The need to simplify the procedures for obtaining an operating licence for hotels has been emphasised by the Director General of the Cyprus Hotel Association (PASYXE), Christos Angelides, who indicates that "it is unacceptable for the largest industry in the country not to be served by a single service and for hoteliers to be forced to run to different Ministries, Services and Local Authorities to obtain various certificates and licences."
In fact, in order to facilitate hoteliers and make it easier for them to obtain the necessary permits, Angelides suggests the creation of a service centre or one-stop shop exclusively for hotels, just as was done in the case of foreign investments.
More specifically, when invited by InBusinessNews to comment on the fact that Parliament recently extended the period for granting a special operating licence for hotels and tourist accommodation — mainly due to the inability to secure the required certificates and documents for the issuance of an operating licence under the new legislation — Angelides underlined that "the entire legislative framework needs to be simplified and not overcrowded or involve multiple authorities."
As he explained, currently, many state agencies conduct similar inspections or work on similar matters in order to secure the various permits required to operate a hotel.
This, he pointed out, puts unnecessary pressure on both the services themselves and the hotel units, which are forced to expend excessive time and human resources on these permits.
Therefore, he explained, "permits should last for long periods of time and we should at least establish a licensing centre, a service."
"It is not possible for the country's largest industry not to be served by a single service and for hoteliers to be forced to run to different Ministries, Services and Local Authorities to obtain various certificates and licences, which in fact expire on different dates, and when they do not have them, they automatically become illegal," he stressed.
Asked whether something similar to the Foreign Investment Service Centre could be created, where all services would be concentrated in one place, the Director General of PASYXE said that "no, it could be created — it should have already been created. Also, licensing should be simplified and have a longer duration than it does today."
When also asked whether all of this had been brought before the authorities, Angelides answered in the affirmative, noting that "we have brought it to the attention of the authorities several times."
"But I think that because of everyone — either out of fear of taking responsibility or in an attempt to protect their own, if you will, sphere of influence — we end up having this whole Tower of Babel, which serves no one: neither the state, nor the services, nor the hotel industry, and it has proven to create more and more problems," he further pointed out.
Therefore, Angelides added, "we should look at the legislative framework again, simplify it, make it more efficient and, if necessary — why not — make it stricter."
"The issue is not to make it more relaxed for hoteliers, but to make it more representative. And in saying this, I want to make it clear that in no case are we asking for the framework to be more relaxed, because the safety and health of both our customers and our employees is our priority," Angelides concluded.
(Source: InBusinessNews)
