President Nikos Christodoulides on Friday approved a vacation subsidy scheme for low-income pensioners in Cyprus, allowing them to take discounted holidays in resorts and hotels located in rural areas of the island and in the village of Kato Pyrgos.

Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou said the scheme was approved by the Council of Ministers, with details following in the upcoming days.

He confirmed that the scheme’s official start date is June 16 and that an announcement detailing the names of the participating resorts and hotels is still being drafted.

“This is a very important programme for the government,” Panayiotou said. “The beneficiaries are pensioners with low incomes who struggle to cope with the difficulties and challenges of everyday life and the increased cost of living.”