Opposition parties criticise economic measures

Opposition party Akel accused President Nikos Christodoulides of “only caring about his public image” on Friday.

The party was reacting to the government’s latest round of economic measures aimed at alleviating the cost-of-living crisis, and were less than impressed with the result.

They said Christodoulides “has no idea what the majority of society is going through in terms of the cost-of-living crisis, from increased interest rates and rising rents to the cost of electricity and fuel.”

They added that the government “does not have a comprehensive plan to deal with the cost-of living crisis and has no intention to draw one up.”

In addition, they said, the government has “completely left the middle class out of any measures and does not realise that the great majority of society has been put under pressure by the cost-of-living crisis.”

They added that the government is “refusing” to take measures taken by other European Union member states, such as a windfall tax on excess profits accrued by banks and energy companies.

Such a tax, they said, would allow “a drastic package of real measures which would support society to be financed.”

Meanwhile, the Green Party called outright for the fuel tax subsidy, which will expire on Monday, to be extended.

They said fuel price increases will “push citizens to resort to buying the cheapest fuel” in the north, adding that “the government must overcome its ideological anchors and agree to discuss consumers’ suggestions.”

“It is unacceptable that they are burdening people with the new wave of high prices which is coming,” they said, calling on the government to “be more serious”.

Disy MP Onoufrios Koulla was also less than impressed by the measures, saying “the government fails to realise that economic conditions are not static and today they are quite different compared to a few years ago.”

Examples of this, he said, include higher interest rates, higher food prices, and higher energy prices.

He added that with the cost-of-living crisis set to worsen in the coming years, “a holistic approach is now needed rather than the one-off measures in which the government indulges every month or two.”