Dimitris Kalligeros: «The work for the DLF is systematic and methodical.»

The budget of the Municipal Port Fund for the year 2024 was approved at yesterday's meeting of the Municipal Council. Surprisingly, while the budget was approved in the Board of the Port Fund and by members of the opposition, in the City Council there was a change of course. the President of the Port Fund and Deputy Mayor Mr. Dimitris Kalligeros pointed out the systematic and methodical work done in a statement.

Read the press release of the Municipality of Kythera

The Budget of the Port Fund was approved

At the City Council meeting of 07-02-2024, unanimously approved only with the affirmative vote of the majority party, the 2024 Municipal Port Fund Budget, following its prior unanimous approval by the Board of the Port Fund, where had been voted for by the major opposition, represented on the Board by 2 Councillors.

The Budget of the Port Fund, as well as all the Budgets of the Municipalities and their Legal Entities, are drawn up on the basis of very strict procedures and financial rules provided for in the Law and must necessarily be balanced, i.e. each expenditure provided for must correspond to a corresponding income, not in general and vague terms, but income that is specific, institutionalized and objective.

The main parameters of the 2024 Port Fund Budget are the following:

1. The amount of the Budget is 1.077.305,79€ and the biggest part of it is financing. special purpose relating to the preparation of port studies.
2. Includes all the costs that are mandatory for the maintenance of our port facilities, such as (but not limited to): painting, cleaning, electrical lighting, maintenance of facilities and port buildings, maintenance and supply of cards for the pillars etc.
3. Includes fixed recurring expenses such as the reimbursement of taxes and deductions to the State, accountants' and auditors' fees, various types of contributions, the security service of the Port of Kapsali (YALE), etc.
4. An amount of 415.000€ is included, which comes from funding from the Region and the Ministry of Interior (PHILODIMOS) for the preparation of port studies in the following ports: 415,000 euros for the following projects. The Ministry of Finance is responsible for the ports of P. Ammos, Ag. Patricia, Ag. These studies are either already being carried out or their contract is being signed immediately, as all the relevant tenders have been completed.
5. An amount of 150.000€ is included from the MFF of the Ministry of Shipping for the execution of works at the fishing shelter of Diakofti.
6. Includes expenditure for the preparation of the Regulation on the operation of ports and fishing shelters, for the first time on our island.

The most important of all of the above is the studies being prepared for the ports of Kythera. These are specialised studies for the financing of which our Municipal Authority and the Mayor personally exerted considerable pressure on the competent state authorities. It is the first time in the long history of the PPA that our Port Fund is being financed with such large amounts and is implementing full technical studies, from which it is certain that significant funding will be obtained for the upgrading of our ports, which are a basic infrastructure for an island.

On the occasion of the adoption of the Budget, the President of the DLT and Deputy Mayor Mr. Dimitris Kalligeros, said the following: «The Kythera Port Fund has had a remarkable project and major funding in recent years. The work of the Municipal Authority is systematic and methodical and that is why it pays off, this is also what was undoubtedly judged in the recent elections. The most important of all is the preparation of the studies for the upgrading of our ports, which is being carried out for the first time on such an extensive scale on our island. This is the essence of the Port Fund Budget and not the stereotypical repetitive expressions of all opposition parties nationwide (e.g. «the Budget is not developmental», etc.), which constitute a typical opposition practice that always disappears from collective oblivion, unlike the work that will always remain alive».