A new bill to tackle delays and gaps in filling first-appointment vacancies in Cyprus’ public service could be tabled in Parliament this autumn, senior official at the department of public administration and personnel Maria Kleanthous said on Wednesday.

She told the House institutions committee that authorities are preparing legislation to solve problems that arise when there are no qualified candidates, or when candidates turn down job offers. The committee continued its self-initiated inquiry into the proper functioning of the Republic’s institutions, following proposals from MPs Demetris Demetriou of Disy and Irene Charalambides of Akel.

Demetriou, who chairs the committee, said the discussion was prompted by a letter the panel received from the public service commission (PSC) concerning job openings planned for 2026. He added he will submit a bill to the House plenary on July 10, seeking to abolish annex B of the 2022 law on the evaluation of candidates for promotion, interdepartmental promotion, and first appointment and promotion in the public service.

PSC member Doros Iliodorou said digital governance is progressing slowly, adding that in a few years there may be no need for support staff.

Galatia Ioannou of the PSC, responding to a question from Diko MP Zacharias Koulias, said that in 2022, 104 people applied for prison warden posts. She said appointment offers were made to 11 individuals, of whom seven accepted.

Iliodorou said some people express interest in public jobs but do not show up for exams. He also argued that the department of prisons should offer higher pay to wardens and adjust qualification requirements based on candidates’ backgrounds. He noted there is also a shortage of forest officers because the Forest College closed many years ago.

He further cited examples of public service positions that attract few applicants due to uncompetitive salaries. He proposed reducing first-appointment posts, increasing scientific-scale positions at A8 level, advancing digital reform and the use of artificial intelligence, and outsourcing services where necessary. He also called on the department of public administration to consider how office staff will be utilised in the coming years.

Iliodorou described delays, bureaucracy, and costs linked to advisory committees that conduct special written examinations. Akel MP Andreas Pasiourtides questioned how many current public officers avoid pursuing first-appointment or promotion posts, suggesting that capable people feel discouraged from seeking public service jobs. Demetriou said department heads “have found a trick” by citing exceptions and repeatedly requesting new staff. He argued that if there is a problem with the nature and content of examinations, it cannot be solved merely by requesting exemptions. He also asked how many interdepartmental promotions have actually been completed.

Dipa MP Marinos Mousiouttas said the PSC and the department of public administration should hold consultations on the problems identified in hiring and filling posts to pinpoint areas requiring changes. Iliodorou said many candidates request to be assessed under list B, which requires special exams. Yet many of these candidates do not attend the exams when held, he added.

MP Alexandra Attalides said the approach to public service exams must change completely. She argued that the department of public administration should already have a plan for ongoing training of employees and asked about its strategy for a more effective public service with fewer staff. Kleanthous, replying to Mousiouttas, said there has been communication between her department and the PSC since 2023 to tackle the problems.

She said the main issues include that recruitment procedures are not targeted because they occur before positions are formally announced, and that candidates frequently transfer into public service positions. She added that recent years’ exams tend to favour graduates of science fields, disadvantaging graduates of humanities disciplines. Kleanthous said her department is working on draft legislation to address these problems, which may be submitted to Parliament in autumn.

Konstantinos Zachariades, speaking for the Pasydy civil servants’ union, said only nine public service posts are exempt from mandatory examinations. These posts, listed under annex C of the 2022 law, include state prosecutors, lawyers of the Republic, diplomatic staff, aircraft operators, forest department engineers, aviation officers, air navigation officers, flight operations officers, and air traffic controllers. He also said there should be a discussion about creating a prison wardens’ school.

Iliodorou urged the Committee to call a meeting to examine public service staffing plans, which, he said, must be modernised. No decisions were taken at the meeting.