Cyprus Business Now

The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Keve) on Friday announced that it offering grants between €2,000 and €5,000 for the development of the domestic Bee Economy, through a new purpose-built scheme, as part of its participation in the European MedBEESinessHubs project.

According to the announcement, the presentation of the new scheme will take place on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the chamber’s headquarters in Nicosia. The event is open to all interested parties, while registration is required.

The Bee Economy pertains to individuals engaged in the production, processing, and reproduction of bee-derived products like beeswax, honey, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly, among things.

In addition, it also includes those who provide services and activities related to bees.

Sponsorships are addressed to natural persons, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

The deadline for submitting applications is Wednesday, May 10, 2023.

Guidelines for completing the applications will be provided during the informational event, while the forms related to the scheme will be posted on the chamber’s website after the event.

During the event, the MedBEESinessHubs online exhibition space will also be presented, where bee-businesses will be able to promote their products and services for free.

The specific electronic platform will additionally provide online educational seminars in the field of beekeeping and other related economic activities, as well as a guided tour of the tourist routes that have been developed around the thematic axis of the bee.

The platform has been developed by the company “Filagrotiki Consulting”, a partner in the consortium of the MedBEESinessHubs project.

A report released by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat) this week showed that there was an increase in the number of registered unemployed in March 2023, both on a real and seasonally adjusted basis, compared to the same period last year.

According to the report, the number of registered unemployed at the end of March 2023 reached 14,197 persons.

However, based on seasonally adjusted data, which shows the trend in unemployment, the number of registered unemployed fell to 13,724 persons, compared to 13,903 in April.

Despite the decrease in seasonally adjusted data, the number of registered unemployed based on seasonally adjusted data increased by 319 persons compared to March 2022.

In addition, the data kept in the District Labour Offices reflected an increase in the number of unemployed persons by 379 persons or 2.7 per cent compared to March 2022.

The increase in unemployed persons was mainly attributed to the sectors of financial and insurance activities, accommodation and catering services, human health and social care activities, information and communication, and transport and storage.

There was a 45.8 per cent increase in the total value of building permits issued in January 2023 compared to January 2022, according to a report released on Friday by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat).

The total area provided for in the permits also increased by 28.5 per cent compared to last year.

The number of building permits issued by municipal authorities and provincial administrations in January 2023 amounted to 590, of which 412 concerned residential buildings.

The total value of these licenses reached €241.3 million, with the planned construction of 938 residential units.

The number of residential units showed an increase of 46.6 per cent. Of these, 216 are detached houses, 60 are semi-detached houses, 620 are residential apartment buildings, and 42 are mixed apartment buildings.

Building permits are an essential indicator of future activity in the construction sector.