The 61st Annual General Meeting of the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry was held in front of an audience of more than 150 people. The Meeting, among others, elected the new Board of Directors of LCCI for the period 2023-26, headed by Andreas Tsouloftas, who is re-elected to the presidency for another three years. The official part of the Meeting began with a greeting by the Minister of Labour, Yiannis Panayiotou, who referred to the challenges faced by the Cypriot economy, but also to the prospects that exist in various sectors, with emphasis on issues related to the jurisdiction of his own portfolio. Mr. Panayiotou also praised the important role of the Chambers, locally and nationwide, in achieving conditions of labor peace, which is vital for the country's economy.
Welcoming the Meeting, CCCI President Christodoulos Angastiniotis expressed the Chamber's concern about aspects of the current economic conjuncture, especially in light of the predictable and unpredictable consequences of the ongoing war in the Middle East. He stressed that the CCCI closely monitors developments in the labor field, and while it certainly prefers cooperation, it remains firm in positions of principle. Regarding the Limassol Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Angastiniotis praised the actions taken to support its members and all the work it does.
In his detailed report that followed, LCCI President Andreas Tsouloftas, after thanking the members for his re-election, made extensive reference to the members of the Chamber and the various initiatives in support of them. He praised the registration of a significant number of new members during the past three years, and stressed that the Chamber is its members, which it will continue to serve in various ways.
Referring to Limassol, city and district, he praised the initiatives of the private sector, as a result of which there has been a clear change for the better, as well as the actions of local authorities in the same direction, "within the limits imposed by their jurisdiction and financial capabilities". He was critical of the way Limassol is viewed by the state regarding the execution of development and other projects, noting that what is usually observed is procrastination and delays, a fact that is evident in a number of cases, such as for road works, the archaeological museum, the Limassol local plan and others.
Enumerating the top three problems of Limassol, he noted (1) the traffic problem, proposing the upgrading of the road network while implementing the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, (2) the dumping of waste and the personal assurance of the Minister of Agriculture & Environment that solutions are under way, and (3) the housing issue, where he welcomed a recent package of measures announced by the Minister of Interior.
Mr. Tsouloftas also made special reference to the long-awaited Technology Park in Pentakomo and to the preparation and submission by the Chamber to the Ministry of Commerce of a costed study on the basis of which there could be an attractive model for interested investors that will lead to the implementation of the project. The Meeting, which was attended, in addition to the Minister of Labour, by the Attorney General, MPs, mayors, the president of the Cyprus University of Technology, presidents of semi-governmental organizations and other officials, as well as many executives and officials of the CCCI and local Chamber, concluded with the award of an honorary distinction to Heros Miltiadous, a member of the LCCI Boards for 30 consecutive years.
