AKEL’s position for the preservation of the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority’s public character is longstanding

Statement by AKEL MP Aristos Damianou after the meeting of the Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee

1 March 2024

Whenever we have representatives of the semi-governmental organisation Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (Cyta) before us, we reaffirm our correct and long-standing position that there are semi-public organisations which, with good governance and management, transparency and insight, can grow and develop.

And we are particularly pleased that, in a highly competitive environment, Cyta, a public utility organisation, remains a leader in the areas in which it operates. Both in the digital transition and in digital upgrading, as well as in terms of quality mobile networks, but also in general, Cyta manages to remain a pioneering organization in its areas of activity.

At the same time, we had the opportunity to ask questions regarding the agreement reached with the staff and trade unions. In general, we are satisfied with the answers given, although there are some specific issues that need further clarification.

That is precisely why we have asked the Ministry of Finance to inform us whether it adopts the agreement that has been reached. Because it should be understood that if the Ministry of Finance tries to change the balance that has been struck between the trade unions and the management and Cyta board, there may be problems.

At the same time, as we do with other semi-public organizations, our intention is to submit a proposal to freeze the funds related to the purchase of services from individuals and legal entities. This is a practice that we apply across the board and we believe that it strengthens both the exercise of parliamentary scrutiny and the possibility of transparency in relation to the management of public money.

01.03.2024