The applications of those who applied for a rent allowance under the ktiZO Plan are being examined and forwarded for payment, the allowance has already started to be paid to some, while those who have not yet received the allowance are expected to be paid within the next few days, he told the Cyprus Agency News the representative of the Ministry of the Interior, Margarita Kyriakou.
Asked to comment on today’s article in the “Alithea” newspaper, which states that the refugees who left the apartment buildings of the neighborhoods that were deemed to be demolished and that fall under the ΚτιζΟ framework are waiting for the money promised to them to be deposited into their accounts to cover the expenses they incurred and of the rents of the apartments they moved into, Mrs. Kyriakou noted that the Plan has already started to be implemented, the beneficiaries have started to vacate their apartments and submit applications for participation or not in the Plan while there have been some cases of beneficiaries who do not wish to participate in the Scheme and who will therefore be compensated and withdrawn.
Ms. Kyriakou explained that for those who also applied for a rent allowance, the applications are examined and forwarded for payment, indicating that the payment of the allowance has already begun to some, while those who have not yet received the allowance are expected to be paid within the next few days. .
“It was never said that the money would be given in three days, the money is deposited within a few days,” he said, explaining that there are procedures with the General Accounting Office that must be followed.
“We have spoken again with the General Accounting Office to give priority to these applications so that the process is expedited and it does not take 15 days but less for the payment of the allowance”, he noted, repeating that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has spoken again today with the General Accounting Office and it has been agreed to give priority to the applications concerning the rent allowance of beneficiaries of the Scheme.
Ms. Kyriakou also mentioned that within the framework of the Plan, assistance is also provided to the beneficiaries for moving (a moving allowance of €250) or a storage space is provided for the transfer of their belongings in case they will not need them for the period of 2 years) and that the Ministry of the Interior is simultaneously continuing the update regarding the 23 apartment buildings that will not be evacuated at this stage.
He also stated that no one has been evicted, contrary, as he said, to what is mentioned in the newspaper article. Ms. Kyriakou emphasized that an eviction order has never been issued, pointing out that anyway eviction orders are issued by a Court at the request of the local (municipal/community) authorities. “There was no such thing and we are not going to get to the point where eviction orders are requested and the Police have to evict people from their homes,” he pointed out.
