House withholds funds for new government buildings
The House finance committee on Monday decided to ‘cross’, or put on hold, some €33 million in funds earmarked for the purchase of two buildings that will house various government services.
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Proofreading hampers creation of deputy culture ministry
One of the four bills comprising the recently passed legislative package creating a junior ministry for culture has yet to be sent by parliament to the relevant government departments so ...
Municipal debt tops €220 million
Municipalities are indebted to the tune of some €220 million – money which the central government has undertaken to repay.
According to the state treasury’s fiscal report for 2021, at the end ...
Anonymity for burner phones coming to an end
After more than a decade of back-and-forth, parliament appears ready to finally bring to the plenum a bill obliging users of burner phones to identify themselves.
Marinos Mousiouttas, chair of ...
House rejects president’s referral on municipal reform
By a majority vote, parliament on Thursday gave the thumbs-down to President Nicos Anastasiades’ challenge to legislation on local government reform – the fate of which could now hang in the ...
Zelenskiy addresses parliament, calls on Cyprus to close ports to Russian ships (Updated)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday called on Cyprus to close its ports to all Russian ships and to deny “privileges” to Russian nationals, as part of an effort to ...
EU will be lobbied to restrict arms sales to Turkey, MPs hear
The government will lobby European Union nations to get them to reduce armaments sales to Turkey, and has asked parliament to assist in that effort.
The issue was discussed at ...
Co-operation between Cyprus, Greece and Israel ‘unbreakable’
The foreign ministers of Cyprus, Greece and Israel on Tuesday reiterated their commitment to a ‘strategic alliance’ of the three nations, pledging to expand cooperation in an otherwise turbulent region.
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Some businesses may be exempt from annual audits
The finance ministry and the tax department on Tuesday indicated their agreement for certain companies to be exempt from annual audits.
The discussion took place at the House commerce committee, ...
Government expected to announce support for farmers
In the coming days the government will announce new measures to support the agriculture and animal husbandry sectors, hit by soaring commodity prices, while stocks of grains are adequate until ...
No RES tax on transport, for now
The government does not intend for the moment to levy a renewable energy sources (RES) tax on road transport, the energy ministry said Monday.
In a statement, the ministry was ...
House discusses new procedures for bank licences
The House finance committee on Monday discussed a bill that would make companies applying for a bank licence to pay the processing fee.
Under the legislation, the Central Bank would ...
Akamas dispute threatens to unravel local government reform
The reform of local government, enacted last month by the House amid much pomp, could now unravel after President Nicos Anastasiades has refused to sign off on a section of ...
Was closure of RCB as a bank avoidable?
The ‘controlled resolution’ of RCB in the wake of the Ukraine crisis is a minor bump in the road compared to the 2013 crisis, but one expert says it could have ...
Resources for refugees and migrants stretched to the limit
Cyprus faces a serious problem coping with the number of migrants arriving here daily, while the current Ukraine refugee crisis means less attention and resources diverted to people coming in ...
Unit coordinating investigating corruption holds first meeting
A newly established unit coordinating the investigation of corruption cases convened for the first time on Thursday, with attorney-general Giorgos Savvides stressing that the department and its work are distinct ...
House passes law to create deputy ministry of culture
Parliament on Thursday passed legislation establishing a junior ministry of culture under the umbrella of the education ministry.
The voting went 34 for, 13 against – with the MPs of main opposition Akel ...
Airborne unit of forestry department will stop flying sorties from May 1
Forestry department staff of the airborne unit will not fly firefighting sorties from next month in protest at the government’s ongoing indifference to their longstanding demands.
In a press ...
Coronavirus: Two deaths, 4,349 people test positive (Updated)
Authorities on Thursday announced two more deaths attributed to Covid-19, while testing tracked 4,349 new positives.
The latest fatalities were two men, aged 85 and 62.
That takes the death toll since March 2020 ...
Suspect in major drugs case found dead in cell, foul play ruled out
A suspect in a major drug haul case was on Thursday found dead in his cell in Limassol, with the police all but ruling out foul play.
The man, a 61...
British bases delay over title deeds ‘unacceptable’
Parliamentarians on Tuesday accused the administration of the Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) of “a display of sovereignty” in not approving the issuing of title deeds to refugees living in self-housing ...
Three Russians on latest sanctions list have Cyprus passports
A senior government official said Tuesday that three individuals subject to EU sanctions in relation to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine hold a Cyprus passport, adding that checks are ongoing, ...
Moves to fast track licences for RES projects
Lawmakers on Tuesday continued discussing three bills aimed at promoting the penetration of renewables in the energy mix, including fast-track licensing through the creation of a one-stop-shop.
“We are introducing ...
Proposal tabled to allow clubs to issue fan ID cards
Lawmakers on Wednesday began discussing a bill that would have individual sports clubs – rather than the local sports governing body – issue ID fan cards.
The legislative proposal, tabled by Edek ...