Cyprus Cultural Centre forced to defend its fate

THE CENTRAL committee of the Cyprus Cultural Foundation yesterday fought back at what it described as the “orchestrated attack” against the creation of a cultural centre in Nicosia.

“Cancelling the project is not only not substantiated by any kind of logic but it will clearly be a blow to the economy, culture and the image of a European Cyprus,” read a statement issued by the foundation.

Plans to construct the €85 million cultural centre have been criticised in the media, suggesting it is not the right time – amid the economic downturn – to spent millions on such a project.

And recently the Finance Minister suggested the government may cut the centre’s funding as part of a package of measures intended to avert the same type of economic crisis in Cyprus that has recently paralysed Greece.

It is understood that a political decision on whether to go ahead with the cuts has not yet been reached.

The foundation wondered what had changed since last December when parliament approved the budget until now when the issue resurfaced.

“Both we and the public thought that the issue was settled with the public commitment by the President of the Republic on September 4, 2009, that the project will be constructed,” the statement said.

It suggested that any effort to link the fate of the centre with the economic crisis was completely unfounded for the simple reason that cancelling the project would cost Cyprus millions of euros.

“On the contrary its creation will be a stimulating shot for the economy,” the statement said.

The project will be 85 per cent funded by the EU, the foundation said.

“It will employ 1,500 people of all specialties and will stimulate the construction industry during a difficult period,” it added.

The foundation warned that if the project is abandoned Cyprus will lose some €15 million spent so far “and will put at risk the procurement of tens of millions of euro from the European funds, earmarked for the creation of the cultural centre.”

The centre is currently in the midst of the pre-qualification phase, which is set up to determine which contractors may apply for tenders.

Those contractors who qualify will then be asked to submit tenders to decide who will be awarded the contract for building the centre.

The pre-qualification phase ends in May and the contractor will be chosen in November.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.