A new control and enforcement unit will be set up within the Department of Town Planning and Housing in 2026 to ensure quality, legality and transparency in construction projects, President Nikos Christodoulides has announced.
Addressing the general assembly of the Association of Large Developments (Syndesmos Megalon Anaptyxeon, SME), Christodoulides said the state fully supports the implementation of private investments and outlined the government’s actions in this direction.
On the new unit, he stressed that it will strengthen compliance with the provisions of planning legislation, safeguard the safety of constructions and create a high-standard environment “for the benefit of both investors and society,” as he put it.
On measures in favour of development projects, the president pointed to the operation, over the past few months, of the Business Facilitation Unit, as well as the reform of the permitting framework. Applications for large and strategic developments are now examined through fast-track procedures that should not exceed 12 months, he said.
“Based on your own suggestions, we are working towards further simplification and, above all, the digitalisation of the relevant procedures, with the aim of further reducing bureaucracy and providing faster and more reliable service to the business community,” Christodoulides added.
The sector’s wounds and demands
The president of the Association of Large Developments, Andreas Demetriades, repeated the association’s proposal for the creation of a Deputy Ministry of Development and Competitiveness. Such a body, he argued, would serve as a tool for attracting high-quality investments, with responsibility for coordinating necessary simplifications in procedures, driving digital transformation (e-government), reducing bureaucracy, operating a genuine one-stop shop for investors and overseeing targeted licensing of strategic projects, thereby measurably accelerating development.
To upgrade Cyprus’ international profile, Demetriades said, a comprehensive national strategy is needed, one that promotes healthy and sustainable growth through clear incentives.
The association currently has 16 registered members managing the country’s largest developments – including marinas, the casino resort, golf courses, universities, medical centres, technology and research parks and major tourist complexes – with a combined value exceeding €8 billion.
Demetriades set out the association’s view that Cyprus can become a hub for high-level medical services, a centre of excellence in tertiary education, technology and information science, and a leading player in tourism, shipping, green energy and infrastructure, provided the right policy measures are taken.
He also referred to the potential benefits that would arise from Cyprus joining the Schengen area.