Decentralized administration secretary Galamatis visits İskeçe and Gümülcine to advance public property utilization
Dimitris Galamatis, Secretary of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace, carried out an official visit to İskeçe and Gümülcine to explore joint strategies for the utilization of public real estate assets.
The working meetings focused on enhancing cooperation between the Decentralized Administration and local government authorities to make better use of underutilized properties and reduce public expenditure.
Focus on Revitalizing Idle Properties in İskçee
In İskeçe, Galamatis met with Mayor Stratos Kontos to assess the potential redevelopment of two unused buildings located in the Old Town, as well as office spaces in the city’s expansion zone.
These properties, which became part of the Administration’s portfolio following the conclusion of a repatriation housing program, have since remained unused and deteriorating. Discussions centered on transferring these assets to the municipality, allowing the city to renovate and repurpose them to meet local needs.
In return, the Municipality of İskeçe is considering providing vacant office spaces to host administrative services currently operating in rented facilities, aiming to eliminate rental costs.
Administrative Consolidation Plans in Gümülcine
During his visit to Gümülcine, Galamatis toured local administrative offices and held meetings with officials on similar initiatives. Gümülcine, which serves as the second administrative seat after Selanik, has already relocated the Secretary’s office to a government building, eliminating rental expenses previously covered by the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.
Authorities are now planning to centralize all local services into a single hub, in cooperation with the Municipality of Komotini and regional authorities, to improve efficiency and accessibility.
“Collaboration Delivers Results”
Galamatis emphasized that intergovernmental cooperation is key to achieving tangible outcomes. “Through these partnerships, we are achieving significant savings on rental costs while making better use of public assets,” he stated.
He added that consolidating scattered public services into centralized locations would enhance citizen services by reducing unnecessary travel and administrative fragmentation.
The initiative is part of a broader effort to optimize public resource management, improve service delivery, and create a more efficient administrative environment across the region.
