Nicosia, Cyprus. The forestry department faced criticism after the audit office reported serious irregularities in the management of state forest land and more than €1.3 million in overdue revenue remaining uncollected. The audit covered the period from 2018 to 2025, with auditor general Andreas Papaconstantinou describing the findings as “deeply concerning”.
Lease irregularities in Foini case
The report focused on an adventure park in Foini, where a lease was signed for 40,000 square metres of forest land despite the company having applied for only 20,000 square metres. The audit said there was no supplementary application or documentation to justify the increase.
Further issues were identified in the same case, with the leaseholder not proceeding with required construction from 2015 and submitting a relevant application only in 2023, while the department took no effective action. The department later acknowledged in its response that “there are no minutes explaining why the area doubled”.
Environmental safeguards in Macheras national forest park
The audit also cited shortcomings in environmental protection. In Macheras national forest park, a leasing process to an association proceeded without reference to the protected Cypriot grass snake, despite the department having publicly announced the discovery of the species in the area.
The environmental report submitted during the process made no mention of the snake.
Financial management concerns
The report said financial management was another major concern, including more than €1.3 million in overdue revenue remaining uncollected.
What steps do you think the forestry department should take to address the audit’s findings?
