Cyprus has big problems with its public building projects. Many important projects are late. They also cost more money than planned. Slow government work and fights with builders are the main reasons. These problems hurt project schedules. They also make budgets grow by millions of euros. This is happening everywhere. For example, a gas project in Vasiliko is stopped. A road near Paphos also has issues. This makes people ask if Cyprus manages projects well.
The road from Paphos to Polis Chrysochous is a good example. People knew they needed a better road in the 1990s. But it has been a very slow process. Builders sent their offers in 2019. A contract was signed in 2021. The builder was INTRAKAT from Greece. The road should have been finished by November 2024. The first cost was about €73 million. But by that date, only 21% of the road was built.
The government stopped INTRAKAT's contract in November 2024. They said the builder did not finish on time. However, INTRAKAT's company, AKTOR, was not happy. AKTOR asked for a review of the decision. This stopped the project from November 2024 until recently. The long stop made delays worse. It also made building materials more expensive. So, the project will cost more money now.
The cost for a part of the road is now about €92 million. This is much more than the first price. Because of the higher costs and delays, the road will not be ready for a few more years. It will take about three more years to finish this part. The road is important for people living there and for tourists.
These problems show bigger issues in Cyprus. There are too many rules. Also, arguments with builders happen often. This means the rules for choosing builders and managing projects are not good. Cyprus needs to fix these problems. This is important for building roads and other public services.