The decisive role of the Technical Support Instrument of the European Commission, which has financed more than 90 reform projects in Cyprus since 2013, was highlighted by Deputy Minister to the President Irene Piki, who addressed on Tuesday a kick-off meeting of a project during which technical assistance will be provided by the EC to the Presidency and the Secretariat for the Coordination and Support of the work of the Government.
The opening meeting took place Tuesday, in the presence the Deputy Director General of the Directorate General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) of the European Commission Judit Rózsa.
Piki said that the Government remains fully committed to the modernization of the state not only for reasons of efficiency, but for the wider benefit of the society. She noted that the project is not just about administrative improvements in the central government, but about strengthening the relationship of trust between the government and its citizens.
According to Piki, strengthening a
ccountability and transparency in public administration is a pillar of our strategy for the reorganization of the state.
The Deputy Minister noted that the establishment of the Secretariat is a crucial step to this end and the authorities will adopt the most appropriate governance model, drawing from international best practices, adapted to the Cypriot reality.
Piki also said that the operational framework of the Presidency has not been revised in depth since the establishment of the Republic and given the constant changes and needs and the increasing complexity of governance, it is vital to modernize the operational model, so as to ensure that it can effectively respond to its responsibilities.
Rózsa, in her address referred to the importance of the project, stressing that the core of the cooperation with the Cypriot authorities is to ensure that public administrations are equipped to create, manage and operate efficient processes, promoting the formulation of policies that ultimately benefit citizens, th
e economy and society.
This initiative, she said, aims to establish and strengthen the capabilities of the Government Project Coordination and Support Secretariat, as well as to review the operational model of the Presidency, which has not been substantially adapted since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus.
During the meeting, the participants were informed about the project context and objectives, the overall approach, the deliverables and schedule, the parties involved, as well as the next steps.
The project is scheduled to be completed in September 2025.
Source: Cyprus News Agency