Statements by General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL S.Stefanou during a tour of the Limassol industrial zone

 

2 November 2021, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

Today we are touring the industrial zone of Limassol, not by chance. At a very difficult time for the economy and society, due to the huge increases in the price of raw materials, but also essential necessities, we have sought to talk to people who have industrial and production units to see how price hikes have affected their work. At the same time, we have talked to workers who are employed in these units.

It is a fact that during the difficult times we are going through as a country, bearing in mind this wave of price hikes, specific and targeted state intervention is demanded so that we can support production units, support the economy and also provide support to workers and households.

In our discussion with people, both businessmen and workers, various issues were raised which we will use by turning them into proposals so that we can demand from the government that action must be taken in a targeted way to help the economy, society and households. It is well known that AKEL, as part of our efforts – very specifically to help relieve households – has submitted a specific draft bill aiming at reducing the Value Added Tax on electricity from 19% to 9%. This is something the European Commission’s toolbox has proposed to member states.

 

At the same time, we are also calling for and struggling in Parliament for the abolition of the Value Added Tax on fuel consumption tax. This is a distortion. It has been there for many, many years. The government has been urged countless times to correct this distortion. Unfortunately, the government is simply satisfied with having revenues which are today much higher because of the big increase in fuel prices too. Therefore, with the aim of helping society and the economy, AKEL is elaborating very specific proposals and at the same time submitting them to Parliament so that the necessary decisions can be taken to help the economy and society.

Q: As your criticism of the government and the President is constant calling on him to resign and as this whole state of affairs is continuing, how do you see developments evolving?

SS: If only the problem was just AKEL’s criticism of the President. Those who are constantly criticising the President and pointing the finger at him are international organisations and media. In Europe and around the world the President and DISY government have made headline news. Cyprus has been humiliated internationally for some years now as a tax haven, as a country that provides facilities to fraudsters. That is why the well-known statement came out from the BBC, referring to the President of the Republic as the “offshore President”. Therefore, the problem isn’t AKEL, but rather the attitudes of the President and DISY government, who are humiliating Cyprus.

Instead of protecting our country, as any government should do, this government is simply engaging in the communication management of the situation on the domestic front. It isn’t interested in what is being said abroad. We are paying an enormous price as a country and economy, because Cyprus has made a bad name for itself due to the policies pursued by the DISY government.

We shall continue to highlight this and stress the need for the situation in Cyprus to change. Since we are under no illusions that the President and the DISY government will now work in a different direction from the one they have been on for almost nine years, that is why we are working to create the preconditions so that we can achieve progressive change in 2023.

Q: Have you agreed on a candidate?

SS; The processes in AKEL have not yet started. We have procedures provided for in the Party statutes. We will implement these procedures and I repeat our goal will be to see how we serve as best as possible the fulfillment of the goal of achieving progressive change in the country.