Creation of floating marina in Kalyvioti on hold until further notice

The tourist investment for the creation of a floating marina for large pleasure boats in Kalyvioti has been put on hold until further notice.

The implementing body of the project, the company L Marine SA, submitted a request last month for the cancellation of the issuance of the ministerial decision regarding the location of the proposed marina, citing significant delays from the new political leadership of the Ministry of Tourism in signing it. As a result, the completion of the project within the tight deadlines of the Recovery Fund, which is expected to finance 80% of the investment, is impossible.

In the document sent to the Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefaloyianni, on 22/03/2024 and available to Enimerosi, it is stated that 'the delay of the Minister of Tourism to re-sign the ministerial decision that Mr. Kikilias had already signed when he was Minister of Tourism (we have been waiting since 3/07/2023 following the document of the National Printing Office with protocol number Δ28561, and PD 82/2023 that delegated authority to Mrs. Kefalogianni Olga until 30/12/2024) makes it difficult to finance the project (total budget 340,000,000 Euros) from the Recovery and Resilience Fund with the amount of 240,000,000 Euros, because the completion of the project within the remaining time prescribed by the EU is now impossible and Ministerial delays are discouraging investors".

The decision of the Board of Directors of L Marine SA to cancel the issuance of the ministerial decision (reserving all legal rights) was also communicated to the Prime Minister, the Regional Governor of the Ionian Islands, the Mayor of South Corfu, and to the residents and citizens of the area.

The cancellation was confirmed to Enimerosi by the General Secretary of Tourism Policy and Development of the Ministry of Tourism, Myron Flouris, who has been on a two-day visit to Corfu since yesterday. When asked about the Ministry's intentions regarding this project, which is privately initiated but has a public character (it is expected to be returned to the public after 30 years), he mentioned that the investor himself has withdrawn interest.

Sports facilities

According to the company, however, the delay that occurred also excluded the funding of sports facilities from the state aid programme for tourist ports, which had been agreed to be handed over to the Municipality of South Corfu for use by the local community, as part of the compensatory projects included in decision no. 6-34/20/02/23 of the Municipal Council of the Municipality of South Corfu.

Funding request rejected

The decision of the Minister of Tourism was published in 'Diavgeia' on April 25th. According to it, the funding request of the investment plan by the entity for the amount of 8 million Euros for the sports facilities planned to be developed on Kalyvioti beach was rejected due to non-compliance with the conditions specified in the invitation and eligibility criteria.

However, in its announcement, L Marine SA points out that the competent service of the Ministry of Tourism informed them on April 18th, via gov.gr, about the completion of the examination of the application, without any comment on its cancellation, commenting that 'the subsidy was cancelled by a political decision of the Ministry of Tourism, apparently due to the support of the Municipality by PASOK and SYRIZA', something that Mr. Flouris refuted.

The company, however, expects a solution to be found in a second round, as the responsibilities of the Ministry of Tourism, concerning marinas, according to Presidential Decree 82/2023, expire on December 30, 2024, and are transferred to the Ministry of Merchant Marine.

340 million Euros

The total budget of the project amounts to 340,000,000 Euros, of which 240,000,000 Euros are funds from the Recovery Fund and the remaining amount is covered by the two investment companies Fund.me and USCAPITAL from the United States.

MARIA BAZDRIYIANNI