our local community and is categorically rejected.

4. As is evident from the study itself, there is an alternative and, in our view, better and more beneficial option for the area, namely the merger of the Municipality of Geroskipou with neighbouring communities (Scenario B).

5. In the merger scenarios, not all of the criteria that the study itself regards as fundamental for determining mergers were taken into account, resulting in distortions.

6. Nevertheless, an objective analysis of the population, geographic, economic and administrative criteria and the indicators assessing the economic and administrative viability set out in the study demonstrates the capacity of the Municipality of Geroskipou to meet the requirements of Scenario B.

7. The reality, in other words, is there and reveals that the municipality resulting from Scenario B (the merger of Geroskipou with neighbouring communities) is a viable and self-sufficient municipality, both economically and administratively. It will improve the region’s economies of scale and generate annual savings of more than one million euros.

The Municipality of Geroskipou will make all necessary representations and take all necessary steps to convince the decision-making bodies of the correctness of choosing Scenario B of the Ministry of the Interior’s study (the Municipality of Geroskipou and neighbouring communities).