[Cyprus Times] Averoff on Budget 2022: "We aim to significantly increase the per capita income of the Cypriot citizen"

Aim to significantly increase the per capita income of the Cypriot citizen, Neophytou said What the President of DISY said at the Plenary Session of the Parliament

Our goal in the coming years is to significantly increase the per capita income of the Cypriot citizen and we have the prospects and the vision to achieve this, DISY President Averof Neophytou said in his speech on the 2022 state budget before the Plenary Session of the House of Representatives.

He added that for there to be economic, social and political stability, it is a prerequisite for DISY to continue governing the country in cooperation with other forces.

Neophytou referred to DISY's vision of a quality, modern, business-friendly state, which provides incentives and invests in research and innovation, which will serve, and not inconvenience citizens.

A digitally transformed state, he said, which will open paths for start-up entrepreneurship and through development support vulnerable groups. That supports and empowers, he added, the potential of dynamic sectors of the economy."That creates new growth sectors in which there is potential, such as education, health, energy, start-ups, research and technology, green growth and the blue economy, to make us a regional centre of growth and a pole of investment.""That creates new growth sectors in which there is potential, such as education, health, energy, start-ups, research and technology, green growth and the blue economy, to make us a regional centre of growth and a pole of investment. To continue encouraging economic activity, with as low a tax burden and bureaucracy as possible." Mr. Neophytou called for the passage of this year's state budget, a growth budget with an increase in social spending that contributes to the development of the Cypriot economy.Regarding the YESY, Neophytou said that "the AKEL government shelved it, while the DISY government implemented it". He fully agreed with the President of DIKO, Nicolas Papadopoulos, that we must protect this blessing of YESY by beating abuses and illegalities and by fully implementing what we passed. He added that he himself was a supporter of the multi-insurance scheme but voted for the mono-insurance scheme so that the Cypriot patient could have GESY. He also expressed satisfaction that the Secretary General of AKEL also stressed the need to take corrective measures.

He also referred to the reform of the Minimum Guaranteed Income, saying that it was rightly implemented when the country had 18% unemployment to protect those in need. However, as he said, in an economy where one of the main problems is the lack of human resources there is a need through social dialogue to reconsider not the abolition but the improvement of this reform framework.He referred to the Plan "Cyprus Tomorrow", which is the new necessary model of development for the next day. For this to happen, he said, we must "use the 4.5 billion allocated for the Cypriot economy from the Recovery Fund with the same seriousness and responsibility to build on what we have achieved through the radical reforms already implemented in the country". He said that with the "National Recovery and Resilience Plan", the Plan "Cyprus - Tomorrow", the crisis is again being turned into an opportunity, and "we are giving our own response, our own design to the challenges of the next day". He called on all MPs to give our country the opportunity it deserves, for a better future for our children and grandchildren. He also said that in the parliamentary elections the citizens sent many important messages, the most important of which was the demand to move on to breakthroughs and ruptures in the direction of a modern European country.To this end, he referred to the need to organise the central and local administration, the administration of justice and equality, the service of the citizen and the use of technology, the fight against systemic corruption, the fight against climate change and the building of a new, healthy and sustainable economic model where Cyprus will dynamically progress. At the same time, he said that the biggest reform that will radically change the fate of Cyprus is the solution of the Cyprus problem."As long as our homeland remains divided and under occupation, the visions of Cypriot Hellenism remain unfulfilled. Unfortunately, however, Turkey remains trapped in the role of agitator. B-31]

Acknowledging the difficulties, he said that there is no lack of will on the part of the Democratic Rally and President Anastasiades to overcome these difficulties.

"We know that Turkey's illegalities, harassment and provocations will not disappear without a resumption of dialogue. "We know that Turkey's illegalities, harassment and provocations will not disappear without a resumption of dialogue. So, we support the President's efforts," he said.

He added that we all need to pass the message abroad that we are ready for the resumption of talks whenever the UN Secretary General chooses.

He also said that "lessons in patriotism from AKEL are good to be limited", since it is the party that said no to cement yes and "we have reached the point of cementing partition."

Regarding the health crisis, he said that the positive results in the health response to the pandemic are first of all due to the responsible attitude of our fellow citizens. We quickly owe them, he said, even better developments.

He also said that "we have managed not only to deal with the economic impact but also to turn the climate in the economy around, resulting in the current high growth rates. Growth that means jobs, turnover, income, dignity."

He said he was proud that the Government and the Democratic Rally, and through a national consensus, "stood by society in another crisis."

He also said that the growth rate for 2021 will approach 6% compared to a contraction of 5.1% in 2020. At the same time, he said, we have already reached levels of almost full employment.

He added that on this basis they will build not only for 2022 but for the future of the country as a whole. With action, programme and focus. If last year we were talking here about an emergency budget, which did its best by safeguarding the health of our fellow human beings and supporting the economy, today we are talking about a growth budget. A budget that does not aim at short-term party benefit but at tomorrow."

Responding to references by the Secretary General of AKEL, Mr. Neophytou, he said that our party gave lessons in economics, a party that "delivered a bankrupt economy, rated in the rubbish category", that doubled the public debt and recorded the biggest recession it had ever known, raised unemployment to 16-18%, who filled the country with social groceries, who cut the banner of labour, the ATA, who with their own bills in 2012 cut social benefits, shut us out of the markets and led us to the troikas.

He added that currently the economy in the midst of a pandemic is recording economic growth rates approaching 6%, above the European average.

He also said that what AKEL attributes to DISY, the President of the Republic of Cyprus was decided in seven consecutive elections from 2013 to 2021, with seven consecutive defeats of AKEL in the historically low percentages of his party.

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