The announcement of the tender for the selection of the contractor for the maritime transport of passengers between Cyprus and Greece was announced in Limassol by the Deputy Minister of Shipping of Cyprus, Mr. Vassilis Dimitriadis.
As is already known, the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Mr. Yannis Plakiotakis, from the very first moment when the issue was officially raised to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, stressed that both he and the Ministry support the effort of Cyprus to connect Greece with the mainland.
After months of consultations, the Cypriot side finally secured the approval of the financing of the connection from the European Commission's Directorate General for Competition.
At the same time, by securing the approval of the Cypriot Council of Ministers for the allocation of the necessary funds for the implementation of this project, the way is now open for the open European tender.
The Tender Documents under Tender No. SDM 13/2020 are available on the website of the Public Procurement Directorate of the General Accounting Office of Cyprus https://www.eprocurement.gov.cy.
The Deputy Minister of Shipping of Cyprus invites interested parties to obtain the relevant documents from this website after registering in this electronic system. Tenders must be submitted via the electronic system no later than 29 January 2021, at 12:00 p.m.
The value of the tender is EUR 15 million for 36 months, with a maximum State subsidy of EUR 5 million per year.
The Cyprus-Greece Sea Link is planned to be operated by a passenger ferry (Ro-Pax) which will carry passengers and their accompanying cars/ motorcycles as well as cargo between the ports of Limassol or Larnaca and Piraeus (Keratsini Terminal) and possibly an intermediate stop at a Greek island of the contractor's choice.
The service will be operated on a weekly basis during the summer months (May - September), fortnightly during October and April and once a month during November to March.
The aim of the Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Shipping is to enable the operation of the Cyprus-Greece sea link in the summer of 2021.
Finally, Mr. Demetriades thanked Mr. Plakiotakis for his support in the whole project and wished him a speedy recovery and return to his duties.
