Cyprus is paying very expensive electricity prices because of the government’s failure on energy issues

 

Statement by AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Giorgos Koukoumas

21 November 2022, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

The Finance Minister’s admission of the DISY government’s failure to promote Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and the inadequacy of the Cyprus Electricity Authority’s distribution network (AHK) confirms AKEL’s persistent warnings. All that the DISY government is forced to admit today adds to its ten years rule of failure to import natural gas for the production of electricity and to proceed with energy storage projects. And all this while the government’s refusal to tax the excess profits of energy companies, as well as its refusal to hold competitive tenders for renewable energy sources so as to ensure cheap electricity continues. The government’s refusal to allocate half of the revenues from the fines for pollutants to renewables, as required by European directives and Cypriot legislation, also continues.

The DISY government doesn’t put an end to the matter by issuing a belated “mea culpa” or by shifting the blame ON to the Board of Directors of AHK when it itself is the one taking the decisions. The government’s responsibilities and failures have cost the country, society and the Cyprus economy. These failures mean energy insecurity for the country and very expensive electricity prices for the Cypriot people.

Today the government ruling forces cannot but do anything other than admit their abject failure on energy. However, they have long refused to respond to AKEL’s repeated initiatives and proposals – even in a meeting with the President of the Republic himself – on energy issues. However, everyone now knows that there can be no expectations from this outgoing government on energy issues either.

Hope and proposals exist in Andreas Mavroyiannis’ nine-pillar energy programme, which focuses on the shift to renewables through a fully costed Green Transition Fund and the provision of cheap electricity for consumers.