Privatisations constitute a danger to Cyprus’ national security

 

Statement of Georgos Loucaides, AKEL C.C. Press Spokesperson

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 4th December 2014, Nicosia

 

The confidential report of the Technical Chamber of Cyprus (ETEK) concerning the problems that will develop as a result of the privatization of Semi-governmental organizations, confirms the concerns AKEL expressed about the impact of privatizations on the security of the state. The ETEK report raises very serious national security issues that affect vital services of the state, which the Government is called upon to clarify:

• What will the government do in relation to the confidentiality and integrity of critical and sensitive information if the new owners of Semi-state organizations choose to transfer equipment and data outside Cyprus?

• How will the government address the issue of access to national security information if the new owners develop cooperation with companies that are connected to hostile countries?

• How will the government ensure the confidentiality of the communications of the National Guard and the Police if after the privatization of the Cyprus Electricity Authority (CYTA) it chooses not to implement strict control procedures with regards access to sensitive national security information?

• How will the government tackle problems in remote mountainous areas that will arise for National Guard units, if after their privatization these semi-state organizations choose to abandon these networks?

• What will happen in the case of the organizations choosing to withdraw the old technology upon which vital state services rely on and without which it would be impossible to continue their functioning?

• To what extent will the functioning of essential government services be effected if companies, guided solely by the drive to secure maximum profit, choose not to serve these services as a priority?

The security of the state is non-negotiable and cannot be called into question in order to serve the Government’s ideological obsessions. Privatisations, among other very negative side consequences, constitute a danger to Cyprus’ national security and the government must terminate immediately the privatization process, seeking the renegotiation of the relevant Memorandum provisions.