Day: January 6, 2023

In 2021, ‘Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels’ represented a quarter (25.0%) of EU household expenditure and 17.1% of household expenditure in Cyprus, according to Eurostat, the statistic service of the EU.

Compared to 2020, this category showed a decline of 0.5 percentage points (pp) in the EU and of 1.1 pp in Cyprus (down from 18.2%).

The second largest share in household expenditure in Cyprus in 2021 was in the restaurants and hotels category (15.8%, having increased from 10.2 in 2020). The main largest categories in Cyprus were:

– food and non-alcoholic beverages (14.7% from 15.4%),

– transport (12.1% from 12.8%),

– miscellaneous goods and services (9.8% from 10.5%),

– recreation and culture (remained at 6.8%),

– alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics (5.4% from 5.7%),

– furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance (5.4% from 5,8%),

– clothing and footwear (4.9% from 4.7%),

– education (3.5% from 3.9%),

– communications (2.7% from 2.9%) and

– health (2% from 3.1%).

On the EU level, ‘Food and non-alcoholic beverages’ was the category with the second largest share in household expenditure in 2021. This share also decreased by 0.5 pp, representing 14.3% of total expenditure in 2021.

Transport ranked third in household expenditure categories, representing 12.1% of the total expenditure, up 0.5 pp. This increase is related to the phase-out of COVID-19-related control measures that affected mobility all through the EU.

The same tendency was noted in the ‘Recreation and culture’, ‘Restaurants and hotels’, ‘Health’ and ‘Clothing and footwear’ categories; their total expenditure share increased to 8.0%, 6.6%, 4.7% and 4.2% in 2021 (compared to 7.8%, 6.0%, 4.6% and 4.1% respectively in 2020).

The shares of ‘Furnishings and household equipment’ as well as ‘Education’ costs were stable, representing 6.0% and 0.9% of the total expenditure, the same as in 2020.

Total expenditure shares of ‘Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics’, and ‘Miscellaneous goods and services’ went down by 0.2 pp for both categories, while for ‘Communications’ by 0.1 pp.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Minister of Transport, Giannis Karousos, announced today that a total of 125 smart traffic light systems will be installed in both Nicosia and Limassol, aiming to tackle the traffic congestion issues in the cities.

Speaking to the Press after Epiphany celebration in Ayia Napa, the Minister said that these systems employ AI technology and are able to intercommunicate, in order to effectively control traffic. He explained that these systems will operate as if 125 digital traffic officers would collect data, analyze them and allow priority where and when needed.

He added that, according to records from the application of these systems abroad, traffic jams could be reduced by this technology by 10%-35%. He noted that a similar system has already been put to use in Limassol, at Ayia Fyla roundabout, and added that there was benefit of more than 50%.

Concluding, Karousos said that 80 systems will be installed in Nicosia and 45 in Limassol.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 9.2% in December 2022, down from 10.1% in November according to a flash estimate from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

The annual inflation rate in Cyprus was expected to drop to 7.6% in December, compared to 8.1% in November.

Looking at the main components of euro area inflation, energy is expected to have the highest annual rate in December (25.7%, compared with 34.9% in November), followed by food, alcohol & tobacco (13.8%, compared with 13.6% in November), non-energy industrial goods (6.4%, compared with 6.1% in November) and services (4.4%,compared with 4.2% in November).

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Presidential Commissioner Photis Photiou said Friday that they have information and evidence that might lead to burial sites of missing persons in the occupied areas, adding that the majority of the mass graves are situated around Keryneia.

He wished 2023 to be the year that the first big mass graves will be located.

Photiou said that last year was a disappointing year as regards the discovery of human remains, pointing once again that Turkey is the one responsible for the many hinders in this top humanitarian issue.

The Commissioner said that 48 years after the Turkish invasion we are still looking for the remains of more than 750 people.

He said that this issue is always on the agenda of talks President Anastasiades has with foreign leaders and the EU, which is the main donor of the CMP program.

He called on the international community not to display a double standard approach, pointing out that 48 years is a long time.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Since then, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown.

A Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) has been established, upon agreement between the leaders of the two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying and returning to their relatives the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots, who went missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963-1964 and in 1974.

According to statistical data published on the CMP website by August 1, 2022 out of 2002 missing persons 1,185 were exhumed and 1,027 were identified. Out of 1510 Greek Cypriot missing persons 735 were identified and 775 are still missing. Out of 492 Turkish Cypriot missing persons 292 were identified and 200 are still missing.

Source: Cyprus News Agency