The Municipality of Geroskipou appeals to its residents to become more actively involved and aware of the issue of cleanliness and waste management within the municipal boundaries. The contribution of every resident to maintaining cleanliness and protecting the environment is equally important, and the public is therefore asked not to leave prunings, grass, bulky items, rubble and other waste materials unlawfully in public, communal or open spaces.

To this end, we would like to remind you that the Green Point (Household Recycling Centre), located on the main road of Koloni (next to the new roundabout), operates daily in our Municipality, where certain materials and waste are received free of charge.

The following materials are accepted at the Green Point:

1. Inert waste – Rubble (debris, plaster, cement).
2. X-rays
3. Aluminium
4. Items for landfill disposal
5. Glass
6. Furniture
7. Thermometers
8. Prunings and grass (green waste)
9. Light bulbs
10. Metal objects (scrap iron, radiators, etc.)
11. DIY (tiles, sanitary ware, etc.)
12. Vehicle batteries
13. Wood
14. Toys
15. Plastic containers
16. Plastic
17. Mattresses
18. Cleaning materials (brooms – mops)
19. Packaging materials (cardboard)
20. Textiles
21. Carpets
22. Medicines – Medical items (pills, etc.)
23. Paper
24. Paints (water-based paints)

The collection of the above materials, which must originate only from households or from third parties who have obtained prior permission/authorisation from the Paphos Landfill Board, is free of charge. Under no circumstances will materials or waste be accepted from commercial activities, contractors, industries or other professional entities.

The Green Point operates Monday to Friday from 08.00 to 17.00 and on Saturday from 08.00 to 13.00.

For further information, you may contact the Health Service of the Municipality of Geroskipou at telephone numbers 26961400 and 26960863.

Cleanliness is Everyone’s Responsibility! With respect for the quality of life of residents, protection of the environment, shared responsibility and cooperation, we can achieve our goal of keeping the area clean.

The Municipality of Geroskipou is continuing the resurfacing of various roads within its municipal boundaries with the aim of improving the quality of life of its residents. Over the past five years, works totalling €2,000,000 have been carried out, and it is estimated that during 2020 a further €200,000 will be spent on the upgrading of the Geroskipou road network.

USEFUL INFORMATION

• The Municipality of Geroskipou informs the public that the invoices have been sent out for the Refuse Collection Fee, the Professional Premises Licence, the Professional Tax, the Immovable Property Fee, as well as the Cemetery Tax (3^rd annual instalment out of a total of 4 annual instalments) for the year 2019.

• Invoices relating to the charge for the PROFESSIONAL PREMISES LICENCE do not constitute a certificate for the issuance of the “Professional Premises Licence”, and the operators of the premises are urged to take all the necessary steps to secure it.

• The Professional Premises Licence is issued only at the Municipality’s offices, upon submission of all the required certificates and payment of the imposed fee.

• Failure to obtain the Professional Premises Licence constitutes a criminal offence, and the owner or operator of the professional premises will be liable to criminal prosecution.

• Those who did not receive invoices for the above taxes and fees are urged to contact the Municipality’s offices to settle their obligations.

• Payment of the above taxes may be made until Friday 29/11/2019 at the Municipality’s cash desks and at Banks / Credit Institutions, into the accounts stated on the reverse side of the invoices, or through the website of JCC Payments Systems Ltd at jccsmart.com using a credit card. For invoices with a final payment date before 29 November 2019, the payment date is extended until 29/11/2019.

• Invoices may also be settled in instalments, with a minimum payment of €30 each time and a final settlement date of 29 November 2019. Instalment payments are made only at the Municipality’s cash desks.

• Objections to the imposed taxes and fees will be accepted only after completion of the special form available at the Municipality’s Finance Department. In order to be considered, all objections must be accompanied by the necessary supporting documents. Objections that are not fully substantiated will not be accepted. The final date for the submission of objections is set for Friday 15 November 2019.

• During December 2019, payment of the above taxes will be accepted only at the Municipality’s cash desks during working days and hours, with no surcharge:

Monday to Friday: 8.00 a.m. – 1.30 p.m.

• The Municipality’s cash desk will remain closed on Tuesday 31 December 2019 for the purposes of auditing and imposing surcharges. Amounts owed will be settled with a surcharge of 10% from Thursday 02/01/2020.

The residents of Geroskipou turned out in force at the Municipality-wide Protest held a short while ago in front of the Geroskipou Town Hall, sending a resounding message to the decision-making centres ahead of the discussion taking place within the framework of the Local Government reform.

Hundreds of residents made clear their strong opposition to any plan that would provide for the merger of the Municipality of Geroskipou with the Municipality of Paphos, and moreover without a local referendum being held first. The gathering resoundingly voiced a big “yes” to the creation of a strong municipality in eastern Paphos and a big “no” to turning Geroskipou into a “district” of the Municipality of Paphos.

In his address, the Mayor of Geroskipou, Mr Michalis Pavlides, stressed, among other things, that “Geroskipou categorically rejects the arbitrary removal of the municipality from the map of Local Government and its conversion into a ‘district’ of the Municipality of Paphos, when there is another, more beneficial alternative for the area, namely the merger of the Municipality of Geroskipou with neighbouring communities”. Noting that “the Techno-economic Study of the Ministry of the Interior raises many questions”, the Mayor of Geroskipou added that “the analysis of the demographic, geographical, economic and administrative criteria and indicators assessing the economic and administrative viability of the study demonstrates the capacity of the Municipality of Geroskipou to meet the scenario of a merger with neighbouring communities”. “The reality is there,” said the Mayor of Geroskipou, “and it shows that the municipality resulting from the merger of Geroskipou with neighbouring communities is self-sufficient, both economically and administratively. Indeed, this new municipality improves the economies of scale of the area and yields annual savings of more than one million euros.” He also stressed that “the municipality we are proposing guarantees the most democratic representation of the local authorities to be merged within the new administrative structure and its decision-making bodies”.

On behalf of the Residents’ Initiative Group for the Preservation of the Municipality of Geroskipou, Mr Andreas Siikkis delivered a greeting, stating, among other things, that the struggle of the residents will continue until final vindication.

Those attending the protest event included, among others, the four Members of Parliament for the district of Paphos, the Mayor of Peyia and representatives of political parties.

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).