The local government reform cannot succeed without adequate state funding, Limassol mayor Yiannis Armeftis said on Monday.

Speaking during the Union of Cyprus Municipalities’ three-hour work stoppage held across the island, Armeftis described the protest as “a last-ditch effort” to ensure the local government reform functions properly and serves the interests of residents.

He emphasised that municipalities were seeking “adequate funding, not privileges” and rejected government claims that state funding had increased.

According to Armeftis, much of the reported increase in funding merely reflected the transfer of new responsibilities, such as road maintenance, rather than additional financial support.

Τρίωρη ειρηνική διαμαρτυρία έξω από Δημοτικό Μέγαρο Λάρνακας

“Funding per citizen has decreased. According to data from the Union of Municipalities, it has fallen from €188.35 per citizen in 2010 to approximately €155 today because of the increase in the population of the new municipalities,” he said.

Armeftis said that although state tax revenues had more than doubled, government funding for municipalities had remained largely unchanged. At the same time, newly created municipalities had inherited the financial obligations of former communities, placing additional pressure on their budgets.

“The reform of local government cannot succeed without the necessary financial support from the state,” he said.

He reiterated that the Union of Municipalities opposed any increase in taxes or fees for residents and proposed linking state funding to a fixed percentage of state revenues to ensure municipalities’ long-term financial sustainability.