The Transport Ministry has supported over 85 communities with grants exceeding €19 million in the last few years, outgoing Minister, Yiannis Karousos said on Saturday, addressing the 34th General Assembly of the Cyprus Union of Communities.

Karousos said that, in recent years, the Ministry’s development budget has increased by 450%, from €32 million in 2015 to €176 million in 2023, adding that “through hard work” they have succeeded in constructing significant and much-awaited projects that have been a requirement by local communities and other actors for decades. “These are works announced by the President of the Republic and which he had set among his priorities”, he noted.

He added that the projects currently under his Ministry’s competency exceed €1.9 billion, while, if they add those concerning the Port and Marina in Larnaca, that are to the tune of €1.2 billion, the amount exceeds €3.1 billion.

Karousos also said they have proceeded with the maintenance and restoration of 151 ancient monuments and churches by fully covering the cost of €5.78 million, they have renovated and upgraded the Paphos and Larnaca Museums, established the Ledron archaeological museum, implemented the unification of the Archaeological Sites of Kato Paphos and have started work on the new Cyprus Museum.

He also noted that, a significant number of much-awaited projects, such as the Paphos-Polis, Limassol-Saittas, Astromeritis-Evrychou motorways, the Nicosia ring road, as well as other road networks in Limassol and Larnaca were underway.