The €190,000 budget request for the position of a works supervisor for the grand casino project in coastal Limassol comes and goes before parliament even though construction has begun.
Last year, the House Finance Committee members had released a €186,000 budget for this purpose, but this was not spent due to the transfer of jurisdiction for the casino from the Commerce of Ministry to the fledgling Deputy Ministry for Tourism.
Now the government is making another bid to have these funds allocated to the project supervisor and consultancy team, arguing that the supervisor will monitor the construction of the casino in Limassol with a view to securing the investment. It is worth mentioning that these funds will be spent gradually at the instruction of the Deputy Ministry for Tourism.
As the Deputy Ministry for Tourism points out in a memo, the purchase of services for both the project supervisor and consultancy team is considered essential for the support of the Steering Committee on the monitoring of construction work and compliance with the obligations assumed by the manager. In conclusion, the Deputy Minister requests the immediate release of the funds considering that works at the casino have begun without state supervision.
After all, the House spends over €0.5 million every year on consultants, legal expenses and purchase of services. Specifically, out of a total of €501,600 going to salaries of consultants/aides, an amount of €295,450 goes to those assisting the House President.
In another case, the Auditor General’s Office has requested the House Finance Committee to release an amount of €142,000 that will cover costs for services from private auditors, accountants and civil engineers.
Eleftheria Paizanou
Read more: €4m in revenue from casino licence in 2019
