Day: December 23, 2022

President Anastasiades presents work of his 10-year governance, hopes his legacy will continue

President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, presented on Thursday the work of his ten-year governance in the “Reorganization and Modernization of the State”.

He told reporters that the “Cyprus of Tomorrow” is his and his government’s legacy so that the country can continue, to strengthen and fulfil efforts to modernize and restructure in a competitive environment, to develop environmentally and digitally in social justice.

The President analysed five sections, with the first “a series of very important reforms and structural changes that relate to the proper functioning of the State”. The second concerns the “development of the rule of law”, the third concerns actions and strategies not only to modernize the state in individual policy areas but also to improve services provided to citizens. The fourth relates to great development projects on a Pancyprian basis to elevate the quality of life of citizens and the final section centers on everything that the Cyprus of Tomorrow plan requires for the complete reconstruction and modernization of the state.

The President said that the first section concerns reforms and structural changes in the functioning of the state. For this reason, he said they proceeded with amendments to the constitution so that every president will be restricted to two terms in office. He also referred to the creation of the deputy ministries of Tourism, Shipping, Research, Innovation and Digital Transformation as well as Social Welfare and Culture.

He also referred to the reforms for the effective operation of the state, securing productivity and the meritocratic promotion of civil servants, through the Civil Service reform.

He also mentioned that another important area of administration for a more efficient State is the reform of the local government sector, making local entities administratively and financially independent and self-sufficient, enhancing their capacity and ability to improve and expand the services provided to citizens.

Referring to the second section concerning the strengthening of the Rule of Law and the legislative framework to combat corruption, he said the findings indicated that the justice system remained bogged down by the conditions that prevailed during the founding of the Republic of Cyprus. In cooperation with the supreme judicial authority of the country, a series of measures and reforms were undertaken that led to the fundamental restructuring of the judiciary system of the country.

This included increasing the number of judges by 40% and creating special courts such as the Commercial Court, the Admiralty Court, the Administrative Court and the Court of International Protection. The fundamental reform of the justice system, he added has been completed and will come into effect from 1st July with the operation of a Supreme Constitutional Court, a Supreme Court and a Court of Appeal.

He also referred to three new laws that were approved and put Cyprus among the 11 European countries that have legislated for a strong legal framework to avert corruption. It includes the setting up of an independent authority against corruption, securing transparency in decision making procedures in the public and semi-government sectors, the so-called lobbying and the protection of whistle-blowers.

The third section concerns actions and strategies not only for modernizing and restructuring the state but also improving services.

President Anastasiades referred to the modernization of the education system, the creation of a modern, semi-professional army, while reducing the service of conscripts from 24 to 14 months, the establishment for the first time of a register of farmers, so that subsidies go to professional farmers, the adoption of housing policy plans. For 2022 this amounts to 125 million euros, depicting an increase of 100% compared to the 2018 budget. The government also provided land for 1.888 families to construct their own house.

Anastasiades referred to the establishment of a single Tax Department with the unification of the Inland Revenue Department and the Value Added Tax Service, the reorganization, modernization and full digitization of the Department of the Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property, the installation of an extensive traffic camera system while subsidizing citizens who opt for green transition, providing more than 487 million euros for the energy upgrade of households and businesses and the installation of Renewable Energy Sources.

The fourth section concerns the government’s development projects to upgrade the quality of life of the inhabitants in every municipality and community of Cyprus.

The President also said that the State implemented development plans of more than 4.6 billion euros which have either been completed or are at the completion stage. These projects started in the last seven years since the main priority prior to 2015 was to handle the financial crisis and the economy to recover.

The final section relates to the reforms and investment activities of the “Cyprus of Tomorrow” plan, he said, which is his legacy to continue and complete efforts for the overall reform and modernization of the state. It is the biggest reform and development intervention; he added since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus through a framework of 133 measures of which 58 are reforms and 75 investment activities

The Cyprus of Tomorrow plan is expected to cost 4.4 billion euros, he added.

President Anastasiades said he faced many challenges and difficulties since his government did not enjoy parliamentary majority. He thanked Democratic Rally leader Averof Neofytou who managed to gather up the majority to overcome the problems and allow for the reforms to be approved.

I do not claim that mistakes were not made or that there are no gaps, weaknesses or omissions, said Anastasiades, adding that we dared, with structural changes and the confrontation of chronic and systemic distortions and problems, to lay solid foundations for further reconstruction of the State, which leads to the Cyprus of the new era.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

President Nikos Anastasiades welcomed Friday at the Presidential Palace the members of philharmonics of the National Guard, ELDYK and the Cyprus Police who sang Christmas carols.

The President wished them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, expressing the hope that the new year will bring the much-desired freedom of our homeland.

The President of the Republic also said that this year is the last one that he welcomes them, as he is not running for President again, adding that “I will always remember you and I hope you remember me too”.

President Anastasiades’ 10-year administration ends March. The elections will take place February.

Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Social protection expenditure in Cyprus reached 24.1% in 2020, according to the results of the Social Protection Survey, published by the Statistical Service on Friday.

The survey shows that €5,283.4 million were spent in 2020, compared to €4,168 million in 2019, which equaled to the 18% of GDP.

The most significant functions were those of old age and sickness/healthcare, which, combined, constituted 63.5% of the social protection benefits for 2020, compared to 71.1% in 2019. The largest share of old age benefits concerns periodic pensions which amounted to €1,793.5 million and constituted 90.5% of the total old age benefits.

There was an increase in the social benefits of the function of unemployment in 2020, which amounted to €818.7 million, compared to €202.2 million in 2019, the function of old age, which amounted to €1,980.9 million, compared to €1,869.1 million in 2019, the function of sickness/healthcare with the social benefits amounting to €1,310.9 million in 2020, compared to €1,028.8 million in 2019, the function of survivors which amounted to €314.2 million in 2020, compared to €298 million in 2019, the function of family with €273.5 million in 2020, compared to €236.9 million in 2019, the function of social exclusion with €243.6 million in 2020, compared to €203.2 million in 2019 and the function of housing which also had a small increase in 2020 with social benefits amounting to €79.7 million, compared to €73.8 million in 2019. On the contrary, a small decrease in social benefits was recorded in the function of disability in 2020, which amounted to €162.8 million, compared to €165 million in 2019.

The Social Insurance Scheme is the largest provider of social benefits in Cyprus with benefits of €1,643.4 million in 2020, representing a share of 31.1% of the total expenditure. The contribution of the scheme of Other Governmental Social Protection is also significant, with €1,315.9 million which represents a share of 24.9% of the total expenditure. Then follows the General Healthcare System with €657 million and a share of 12.4%, the scheme of the Central Government Health Services with €526.6 million and a share of 10%, the Civil Service Social Protection with €496 million and a share of 9.4% and the semi-autonomous Social Insurance Institutions with €362.3 million and a share of 6.9%.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

National dignity would not allow me to accept a Cyprus settlement that would ensure the permanent presence of Turkey on the island, said the President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades.

On Friday, the President visited the “Kostakis Pantelides” military camp, inaugurating the Officers’ Club on the occasion of the Christmas season.

The Minister of Defence, Charalambos Petrides, the Chief of the National Guard, Lt. Gen. Demokritos Zervakis, the Bishop Georgios of Paphos and the Deputy Government Spokesperson, Niovi Parisinou, attended the event, a press release issued by the Presidency of the Republic says.

Addressing the soldiers and officers, President Anastasiades said that “I feel special joy and emotion, given that this is the last time I have the opportunity to address a modern army, semi-professional but fully qualified, trained, equipped in such a way as to constitute the real deterrent force of the country.” He noted that “the times when ‘Nikiforos’ was the only worthwhile military exercise of the National Guard have irretrievably passed.”

Furthermore, the President of the Republic stated that the involvement of the National Guard in exercises, not only with countries from the region, but also with European countries or even the US forces, led to its personnel maintaining its readiness for combat. And this, he added, is also combined with armament programmes, which are defensive in nature” and not geared towards aggression since “we are peaceful people.”

“What we are trying to do is to defend the territory of the Republic of Cyprus. Of course we are trying to find a peaceful solution through diplomacy and dialogue, but we are also always relying on UN resolutions believing that at some point both Ankara and our Turkish Cypriot compatriots will realise that, as the Church also says, injustice is not blessed”, the President pointed out, adding that the solution of the Cyprus issue will give another dimension” not only to relations, but also to prospects concerning the future of both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

“What we are asking for is to end the occupation, to end anachronistic guarantees that do not exist except in vassal states and to apply human rights for all Cypriots without exception, to apply the principles and values of the EU”, the President of the Republic underlined.

In addition, he stated that “we are a European country, our citizens are European citizens, they have the same rights as other European citizens. This is what we demand, for this we have fought real battles.” It is really a burden that I bear, he noted, “because despite the efforts we have made, despite the good will we have shown, there was Ankara’s obsession with revisionist policies, and Ankara’s obsession to transform Cyprus – or the Republic of Cyprus or the evolving Republic of Cyprus into a federal state – into a Turkish-controlled protectorate”.

Nor national dignity, neither my own Greek and Cypriot heritage would allow me to agree to sign or accept a solution in Crans Montana that would safeguard the permanent presence of Turkey in Cyprus and to question the survival of Cypriot Hellenism, the President said, referring to the latest round of settlements talks which ended inconclusively in 2017.

Welcoming President Anastasiades to the Officers’ Club, the Minister of Defence, Charalambos Petrides, said that the foundations have been laid for the modernisation and upgrading of the National Guard. “We are running today over 20 armament programmes and we are at the highest level of budgets in the last 20 years,” he said.

Furthermore, Petrides noted that “in the field of diplomacy we have signed more than 15 bilateral, trilateral and multilateral cooperation agreements, always showing the way and acting as a pillar of stability for the wider Eastern Mediterranean region.” “Our personnel work and train every day and are able to carry out their mission worthily,” he added.

On his part, the Chief of the National Guard, Lieutenant General Demokritos Zervakis, said that National Guard personnel are being trained and equipped to be a reliable factor. “Our staff takes pride in what they do and as Chief I want to assure you that I take the same pride in the staff I lead,” he noted.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The official launch of the procedure to elect the new President of the Cyprus of Republic was announced on Friday by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior and Chief Returning Officer of Presidential Elections, Costas A. Constantinou.

In statements at the Ministry of the Interior, Constantinou said that today marks the beginning of the electoral process until Sunday, February 5, 2023 while a second round will be held on Sunday, February 12, 2023, if necessary.

He noted that in view of the expiration of the term of office of the outgoing President of the Republic on February 28, 2023, the Minister of the Interior published the relevant decree today in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Cyprus.

Additionally, Constantinou stated that the Minister of the Interior, within the framework of his powers provided by the legislation, has appointed Costas A. Constantinou, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, as the Chief Returning Officer of Presidential Elections and Menelaos Vassiliou, as the Assistant Returning Officer of Presidential Elections.

Nominations by the candidates will be submitted on January 5, 2023 at the “Filoxenia” Conference Center, said Constantinou. They will be submitted between 8 am and 12 noon, at a time to be determined in collaboration with the candidates, he added. Constantinou stated that after the submission of nominations there will be a 6-hour deadline for any possible objections and then, once the deadline has passed, the list of candidates will be formalized. He stated that in the event that more than one nominations are submitted, the vote for the election of the President of the Republic will be held on February 5, 2023 and the second round on February 12, 2023, if necessary.

Regarding the process of registration of Cypriots overseas the electoral roll, he said that this is in progress. “We have statements that correspond to the possibility of holding elections in 19 cities abroad, mainly Greece, the United Kingdom, and some other European countries. This process continues and our fellow citizens temporarily living abroad can register in this special list so that they can transfer their right to vote abroad and this possibility is given until midnight on December 27, 2022,” he said.

He underlined that in order to enable the operation of polling stations abroad, a special electoral roll is drawn up, in which the details of registered voters are transferred from the permanent electoral roll of Cyprus, following a relevant declaration submitted by the interested parties. Constantinou noted that polling stations abroad, according to the legislation, can only operate in those cities where the number of voters who will submit a declaration exceeds fifty.

So far a total of 6,033 declarations for voters abroad have been submitted, said Constantinou. He added that, until now, the electoral roll has 551,758 citizens registered. This, Constantinou clarified, is the regular list where the temporary list that is in progress will be incorporated. Until yesterday, new registrations in the electoral roll reached a total of approximately 7,500. The interest, he noted, is less than that of the corresponding period in the Presidential Elections of 2018. “We still have time and we hope that the number of our fellow citizens who will register this period will also increase,” he said.

Source: Cyprus News Agency