By Bejay Browne.
Although many restaurants and leisure facilities are open in the district of Paphos, around 80%, this won’t be for long, as they are facing the worst problems in recent history due to the fall out from the coronavirus pandemic, industry professional warned.
On top of this, hefty fines being dished out by heavy handed police are making it almost impossible for many to survive, they said.
“Many of the premises that are open in Paphos, around 600 or so, will just be for the summer holiday period and the only ones ‘working’ are those on the seaside as they are popular with the locals,” president of the federation of restaurant/leisure owners Fitos Thrasivoulou told the Paphos Post.
In August, usually a time of peak season for the islands businesses, premises struggled, particularly in Paphos which is heavily reliant on the British market, he said.
“There is just no-one about. A handful of tourists here and there and none to speak of from the UK. Things are not looking good for restaurants at all, there are more and more problems and if the British don’t start to come, many will put themselves into ‘lockdown’ and just shut,” he said.
Thrasivoulou said that businesses will have no choice but to take this action as many have been closed since November last year and are unable to survive day to day, let alone get ahead.
On top of that, they are being fined 500 euros time and again by heavy handed police that are writing tickets for violations that are out of the owners control, he said. He stressed that there is a need to keep everyone safe and follow the Covid-19 decrees and restrictions, but that some police in Paphos are taking complaints to the extreme.
“The police are using the coronavirus as an excuse and yes, we have to be careful but our members are complaining that time and again police officers are giving them large fines for not ‘policing’ customers.”
He explained : “Are we expected to run behind customers every time they get up to go to the toilet and tell them to keep moving past a table where they are greeting friends and to have them remain seated and ensuring they don’t sit at the table either. This is what some of the fines are for and it’s ridiculous.”
Thrasivloulou said that fines for overcrowding, staff not wearing masks and so on are a different matter and should be implemented, but that petty fines for ‘nothing’ will ensure many local businesses in Paphos close their doors.
“Many wish they had never opened at all and how are they expected to find this money when they have been closed for nine months. There are no warnings, just fines,” he said.
The government should do more to help and also advise businesses and police on how to better handle the current situation and restrictions, he said.
“Fining people is not an end in itself,” a police spokesman said. “Many times, we caution people,” he said.
He added that police have strict orders to carry out intensive checks.
