Parliamentarians on Thursday gave the nod to the 2025 budget of the Cyprus Ports Authority (CPA) but not before engaging in a massive row over the status of the ports at Limassol and Larnaca.

The CPA’s budget is €48.9 million. Most of its revenues (€28.8 million) come from operations at the island’s two main ports, plus from lease contracts and EU funds.

The CPA’s strategic objectives for the next five-year period include: expanding the port at Vasiliko, so that it becomes a modern industrial port; expanding the port at Latsi, to be the first ‘green port’ in Cyprus powered by renewables; and completing construction of an anchorage at Zygi.

For the expansion works at Vasiliko port, the CPA has submitted a proposal to Brussels through the Connecting Europe Facility for joint financing of the project – expected to be completed by 2029.

However, during the debate prior to the budget vote, MPs clashed over past and recent decisions involving the Larnaca and Limassol ports.

One point resurfacing was the 2017 concession agreement, where the government privatised commercial operations at the port of Limassol.

Some lawmakers complained about the high fees still charged by the concessionaire.

This drew a ‘mea culpa’ from Diko party leader Nicholas Papadopoulos. He acknowledged his party’s mistake in having then supported the privatisation, adding that they “have learned from their mistakes”.

Independent MP Andreas Themistocleous went a step further, calling on the government to cancel the agreement for the Limassol port, just like it did with the contract for the development of the Larnaca marina and port.

Lawmakers also voiced concern over plans for Larnaca.

Back in May last year, the government terminated the port and marina concession agreement with Kition. The government accused Kition of violating a material condition of the contract.

After that, the government entered talks with the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (Cmmi) who would undertake management of the marina as a stopgap until a new operator can be found to take over the stalled development project.

At the moment, the port itself is being managed by the CPA, and the marina by the transport ministry.

In January this year, the government revealed plans to assign a study to the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund to recommend the best way forward for the stalled development works at the Larnaca port and marina.

The fund is a Greek state-owned asset management company that controls a number of state-owned enterprises.

Rather than invite tenders for the study, the Cyprus government awarded it as a no-bid contract to the Greek fund.

Christos Orfanides, a Diko MP, said he hoped the fate of Larnaca port would not become another scandal, given the Greek fund’s “sinful past”.

He was understood to be alluding to allegations in Greece that the fund gave away parcels of land for pennies on the dollar.