AKEL on government bill: Loans are not supportive
Statements by AKEL Press Spokesperson Stefanos Stefanou
8th May 2020, ‘Astra’ radio station
Loans are not supportive, AKEL Press Spokesperson Stefanos Stefanou told ‘Astra’ radio station asked to comment on the bills approved by the Ministry of Finance yesterday. He recalled that the bill on state guarantees to banks for the provision of loans was not approved by the House of Representatives given that all parties – except ruling DISY – had taken rejected it, underlining that in a time of crisis it is not lending that businesses want, but support measures.
The issue of state guarantees remains, S.Stefanou said, and the government will have to re-table them so as to discuss what criteria exist regarding which companies can be included. In the government bill, he said, there was a big problem not only of transparency, but also with the banks’ control over to whom and how loans will be given. The AKEL Spokesperson added that there was no mechanism in the bill as to who controls the government, but the bill gives extraordinary powers to the Minister of Finance to change the guarantee rate.
AKEL, S. Stefanou said, will await the bills as the issue will have to be examined by the parliamentary finance committee on Monday and then go to the Plenary of the House on Friday. However, he noted, enough time to study the bills must be given as this is not the first time the government misleads parliament by providing wrong information.
With regards the issue of rents, S. Stefanou pointed out that after all the pressure that has been exercised, the government decided to finally send its proposals which he said would be studied.
