Lawyers in Cyprus – Review – Eastern Middle Protests – Completed – 2^nd March 2011. http://www.lawcyprus.org/

Cyprus tourism is set to sour this summer due to the recent unrest and protest in the Middle Eastern countries.

Many tour operators who usually offer these North African/Arab countries as a holiday destination are now recommending Cyprus along with a few other chosen countries as alternative to these restless states that are experiencing the protests.

Russia for example is just one of the countries where many holidays have been cancelled due to the unrest, which means not only are we already expecting millions of Russian tourists this year but we will also extra on top of this.

Cyprus tour operators are seeing up to a 30% rise in holiday makers due to the unrest!

The UK tourism market appears to be stable which can be seen as a positive as last year saw a significant drop and the UK tour operators are actually not offering Cyprus as an alternative holiday destination, which means the UK holiday makers are coming here of their own choice and not because of the protesting…this is a good sign.

It would be wrong to say we are happy about the rise in tourism due to the surrounding circumstances of the rise, but yes it will help the Cyprus economy.

On the other hand with the protests spreading like wild fire this could easily affect the whole of the Mediterranean at any given time putting us on the danger zone list.

For those of you who are looking to book your holiday abroad the Cyprus Government has issued warnings not to travel to the following places:-

Egypt

Tunisia

Libya

Sudan

Yemen

Bahrain

Morocco

Algeria

You may even think even want to think about holidaying at home in sunny Cyprus this year!

PUBLISHED BY A&G KOUZALI LAW OFFICE ON 1^ST MARCH 2011. http://www.lawcyprus.org/

Legal Office in Cyprus – Studies – Paphos Marina – Completed on 10^th March 2011. Cyprus Lawyers A&G KOUZALI LAW OFFICE http://www.lawcyprus.org/

More delays are now expected with regards to the new Marina in Paphos!

When the Paphos people thought things could not get any worse it just did.

Paphos is one of the coastal towns struggling to stay alive with many businesses closing down and many foreign nationals packing up and going home.

One of our colleagues took a walk down one of the main tourists streets in Paphos and counted 73 commercial properties closed down…not just for summer but for good!

And now with further delays on the marina along with other developments the future is looking very bleak…that may even be an understatement.

The tenders for this marina have been in motion since 2005. We are now in 2011 and still no closer to a new marina.

2 consortiums are battling it out in the Supreme Court with appeals and it could be another 6 months before a decision is made on which consortium will win the battle.  This means it will be over 6 months before work will even begin on the marina.

A proposal was put forward a year ago for the 2 consortiums to work together on the marina however agreements could not be made satisfactorily, hence still no marina as yet.

Paphos has so much beauty and so much to offer and the plans for the marina we have to say look very impressive and once it is built Paphos residents will with no doubt at all reap the rewards.

We really hope the marina and other developments get underway sooner rather than later. In fact we hope this for all development in Cyprus.

Paphos really deserve and need some good luck!

PUBLISHED BY A&G KOUZALI LAW OFFICE ON 10^TH MARCH 2011. http://www.lawcyprus.org/

Legal Office in Cyprus – Studies – Paphos Marina – Completed on 10^th March 2011. Cyprus Lawyers A&G KOUZALI LAW OFFICE http://www.lawcyprus.org/

More delays are now expected with regards to the new Marina in Paphos!

When the Paphos people thought things could not get any worse it just did.

Paphos is one of the coastal towns struggling to stay alive with many businesses closing down and many foreign nationals packing up and going home.

One of our colleagues took a walk down one of the main tourists streets in Paphos and counted 73 commercial properties closed down…not just for summer but for good!

And now with further delays on the marina along with other developments the future is looking very bleak…that may even be an understatement.

The tenders for this marina have been in motion since 2005. We are now in 2011 and still no closer to a new marina.

2 consortiums are battling it out in the Supreme Court with appeals and it could be another 6 months before a decision is made on which consortium will win the battle.  This means it will be over 6 months before work will even begin on the marina.

A proposal was put forward a year ago for the 2 consortiums to work together on the marina however agreements could not be made satisfactorily, hence still no marina as yet.

Paphos has so much beauty and so much to offer and the plans for the marina we have to say look very impressive and once it is built Paphos residents will with no doubt at all reap the rewards.

We really hope the marina and other developments get underway sooner rather than later. In fact we hope this for all development in Cyprus.

Paphos really deserve and need some good luck!

PUBLISHED BY A&G KOUZALI LAW OFFICE ON 10^TH MARCH 2011. http://www.lawcyprus.org/

Lawyers in Cyprus – Studies – Drug Strategy – Completed on 8^th March 2011.

About to be discussed in the House of Parliament is the decriminalization of narcotics.

This is a very controversial subject that that has been discussed many times on other countries but has never come to fruition.  There are too many arguments for and against for any agreement ever to be made.

It is zero tolerance in Cyprus with regards to drugs, but realistically that means nothing to drug addicts or to the drug dealers. In fact most countries are zero tolerance but it does not and never will stop the drugs.

If a drug addict wants drugs he will get them by hook or by crook and there will always be a drug dealer to give a help in hand.

We have been very lucky in Cyprus if you compare to places like the UK and the USA just for example.  Drugs in these countries are rife, which in return leads to drug houses, prostitution, gangs and gun crime, even murder is a common occurrence and nothing out of the ordinary now.

If you look at the issue no matter how much energy, time and money the police put in to the drug issue, it has not worked, it does not work and it never will work.  The UK and USA are prime examples of this.

We do not condone drugs, it is a very sad and painful path to follow, not just for the drug addict but for their families and also for the people they will inevitably end up committing a crime against to feed their habit.

However, putting the drug dealers out of business would be a rejoiceful day! They pray on the weak, they make money of ruining people’s lives and the money they make either fund other criminal activities or help them live a very luxurious life.

Decriminalizing drugs would take this power away from the drug dealer and the drug user would be more protected and are not supported, when they could be receiving proper treatment.

It is a good time to look at the drug issue in Cyprus, as this issue although on the rise is still quite tame so to address the issue now would be perfect before it does get out of hand and many drug deaths and crime become a lot more apparent.

For this strategy to work however there must be major preparation, education, adequate facilities and fully trained staff in each area to be able to deal with this sensitive procedure.

Many will agree and disagree on this subject but if nothing we have done already has worked maybe it really is time for a change of tactics.

Tell us your views on this subject we know many of you will have very strong ones!

PUBLISHED BY A&G KOUZALI LAW OFFICE ON 8^TH MARCH 2011 http://www.lawcyprus.org/

Cypriot Lawyer – Reviews – Government investment funding – Completed on 3^rd March 2011.

We have a very big question to ask the government. In fact you could actually say we would like to put a complaint forward to the government.

We want to know why is it that the government have acquired billions of euros to invest in Cyprus and of all those billions the only new development happening for the Famagusta region is a new road under construction in Paralimni.

Please can you tell us and the Famagusta public how this will help the Famagusta communities?

A new road will not bring in extra tourism, extra property investors or extra employment hence continuous poverty. Famagusta is struggling to keep their summer seasons alive so inevitably in the winter season this area is nothing more than a ghost town.

We are hearing a lot about new development in Nicosia and Limassol but what about the rest of the island, what about us? Has anybody actually taken a picture of the unemployed people queuing for hours in the departments of social security?

Part of the signing on procedure is to visit the job centre every 3 weeks.  Are you aware that on those visits not one of the staff ever asks what are you doing to find a job and you know why because they are fully aware there is none? They don’t even look through the computer to see what jobs they have available as there is none.

So once again we ask what about us?  And where are all these billions of euros going? Please can you tell us this?

Famagusta needs new investments, new development, we need to get our community up and kicking so what are the government going to do about that?

PUBLISHED BY A&G KOUZALI LAW OFFICE ON 7^TH MARCH 2011. http://www.lawcyprus.org/

Cyprus Lawyers – Review – Cyprus/Qatar deal – Completed on 9^th March 2011.

The government are becoming very frustrated with the constant criticism and scare mongering relating to the Cyprus/Qatar Nicosia deal.

Negotiations were underway concerning the valuation of the government land based in Nicosia, which is to house a new luxury hotel, leisure and commercial centre.

However, controversy has broken out over the price of the land that the two countries have agreed upon.  Originally the land was valued at approximately €140,000.00 by Cyprus and only a little under €40,000.00 by Qatar.  In the end the agreed price for the land is €50,000.00 this is a 60% reduction in price.

Also causing debate is the lack of knowledge relating to the profit that the whole complex will make.  Which leaves the question is the development really worth while especially as the land has gone for so cheap?

The Cyprus government feels that once the Nicosia deal is signed, sealed and delivered Qatar will then look to invest maybe billions in to Cyprus. Qatar has requested a list of new development to take place in Cyprus of which already looks promising.

Qatar are very interested in Cyprus and really with other countries giving away land for free the government we feel have made the right choice in lowering the price of the land. We need this foreign investment and sometimes you just have to speculate to accumulate.

If this deal goes sour this will in doubt at all put off other future worldwide investors, so this scenario really needs support from the Cyprus people.

The only disappointment we have on the whole issue is that Famagusta is only mentioned once in all this billions of pounds worth of investment, which is the Macronissos Marina, costing a little under two hundred million euros but it figures really as Famagusta seems to be forgotten when it comes to investment!

PUBLISHED BY A&G KOUZAL LAW OFFICE ON 9^TH MARCH 2011 http://www.lawcyprus.org/

Lawyers in Paralimni – Studies – Business Robberies – Completed 5^th February 2011.

Cyprus is suffering from a rise in crime.  Not only is the drug problem rising but burglaries and robberies of businesses have been occurring more and more of late.

Businesses who are open till early morning hours or are open 24 hours a day are more at risk of robberies occurring.

This is a very frightening thought and could well be a very violent experience. Anything can happen when these incidences occur. The robber could become very violent depending on how the situation is handled and how much they really need the money.

While many late night business owners are preparing for the worse should this happen, they have been warned that if they take the law into their own hands they will be prosecuted.

So basically the best course of action is to stay calm, hand over the money and hope and pray the robber will it at that. Large sums of cash should not be left on the premises and males must always be employed for night time shifts. Cameras must also be fitted, not only to assist in insurances purposes but also to help identify the culprit and the crime.

It is better to lose a bit of money than cause the culprit to harm you in any way!

Robberies were up 30% in 2010 and 2011 looks no better. The rise in drugs is always prime suspect for this type of crime but also social and economic repression is most definitely adding to the problem.

Realistically, for the working class these is no work so what are they going to do…what are their alternatives? Especially if they can not claim benefits also, which might we add does not even cover housing costs, …..They turn to crime!

We are living is uncertain times, and life is very hard for many, which in return sparks, crime, drugs, protests and risk to others.

The government must seriously take a good look at what is going on, on this what once was a safe island and its people.

PUBLISHED BY A&G KOUZALI LAW OFFICE ON 5^TH FEBRUARY 2011. http://www.lawcyprus.org/

Legal Consultants in Cyprus – Review – Climate Change – Completed on 6^th March 2011.

For those of you who thought buying a house on the beach was a dream come true, could well see a nightmare truly happen if we don’t start taking climate change seriously.

Several of the coastlines in Cyprus are eroding as we speak, seeing some coastal properties in danger of actually falling in to the sea….you really cant get anymore coastal than that!

The continuous neglect of the environment and climate change issues has forced over eighty metres of coast line to evaporate and this will not stop until we decide to take a stand.

There is government funding available to these coastal towns however, the communities are responsible to pay half of the costs and in today’s society many individuals do not have many individuals do not have the money to pay these additional costs.

So a solution must be found before Cyprus disintegrates all together.

Our coastlines are of major importance to the island, they are the main reason tourists come here so there are many issues to look at.

Primarily, funding must become available to support the necessary action and materials needed for the job in hand to help stop the erosion. Furthermore, it must be addressed not just short term but also long term on what we can do as an island on the whole to prevent this from continuing.

Until we as a whole community pull together the beaches will keep eroding the climate will keep changing and we will continue to put our children and their children at risk.

The government while having their obligations and responsibilities can not do this alone they must have our support.

The Cyprus people must listen as time is ticking away and our island is washing away.  What other evidence do you need before you sit up and take action?

PUBLISHED BY A&G KOUZALI ON 6^TH MARCH 2011 http://www.lawcyprus.org/

Legal Consultants in Cyprus – Review – Climate Change – Completed on 6^th March 2011.

For those of you who thought buying a house on the beach was a dream come true, could well see a nightmare truly happen if we don’t start taking climate change seriously.

Several of the coastlines in Cyprus are eroding as we speak, seeing some coastal properties in danger of actually falling in to the sea….you really cant get anymore coastal than that!

The continuous neglect of the environment and climate change issues has forced over eighty metres of coast line to evaporate and this will not stop until we decide to take a stand.

There is government funding available to these coastal towns however, the communities are responsible to pay half of the costs and in today’s society many individuals do not have many individuals do not have the money to pay these additional costs.

So a solution must be found before Cyprus disintegrates all together.

Our coastlines are of major importance to the island, they are the main reason tourists come here so there are many issues to look at.

Primarily, funding must become available to support the necessary action and materials needed for the job in hand to help stop the erosion. Furthermore, it must be addressed not just short term but also long term on what we can do as an island on the whole to prevent this from continuing.

Until we as a whole community pull together the beaches will keep eroding the climate will keep changing and we will continue to put our children and their children at risk.

The government while having their obligations and responsibilities can not do this alone they must have our support.

The Cyprus people must listen as time is ticking away and our island is washing away.  What other evidence do you need before you sit up and take action?

PUBLISHED BY A&G KOUZALI ON 6^TH MARCH 2011 http://www.lawcyprus.org/

Cyprus Lawyers in Famagusta – Review – 112 Emergency Number –

If you have not received a text message as yet then you soon will, regarding the112 EU emergency hotline number.

The emergency number is an international EU number that has been in use for over 2 decades but many EU nationals are unaware of this.

No matter where you are in the EU, whether you are at home or travelling abroad you can call 112 the number for fire, ambulance and police.

Until recently many of us in Cyprus did not know this, it is only because we have been receiving text messages that we have become aware of the number, now everyone is talking about it.

It is not just an international number but also national that all locals can use also. In a recent EU survey only 26% were familiar with the number! Cyprus was found to be the least informed, thus the recent text message to make us aware.

The 112 emergency number is free from all mobiles and land lines.  However, if you are travelling abroad and calling from a different EU country you must either speak their language or English.

This is actually a vital issue and a flaw if you look at it, when you consider the fact of a life or death situation, then waiting fro a translator can mean an extra few seconds that you may not have.

For those of you who have not received a text message regarding the EU emergency number as yet we will iterate, 112 is the EU emergency number for police, fire and ambulance services free from all mobiles and land lines.

We do advise if you are travelling abroad to have all local numbers at hand so as not to encounter any delays due to the language barrier.

PUBLISHED BY A&G KOUZALI http://www.lawcyprus.org/