A meeting was held on Thursday at the Ministry of Interior between the Presidents of the District Local Government Organizations (EOA), the Scientific and Technical Chamber (ETEK), and relevant officials from the Ministry of Interior and the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy to discuss the "Ippodamos" system. The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy.

According to a statement from Nicosia’s EOA, six months after the implementation of the Local Government Reform and the operation of the EOAs, the system has not met the intended goals of improving citizen services.

Despite the progress made since its launch on July 1, 2024, the statement notes that the system still faces persistent issues, including slow processing speeds and architectural deficiencies. These problems require further improvements to ensure the system effectively serves both internal and external users, as well as meets the demands of a modern development control system.

The Deputy Minister informed attendees that modifications to the system are being implemented in three phases, with completion scheduled for June 2025. The EOAs have set this as the evaluation deadline for assessing the system's overall effectiveness.

Regarding the software, the EOAs pointed out continued delays in licensing procedures.

Specifically, in January 2025 (7/1/2025 - 28/1/2025), the system was completely non-functional for five days out of the 22 total working days, while on four additional days, it operated at an extremely slow pace. These issues significantly impacted the issuance of permits during the month.

Despite these challenges, the EOAs reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the efforts of the Deputy Ministry and the Ministry of Interior to improve the current system. However, they stressed the urgent need for accelerated enhancements to the system's functionality.

To streamline the licensing process, the EOAs proposed that all government services involved in the process, such as the Department of Environment, should act exclusively as electronic consultants through the Ippodamos software.

Additionally, they suggested the immediate integration of the system with all data from the Department of Land and Surveys. This would facilitate the evaluation of submitted applications, speed up licensing procedures, and improve overall efficiency.

The EOAs also called on the Ministry of Interior and the Deputy Ministry to explore the development of a new, modern, and flexible licensing system. This system should be based on advanced technological principles and be tailored to meet the needs of both internal and external users.