The joke about the licensing of hotels and other tourist premises continued on Thursday when the legislature approved a government bill to extend the operation of these illegal establishments for another two-and-a-half years. This illustrated, once again, the lack of commitment of the government and the political parties to rule of law.

It was the third time an extension was voted for non-compliance with the law governing the operation of hotels, demonstrating the power hoteliers wield over the political system. Independent deputy Costis Efstathiou was the only member of the legislature who voted against this farcical law, which was backed by 25 deputies; there were 15 abstentions.

There are currently 780 tourist establishments operating without a licence from the deputy ministry of tourism. In fact, only 25 per cent of hotels and other tourist premises have a licence, but this is obviously not an issue for the authorities. It is entirely possible that many of the requirements for issuing a licence are unnecessary, thought up by state bureaucrats to justify their existence, rather than to ensure higher standards in the tourism industry. The state has always been inclined to engage in over-regulation.

Perhaps it is not one suspension of the law after another that is needed, but a re-examination of the conditions set for issuing a licence for a hotel to operate. There is a sneaking suspicion that these requirements were formulated by bureaucrats who knew very little about the operation of a hotel and the requirements that would ensure good standards of service and safety.

Rationalisation of the law that is not enforced might be too difficult a task for the civil servants at the deputy ministry of tourism, but systematically extending the non-enforcement is not a solution. On the contrary, it encourages the view that the laws of the country are not to be taken seriously and that rule of law is suspended if a powerful interest group, like hoteliers, decide en masse to disregard it. Why be compliant when the law is never enforced?

Why bother passing a law suspending enforcement of the law that is never enforced? The last suspension of the law governing operating licences, expired last November, so 75 per cent of hotels were operating illegally until Thursday when the new suspension of the law was approved. This is the absurdity we have been witnessing for years. If nobody has to comply with a law it is better to abolish it than make this mockery of it.

Efstathiou made a very good point at the legislature on Thursday, when he said, “I cannot tolerate, for years, everyone that does nothing to comply with the law, knowing that they will receive an extension.” Our government and lawmakers, in effect, are encouraging hoteliers to show utter disregard for the law.