On his first official visit to Hellenic Bank since Eurobank Group’s acquisition, CEO Fokion Karavias underscored his commitment to providing tangible support, accompanied by deputy CEO Stavros Ioannou.

During their visit, Eurobank’s top executives, joined by Hellenic CEO Michalis Louis, toured the bank’s branches, business centres, and the Technology and Digital Development Centre in Nicosia, underscoring their focus on enhancing customer relations and accelerating digital transformation.

Meanwhile, a meeting at Hellenic’s headquarters with senior management emphasized Eurobank’s commitment to advancing the organization’s growth and service quality.

In parallel, Cyprus saw notable fiscal progress, with a government surplus that rose by €469.9 million from January to August 2024, reaching €1.36 billion or 4.3 per cent of GDP, compared to 3.0 per cent of GDP in the same period last year.

Cystat’s preliminary data attributed this growth to a significant revenue boost, totaling €9.29 billion, an increase driven by a 13.0 per cent rise over the previous year’s revenue of €8.22 billion.

Aligned with the economic momentum, executives from Cyprus’ banking and real estate sectors gathered Monday to discuss harmonizing remittance regulations with European standards.

The meeting between the Cyprus Land and Building Developers Association (LBDA) and the Cyprus Bank Association (CBA) also examined ways to streamline housing loan approvals, notably for projects awaiting building permits.

This initiative is part of a broader strategy aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and facilitating economic growth in Cyprus, as highlighted by the LBDA.

Elsewhere in the Mediterranean region, sustainability took centre stage, with Cyprus’ Deputy Minister of Tourism Costas Koumis calling for immediate joint actions to protect the Mediterranean’s coasts and seas at a ministerial meeting in Messinia, Greece.

Organised by Greek Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni, the event celebrated the launch of the “Research and Monitoring Centre for Coastal and Maritime Tourism in the Eastern Mediterranean.” Koumis stressed the essential need for environmental protection to preserve the “sun and sea” allure that has made the region a global tourism hotspot, with sustainable tourism practices aimed at securing the Mediterranean’s natural appeal for the future.

On Tuesday, the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) experienced a substantial rise, with the general index reaching 199.36 points at noon, marking an increase of 2.29 per cent from the previous session.

Meanwhile, the FTSE/CySE 20 Index rose by 2.33 per cent, standing at 121.47 points. Total transaction values hit €855,870.65.

Examining the performance across sectors, the main market surged by 2.99 per cent, the alternative market saw a modest rise of 0.07 per cent, and the investment market recorded a strong gain of 6.55 per cent, while the hotels index remained steady.

The most actively traded stocks included Bank of Cyprus, with a transaction volume of €405,874.60, up by 5.26 per cent.

Hellenic Bank followed with €266,316.16 in trades, experiencing a 0.98 per cent decline.

Other significant movers were Dimitra Investment, up 6.67 per cent with €119,484.19 traded, Logicom, increasing by 1.35 per cent with €40,678.60 in transactions, and Cyprus Cement Public Company, up 0.67 per cent with a volume of €10,545.