The government acknowledges the problems that may arise as regards the Local Government reform but is committed to successfully implement this reform, Minister of the Interior Constantinos Ioannou has said.

In a written statement issued on Saturday, amid a public debate on the Local Government reform, the Minister of the Interior noted that some problems were identified from the very beginning and recalled that he had long ago expressed his concerns over the number of the municipalities that will be establish, and the fact that the merges of municipalities would not be made on the basis of economic and population data, and therefore some of them will not be as sustainable as others.

"We want to be honest with with the citizens. We recognize that there are problems and that not all citizens will be able to enjoy the benefits of the reform to the same extent," Ioannou underlined in his statement.

He also noted that as documented by the statements of former Interior Ministers, the final result, although clearly better than the current Local Government model, is not the ideal one. However, he underlined that the government is ready to implement the legislation and committed to the effort to successfully implement the reform.

Ioannou underlined, however, that the implementation of the reform is in the hands of the local authorities themselves and that Temporary Coordinating Councils (TCCs) should put this matter at the top of their priorities.

Finally, he reiterated the commitment and determination of the government to work together with the House of Representatives and the municipalities, to overcome the obstacles and succeed in implementing the Local Government reform to the benefit of society.