In the wake of the tragic Limassol fire that claimed the lives of a five-member family, former Minister of Works, Communications and Transport Yiannis Karousos has leveled a stern rebuke at the current government over its handling of critical electrical safety legislation.

Speaking on a television news show on February 18, Karousos stated: "On the occasion of the recent tragedy in Limassol, where a five-member family met a tragic death in a house fire, we must be serious and think of practical solutions for better control of electrical installations. As Minister of Transport under the previous Government, I had submitted an electricity bill to Parliament, which, without any justification, the current Government withdrew a year ago. Since then, no alternative proposal has been presented before the Assembly. We now call on the Government to reintroduce the relevant bill in Parliament for discussion and approval."

Karousos’ comments underscore his frustration over what he describes as a year-long legislative stalemate—a delay that he insists has left critical safety measures unaddressed.

In response, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works issued a statement later yesterday addressing his remarks.

>>Tragedy in Limassol: Ministry Had Shelved Bill on Electrical Installation Safety for a Year<<

The Ministry explained that the bill submitted by the previous government not only failed to resolve the issue of improving the safety of electrical installations, but also contained gaps and removed the exclusivity of the initial inspection by the Electricity Authority of Cyprus. The statement assured that the revised bill maintains the EAC’s role in conducting the initial safety check and announced that the bill will be put up for public consultation within the next week, followed by further legal review.

However, the Ministry’s response notably did not clarify why the legislative process had been delayed for an entire year. As the government now rushes to reinitiate discussions on the bill, pressure mounts from affected communities and public safety advocates to ensure that updated and effective measures are enacted without further delay.