The tender for the dredging works in Larnaca Marina has been finished. The Cyprus Ministry of Transport, Communications and Public Works has started looking at the applications it's received from people who are interested.
The Minister of Transport, Communications and Public Works of Cyprus, Alexis Vafiaridis, announced this on Wednesday, 14 May.
He says the project to develop the port of Larnaca is on track. The ministry will be announcing the winner of the tender really soon, and that person will be able to get started straight away. Just to let you know, the contractor will be deepening the entrance and water area of Larnaca harbour, and installing two special navigation lights for the marina's beacons. These will be powered by renewable energy sources — solar panels. The project should take about 20 weeks. The initial cost is estimated at €1.5 million. The repairs should be done without closing the marina or disrupting its operations.
Vafiadis also said that an agreement is planned to be signed in May with the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF), which will help promote the master plan for the modernisation of the port of Larnaca. He said that part of the port's infrastructure needs fixing, as it's fallen into disrepair over the years. The renovation will make the harbour more modern and safer for everyone who uses it.
The ministry will also allocate €240,000 for a new yacht club project. The Larnaca municipality has offered to take on the work, and the ministry has approved the decision. But before we get going, we've got to run through all the legal stuff, including a feasibility study.
Vafiadis said that if funding falls short during the process, the state is ready to provide extra support for the project.
At the same time, the minister mentioned something that he thought people should know, but which he felt hadn't really got out there. He said that ending the main contract with the private company was just something that had to be done, as it was all written down in the agreement.
We had to end the contract because the document itself said we had to. But we made sure the port kept going, and it didn't stop for a second. The management was transferred to the state straight away, all processes were resumed, and today the port is operating as normal. Vafiadis said that yes, there were some difficulties, but a contract of this size was completed without any major disruptions and most of the employees kept their jobs.
The minister said the government had dealt with a difficult situation successfully and was now focused on the next stage, which is to get the project back into the active phase of implementation, working closely with the local community.
Here's the main message: we're moving forward on a path that's been agreed with the public. He said that they're going to get everything done that they've planned, and they won't be putting off any more stuff.
To sum things up, Vafiadis confirmed that the ministry is still on board with the project.
We'll keep working as hard and with the same level of determination. We're working on a modernisation project for the port and marina in Larnaca because it's really important for the city and future generations. We'll take it one step at a time for the greater good, the minister said.