President assesses welfare and social cohesion policy record

A broad meeting chaired by President Nicos Anastasiades on Wednesday took stock of implementation of measures to achieve a welfare state and social inclusion, focusing on vulnerable groups and society as a whole.

Government spokesman Marios Pelekanos said that special emphasis was given to social cohesion, minimum guaranteed income, low-income pensioners, people with disabilities such as those with autism, support for children, women, and families as well as housing policies.

He said as the end of his term in office approaches, the president wanted to assess what the government has achieved. Wednesday’s meeting – which followed a cabinet session that approved the purchase of five supported living homes for people with disabilities – focused on an inclusive society.

Over the next months, the president will be presenting the work done by the government in all sectors of policy covered by the president’s programme on his election, he added.

“Today’s meeting reviewed the implementation of the president’s programme for a welfare state and a society without exclusions, implementation so far and the progress regarding important aspects relating to the state’s policies not only for vulnerable groups, but the people as a whole,” he said.

Anastasiades will give a press conference in the next few days, with a detailed analysis of work done in this area. Over the next few months, he will give information on every policy area, taking stock of what has been achieved and what is being bequeathed as part of the Cyprus-Tomorrow national plan, Pelekanos added.

Asked whether it was too early to take stock, as things remained to be done, the spokesman said that policies and actions were underway, and that the president would refer not only to what was completed but what was underway.

Earlier, Cabinet approved the purchase of five homes that will serve as assisted living residences for people with disabilities.

The homes are being bought by the department of social inclusion for people with disabilities at a total cost of €2.4m and will be financed by the EU through the recovery and resilience programme Cyprus- Tomorrow, deputy government spokeswoman Niovi Parisinou said in a written statement.

Eleven similar homes are in operation islandwide, co-financed by the European Social Fund, as part of the government’s policy to empower people with disabilities so that they can have access to supported living and integration services, she added.