The chairman of the Local Property Commission, Evangelos Venardos, issued a press release in which he refers to the Lease of the cave in Chytra but also in beach leases.
In the case of Chytra, Mr. Venardos considers it unfair for a private individual to profit without paying rent for a space that, by law, is public property and belongs to EEPKA and, by extension, to the people of Kythira. He even announces in advance that he intends to remove materials from the site (’»Ropes, mooring lines, and buoys will be removed immediately,", (as the announcement specifically states), which, however, It is not clear whether it belongs to the private individual who conducts business there or has another origin.
In the second part of the announcement, the president of the EEPKA refers to beach leases, whose starting prices he considers «entirely reasonable,» even describing them as «much lower than the prices set in the 2018 tender.» He notes the across-the-board 60% reduction in rent, based on a legislative provision that took effect before last summer, with a «mandatory expansion of the operating area,» while also noting that tourist traffic on the island «»There was an increase compared to previous years,", However, tourists do not benefit from this reduction, and there is no «No public call was made in that direction, although it was a topic of discussion in private.»
This raises two questions. First, What evidence is there that tourist traffic on the island increased during the last season?; It is well known that tourist arrivals were significantly reduced in the summer of 2020 due to the pandemic. They were the Kythera Is there an exception to this? And if so, Shouldn't the EEPKA, through its president—who signed the statement—back up the claim of increased tourist traffic with official data to substantiate it?; And second, The announcement does not clarify who should issue public appeals to ensure that the rent reduction also extends to visitors. Does the announcement refer to organizations on the island? To the municipal government? To local officials? And who were the people discussing it in private, as he says? Ordinary citizens in cafes, tourists on the beaches, or young people out enjoying themselves in the evening?;
The closing paragraph of the announcement highlights the benefits of leasing the beaches, as the money stays on the island «for the benefit of the residents, not the state» and the entire process is free from the bureaucratic red tape of the Greek government, which negatively affects tourism in other parts of the country. Obviously, here, on the one hand The president believes that the government is not using its revenue for the benefit of Greek citizens, on the other hand, It does not clarify in what ways the residents of Tsirigotes actually benefit from the leasing of beaches through the Local Community. In practice, and not just in theory, by referring to «a common space belonging to the EEPKA and, by extension, to the people of Kythira.’.
The following is the press release from the Local Property Commission.
EEPKA – Press Release (February 16, 2021)
The Local Property Commission, regarding the leasing of the beaches and the cave in Chytra, clarifies the following:
1. The cave in Chytra, pursuant to Article 16 of Law 2496/01 in conjunction with Article 96 of the Civil Code, is common area, belongs to the EEPR and, by extension, to the people of Kythira, and is managed exclusively by it. Consequently, it goes without saying—and we do not believe any explanation was necessary—that Anyone can visit this space at any time and for any reason they wish, a term that will, of course, be reflected in written texts. For this very reason, in fact, Ropes, mooring lines, and buoys will be removed immediately. However, this public space—just like any other public space (beaches, squares, sidewalks, groves, etc.), it is neither fair nor reasonable for any business owner to exploit it commercially, profit from it, and fail to pay rent to the owner of the space— in this case, the people of Kythira through the Local Community. And of course, This rent should not be borne by the visitors but by the business owner. Moreover, Greek law does not grant such authority to the local government—that is, to impose a fee on citizens that is collected through businesses, as is the case, for example, with the Port Funds, where fees are collected through ferry companies.
2. The starting prices for the beaches are entirely reasonable; they take commercial activity into account and are, almost without exception, much lower than the prices set in the 2018 tender. For example, at Melidoni, The rent was set at 15,200.00 euros per season, and the starting price at 8,000.00 euros. The entire road along this beach was paved and widened over the summer, and plans are already underway to build modern restrooms. In the Copper, The rent was set at 19,500.00 euros per season, with a starting bid of 8,000.00 euros. This beach will also be paved and equipped with restrooms in the near future.
In Palaeopolis, With the well-known complaint filed with the Archaeological Service, Eghiorios lost 96,000.00 euros (3 × 32,000.00), and it was only this past summer that the funds were released, following the mayor’s persistent and painstaking efforts before the Central Archaeological Council (KAS), €6,200.00 was recovered.
We would like to point out that, under a legislative provision enacted before the summer—without taking into account the tourist traffic in each region—rents were reduced across the board by 60%, a mandatory expansion of the business premises was mandated, and of course It is well known that tourist traffic on our island has increased compared to previous years. However, this reduction did not become apparent to visitors, and no public appeal was made in this regard, even though it was a topic of discussion in private.
The EEPKA provides practical support to professionals; for this reason, it postponed the collection of the advance payment—which tenants were required to pay by the end of June under the terms of the contract—until the end of September.
Finally, we would like to emphasize once again that the leasing of the beaches by Egchorio is a tremendous benefit for our island, because, for one thing, the money stays on the island for the benefit of the residents and not to the state, and, on the other hand, it is free from the vacillations and problematic procedures of the Greek government that are observed in abundance in many tourist destinations across our country, negatively affecting our tourism industry.
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE
EVANGELOS P. VENARDOS
