The controversy surrounding the new marina project in Larnaca has picked up again.
The other day, Cyprus' Minister of Transport and Public Works Alexis Vafeades said that the consortium Kition Ocean Holdings is still ignoring the agreements they made in mid-April. He also said that he's going to sue the company if they don't pay the required guarantee amount. The Minister also said that representatives of Kition Ocean Holdings didn't show up at the House of Representatives Transport Committee meeting on Wednesday, 24 April. He said that such actions on the part of the developer are seen as a sign of disrespect.
The Kition Ocean Holdings team said there was a misunderstanding and that their absence from the meeting didn't mean they had bad intentions. They also said they only found out about the meeting invitation from the media.
By then it was too late to make it in person. We tried to set up an online broadcast, but it didn't work out.
They also said that they’re committed to transparency and constructive dialogue with all stakeholders, including MPs. Kition Ocean Holdings said that they’re willing to meet with the committee at any other time in the foreseeable future. The consortium added that they’re committed to the successful implementation of the Larnaca Port and Marina restructuring project, so they’re willing to compete to achieve common goals and ensure the success of the project.
It seems that not only local MPs are unhappy with the policies being pursued by Kition Ocean Holdings. The owners of small vessels that moor in the Larnaca marina have also been feeling the pressure. They say that the developer demanded to pay €100 per month for the kiosks located at the entrance to the marina. This was given to them as compensation for a significant reduction in the turnover of their activities. Payment is due three months in advance, starting on 1 May. Those who don't pay by 30 April won't be able to continue their activities. In other words, the developer threatened to demolish the kiosks. The fishermen were asked to pay the rent as early as 18 April. Three days after the meeting at the Presidential Palace, Christodoulides told Kition Ocean Holdings and Roundtown that the contract couldn't be considered effective without the payment of a guarantee for the port.
The fishermen also said that the 15% increase in mooring fees has led to many having to move their vessels to other marinas on the island.
We're really disappointed. It feels like the consortium has taken over the Larnaca marina, doesn't do anything in it, and only collects money from us. Now we're just surviving. Our workload is down 80% compared to 2022. They're asking us for rent and debt repayments. Since we don't work in winter, we pay all our obligations in June and July. Not only have they ruined Larnaca's maritime tourism and shipping, they're also asking for advance payments and extra fees. We were told they'd close the dock for three months for repairs, but 1.5 years have passed and nothing's changed," the fishermen said.
The owners of pleasure boats in the Larnaca marina are also pretty angry.
We're really upset about what's going on. We were the first to point out how the investor was treating us and how he was running the business. But we didn't get any support. In fact, two MPs attacked us because we insulted them, saying we were insulting the investors. They increased our rent. It's time for those who allowed them to behave like this to take responsibility. The contracting company managed to evict over 50 vessels that had been in the harbour for years. Most of them went to Ayia Napa, some to the occupied territories or Greece. We are talking about a marina that has always been in demand and full. Now it has space, but there are no people willing to moor here," said the head of the Association of Moored Vessels.
Kition Ocean Holdings should be kicked off the contract and a new tender process begun