Dodecanese MP Manos Konsolas raised in parliament the delays affecting the issue of fire safety certificates to tourism businesses on Rhodes.
Mr Konsolas said staff shortages at the Rhodes Fire Service had prevented certificates from being issued on time, even though they are required for hotels, tourist accommodation and other businesses to obtain licences and operate legally.
Business owners and professionals had completed and submitted the necessary fire safety studies, he said, but the administrative process had not been completed because the service did not have enough staff.
As a result, hotels, accommodation providers and other businesses faced sanctions and the possible withdrawal of their operating licences despite not being responsible for the delay.
Mr Konsolas asked the minister for climate crisis and civil protection to reinforce the Rhodes Fire Service immediately through staff secondments so that studies could be approved and certificates issued.
He also asked the tourism minister not to impose sanctions or withdraw the special operating mark from accommodation businesses where owners had submitted their studies on time and were not responsible for the delay.
Full parliamentary question
The intervention was addressed to the minister for climate crisis and civil protection and the minister for tourism. It called for the immediate reinforcement of the Rhodes Fire Service so that fire safety certificates for hotels, tourist accommodation and other businesses could be processed, as well as action on penalties in cases where owners were not responsible for delays.
Mr Konsolas said understaffing at fire services across the Dodecanese affected not only operational planning but also the timely completion of administrative work, including the issue of fire safety certificates.
He said the shortage of personnel at the Rhodes Fire Service had caused serious delays in certificates essential to the licensing and operation of hotels, tourist accommodation and businesses.
Although entrepreneurs and professionals had completed and submitted the relevant studies, the required administrative procedure remained unfinished because the necessary staff were not available.
This left hotels, accommodation providers and businesses exposed to sanctions and the withdrawal of operating licences.
Given tourism's central role in the local and national economy, he argued that the state had a duty to resolve a problem caused by an administrative failure.
Measures requested
- Immediately reinforce the Rhodes Fire Service through secondments so that fire safety studies can be approved and certificates issued.
- Do not impose sanctions or withdraw the special mark for tourist accommodation where owners submitted their studies on time and are not responsible for the delay.
Mr Konsolas asked both ministers whether they were aware of the problem created on Rhodes by delays in issuing fire safety certificates to hotels and tourist accommodation, and what action they intended to take.
The parliamentary question was signed by Manos Konsolas, MP for the Dodecanese.
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