Alpha Bank Cyprus this week announced that it conducted a special event on Tuesday, November 14, at its headquarters in Nicosia, in support of Men’s Health Awareness Month, in order to raise awareness about prostate cancer.

The informative event is part of the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility Programme, focusing on preventing the most commonly occurring cancer affecting thousands worldwide annually.

Encouraging staff members to grow moustaches and actively participate in advocating for men’s health, Alpha Bank’s “Shave-off” event took place with the involvement of MAN-VAN, Movember Cyprus’s specially designed mobile barbershop.

Movember’s campaign serves as an opportunity to emphasise the significance of early detection and prevention of prostate cancer while highlighting the need for support not only for men facing the disease but also for their families.

Elena Constantinou Riri, Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Alpha Bank Cyprus Ltd, underlined the importance of this campaign, stating that “at Alpha Bank Cyprus Ltd, we acknowledge the importance of prevention and raising awareness of men’s health”.

“This year, within the framework of our bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility Program, we decided to participate in the Movember campaign,” she added.

“It represents an additional step in informing and sensitizing our staff about all aspects concerning the prevention and fight against prostate cancer,” Constantinou concluded.

The Minister of Energy, Commerce, and Industry, George Papanastasiou, this week highlighted the government’s commitment to aiding businesses through programmes aiming for substantial energy cost reduction, modernisation, innovation, digitalisation, and green investments.

Speaking at the General Assembly of the Famagusta Chamber of Commerce, he emphasised the government’s efforts to address contemporary challenges while being sensitive to society, the environment, and the people.

Supporting businesses of all categories through such programmes, he stated, remains a prime objective.

The ministry has secured €245 million, part of the 2021-2027 period, to assist companies, co-financed by the Republic of Cyprus and the European Commission, under the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the “THALIA 2021-2027” programme.

Moreover, the Minister mentioned upcoming initiatives to bolster major enterprises and promote the circular economy.

He explained that the ministry aims to support businesses effectively in the Famagusta district, aligning with the president’s announcement to modify the framework for electricity production from Renewable Energy Sources (RES) for self-consumption.

Additionally, the ministry is revising Category E, allowing an increase in the capacity of photovoltaic systems installed from 150 kW to 400 kW without storage systems and from 500 kW to 1,000 kW for systems combined with storage.

Recognising that business in Ammochostos extends beyond tourism, the minister highlighted the allocation of seven industrial plots over the past two years for new unit operation within the Frenaros Industrial Estate.

Consequently, out of the 64 available plots, 58 companies are now established in the area, reflecting the government’s efforts toward further industrial zone growth in Frenaros.

The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) ended Thursday, November 16 with losses.

The general Cyprus Stock Market Index was at 127.02 points at 13:44 during the day, reflecting a decrease of 0.05 per cent over the previous day of trading.

The FTSE / CySE 20 Index was at 77.10 points, remaining stable from the previous day.

The total value of transactions came up to €92,452.

In terms of the sub-indexes, the main and alternative indexes fell by 0.18 per cent and 0.38 per cent respectively, while the hotel and investment firm indexes presented no change.

The biggest investment interest was attracted by the Bank of Cyprus (-0.68 per cent), K+G Complex (-1.83 per cent), Petrolina (no change), Blue Island (+9.66 per cent), and Hellenic Bank (no change).