The government doesn’t have solutions to benefit the economy and society

Statement by AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Stefanos Stefanou on the 2019 Budget

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 30 October 2018, Nicosia

The presentation and discussion on the 2019 State Budget, which took place yesterday in the House of Representative’s Finance Committee, confirmed our perception of the Anastasiades-DISY government’s policy.

The government isn’t worried, nor is it interested in the problems the Cyprus economy is facing.

Firstly, the government is not worried about the imbalances in the developmental model being pursued, as well as about the “bubbles” that are being created and threatening the economy. Secondly, the government isn’t worried about the problems the banking system is facing. Thirdly, the government isn’t interested in the deregulation that has been caused in the labour market, about social insecurity, low wages and the abolition of working people’s rights in the labour market.

Furthermore, the government is also not worried about the decline in the Cyprus economy’s competitiveness. It isn’t concerned about the fact that oligopolies and cartels of big companies are imposing high prices on essential goods. The government isn’t worried about the corruption and interwoven interests that are increasing in our country, hence the decline Cyprus recorded in the relevant indicators.

The government is also not interested in the manifold problems that a significant section of our society is facing. It believes that somehow these will be resolved in a magical way through the development of the economy. That is why the government does not foresee the implementation of any substantive policy whatsoever to provide support to the vulnerable groups of the population so as to protect basic social goods such as housing, health and education. The government is not interested in protecting labour. On the contrary it is undermining it. It is therefore not a coincidence that Cyprus is at the top of the European Union’s table as regards social inequality, the risk of poverty and the sharp fall in wages. The government is provoking all these problems as a result of the anti-social policies it is imposing.