Cabinet expresses regret after reform bills rejected

The government said on Friday rejection of two major reforms by opposition parties ahead of the elections deprived people of the expected benefits.

Government spokesman Kyriacos Koushos said the cabinet had expressed regret over the rejection by the opposition of radical reforms in the justice system and local administration.

Koushos said the cabinet held an informal meeting on Thursday to examine the effects of “the opposition parties’ decision to scupper major reforms, essentially through circumstantial majorities.

“The cabinet expresses regret for the rejection of the reforms because they deprive people of the benefits their adoption would bring,” Koushos said.

The spokesman said the opposition’s stance was a blow to the country’s strategic planning submitted as part of the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility.

“The Recovery and Resilience Facility, worth €1.2bn, sets the approval of the reforms as a precondition for the release of the funds.”

The cabinet also expressed disappointment over the opposition’s stance regarding the state-backed lending bill that deprived businesses of necessary liquidity.

The bill will be discussed on Monday by Diko chairman Nicolas Papadopoulos who wants the auditor-general to be part of the process, something which the government previously rejected.