Pensioners in Paphos have demanded an immediate meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides to discuss the serious issues they face, it was reported on Thursday.

The pensioners’ association (Ekysy) said they had expressed their strong complaints about the government’s “callous attitude and its unwillingness to resolve serious problems that plague [them].”

The statement was the outcome of a meeting held on Tuesday on memorandums over issues that had “remained in the government’s drawers since November 2023 and October 3,” according to the Ekysy announcement.

At the end of the meeting the pensioners staged a protest to symbolically express their indignation. Their demand is for respect and prompt measures to address the “mercilessly” high cost of living, including abolition of the 12 per cent penalty on pensions for those who retire at the age of 63.

They also demanded improved legislation on the widower’s pension for men and coverage of the cost of medicines not included in the national health care scheme.

Additionally, they demanded redress for auto insurance companies unjustifiably increasing car insurance premiums based solely on age.