Checks are being carried out in cooperation with the EAC at every school where air conditioning is being installed, while a programme to issue certificates of fitness for electrical installations is under way, Limassol School Board chairman Nikos Agiomamitis told CNA. He said all lyceums in Limassol city and district now have air conditioning units, which have been checked by the EAC, and their electrical loads have been upgraded. In gymnasiums, the lower secondary schools, coverage stands at around 50%, with installation work and electrical upgrades continuing. Agiomamitis said the process is on track, with units expected to be installed at all gymnasiums within October, followed by connection and upgrading of the electrical installations, so that air conditioning is operating at all gymnasiums in the first months of 2027.
Why the work is taking longer
The delay is mainly due to the fact that most Limassol schools are housed in old buildings, which means the electrical installations must be upgraded at the same time, a process that takes longer. At some gymnasiums the work is even more time-consuming. At Tsireio Gymnasium, the power supply must be moved underground, while at Apeitio Gymnasium in Agros, the local climate does not call for immediate installation of air conditioning. Agiomamitis repeated that every installation is accompanied by checks carried out with the EAC, and that the issuing of certificates of fitness is continuing, with many schools already holding them and the rest in the process of obtaining them. For primary schools, he said air conditioning will be addressed once the work at gymnasiums is complete, although several primary schools already have units installed with the help of the school board and parents' associations.
Responding to the Audit Office
Commenting on a reference in an Audit Office report to tenders with only one or two bidders and large variations in the cost of air conditioning units, Agiomamitis said the procedure agreed with the Auditor General, the Treasury and the Education Ministry involves a dynamic system in which companies meeting the required criteria can take part. At the start of the programme, only two companies across Cyprus took part, he explained, which created problems, since in some cases prices led the board to cancel bids and reissue tenders. More companies have since expressed interest through the online platform. Agiomamitis said that although some may consider the purchase prices excessive, a breakdown of the bids shows they are within reasonable limits. The bids include five years of maintenance, twice a year, for all units, and because of the size of school buildings, connecting the units requires many metres of copper piping, a costly material. He added that it is difficult for many companies to take on projects of this scale, as they must commit capital for costs that can reach €300,000 or €400,000, since payment is made only once the project is completed.
Source: CNA
