Famagusta Chamber of Commerce conveys labour shortage concerns

The Cyprus government aims to address labour market challenges by facilitating the recruitment of necessary workers from third countries, Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou said during a meeting with the Famagusta Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Evea).

The objective is to ensure a smooth economic development process without hindrances, he added, noting that there has been a reduction in the time required to obtain the relevant permits.

A statement from the Famagusta Chamber of Commerce reported that “during his visit to the Famagusta district on March 1, the Minister of Labour and Social Insurance visited the chamber’s offices and held a meeting with local business representatives and members of organised associations and groups”.

It should be noted that the president of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Keve) Stavros Stavrou was also present.

The meeting addressed “issues that concern labour challenges faced by the business community in the Famagusta district, hindering the smooth operation of their activities”.

The statement specifically stressed the problem of finding the necessary number of workers, which is associated with “time-consuming and bureaucratic procedures for obtaining permits to hire workers from third countries”.

Moreover, according to the announcement, the Labour Minister stated that “there has been a reduction in the time required to obtain the necessary permits”.

In addition, he expressed optimism about this situation, stating that there would be further improvement in the coming period and expressing confidence that there would be adequate staffing where needed.

“The ultimate goal is to ensure that the labour market is staffed appropriately to prevent issues in the country’s economic development process,” the minister said.

At the same time, the minister explained the government’s policies regarding these matters and answered additional questions raised during the meeting.

Finally, Evea president Charalambos Manolis thanked the minister and the Keve president for their visit, describing the meeting as “constructive and useful for all parties involved”.