Bill regarding Kastelli Airport in Crete widely accepted in Greek Parliament

The first step for the ratification of the concession agreement for the new international airport in Kastelli, Heraklion, in Crete, was taken yesterday as the relevant bill was accepted in principle by a wide majority of the Production and Trade Committee of the Greek Parliament. In favour of the bill voted SYRIZA, ND and DISY parties whereas KKE and Golden Dawn voted against it. Enosi Kentroon will make its position known at the plenary session.

The approval of the bill, which will signify the ratification of the contract, the completion of a long tender procedure and the initiation of the construction period, according to sources from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, will be held next week.

The project was described as a major investment that will have a strong growth impact for Crete but also a benefit for the public interest, by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport , Mr. Christos Spirtzis, while, for his part, major opposition’s (i.e. ND party) Head of Infrastructure, Mr. Kostas Karamanlis noted that the project had been originally launched from ND.

Mr. Kostas Karamanlis stressed that over the last four years the investments have practically disappeared and infrastructure projects have been greatly reduced, while he accused SYRIZA party making a U-turn as in the past was against all emblematic investments such as the motorway project Patras -Pyrgos  and the exploitation of the port of Piraeus by Cosco, among others.

Responding to ND and DISY parties’ accusations, Mr. Spirtzis argued that every reasonable person would be opposed to the terms of a flawed competition, as well as for other concessions which would burden the country.

Nikos Karagiannis-ypodomes.com

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