Statements by General Secretary of the C.C. of S.Stefanou on the meeting with the Young Workers Bureau of EDON

 

13 May 2022, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

I would like to congratulate EDON for the campaign it is carrying out to highlight the major problems facing the young generation in conditions where prices of essential goods have really risen sharply, indeed at a time when young people’s wages and incomes remain stagnant and have been curbed resulting in huge problems for young people to make ends meet.

Of course, EDON’s campaign isn’t just about highlighting the problem, but to put forward numerous proposals to address them. AKEL considers it very important that all of us – primarily the government – must listen to the proposals tabled by youth organisations and more specifically of EDON, a progressive organisation. Young people who are living the problems are in a position to make proposals and these mustn’t be ignored.

AKEL, sharing young people’s concerns about the situation in which they face and supporting EDON’s efforts to tackle this problem, is working in the direction of confronting poverty that does exist and has grown because of the war in Ukraine and the sanctions being imposed on Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine.

AKEL is trying to convince the government through the assumption of various initiatives, both inside and outside Parliament, to take further measures to enable society and the economy to cope, as far as possible, with these extremely harsh conditions. AKEL has tabled a bill proposal to put an end to the double taxation of fuel. A bill proposal for a Law to extend the possibility for the competent Minister to issue a cap on fuel prices has also been put forward.

In Europe, specific decisions have been taken by a number of governments in the EU for caps to be put on both fuel and electricity, as well as essential goods. This tool has not been used here in Cyprus. Profiteering and the oligopolies that exist in important sectors of the economy must also be combatted.

It is also well-known that AKEL tabled a bill proposal, which was subsequently approved by a large majority in Parliament, for the reduction of VAT on the price of electricity. The issue is pending because the President of the Republic referred the bill to the Supreme Court. These and various other proposals, we believe are very important to offer the possibility to people, businesses, society and the economy to address this difficult situation that we are going through.

We congratulate EDON for its efforts and we are on its side, because young people need help in these difficult times that we are going through.