Greek Cypriot credit card transactions in occupied areas during the first eight months of 2022 amounted €29.37 million, according to data by JCC Smart, as obtained by Cyprus News Agency. This amount is more than double what was paid in the corresponding months in 2019, before the pandemic.
According to the data, the payments during this past August alone, amounted to €4,842,259 surpassing the amount paid during the first eight months of 2021. The JCC data record €29,374,535 of payments in 2022, compared to €13,878,281 in the corresponding period in 2019, and €4,554,166 in 2021.
In 2022, January payments amounted €2.53 million, in February €2.40, in March €2.97, in April €3.78, in May €4.05, in June €4.39 and in July €4.38.
Greek Cypriots use credit cards almost twice as much, after the pandemic, which is also depicted in payments in the Turkish occupied areas.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, after the Turkish invasion, which resulted to the occupation of 37% of the country, at the northern part of the island. Several crossing points operate along the ceasefire line to facilitate the movement of people to and from the island’s northern Turkish occupied areas.
Since the Turkish Cypriot regime lifted partially restrictions on the freedom of movement, in April 2003, these crossing points have made it easier for people to cross over at the specific points which opened over the past 8 years along the 180-kilometre-long ceasefire line.
Source: Cyprus News Agency