The coastal town's mayor Andreas Louroutziatis told the Cyprus News Agency: "Improvement work for two major projects is expected to begin sometime this year." The cost of beautifying Larnaca sea front and replacing the old paved road will come to €341,000 with the Municipality's contribution amounting to €114,000. The restoration of Europe Square opposite Larnaca marina will include replacing the old paved road and other improvement projects that will cost €460,000 with the municipality's contribution amounting to €154,000. The cost of improving the entire Phinikoudes beach front will be more than €800,000, Louroutziatis said.

Questioned about the issue of the new cemetery, the mayor said that it is the only project for which the municipality will have to take out a loan from a financial institution. "It is widely known that the current Saint George's cemetery is almost full and in a few years there will be no room for burrials," Louroutziatis said. "The municipality is looking for land in surrounding communities since there is noplace available within the Larnaca region and the new cemetery is expected to cost around €3 million," he added. The mayor went on to say that approval for the town planning project of Pallas Square, close to the main building of the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (Cyta), was a positive development with the state's contribution coming to €850,000. Louroutziatis said that changes in the agreement for road tarmacing and the increase in revenue from other sources such as from the Mackenzie parking area during the summer months were financial successes for the municipality.

He added that the municipality had managed to reduce entrance fees to the Koshi landfill from €2.5m in previous years to €1.3m this year with hope of a further reduction in the near future. Louroutziatis said that some of the projects will be funded by the municipality. The municipality's projects include building animal shelters that will cost around €50,000, while €100,000 will go to the restoration of the municipal garden and a further €100,000 will be spent for a cycling network. "The municipal council is soon expected to approve a list of road works since €1.2m of the municipality's development budget will go to constructing and improving the town's road network."

Source: InCyprus