The debate continued on Wednesday in the Parliamentary Committee on Institutions on the Amendment Law on the Control of Employment in the Private Sector by Former State Officials and Certain Former Employees of the Public Sector and the Wider Public Sector.
The Commission is expected to conclude the debate shortly with the inclusion of remaining changes, in order to send the text to the plenary for a vote before the summer holidays.
The debate concerns the inclusion in the list of state officials who are in the A13 scale and above, and who, will have to seek permission from the independent select committee to practice any profession in any field within the first two years from the date of retirement or termination of service or tenure.
The Chairman of the Committee, DISY MP Demetris Demetriou said at the beginning of the session that as a Parliament and as a Committee, we do not want to go after anyone ""just to go after them."
"We want to serve transparency, equality and egalitarianism. This law does not prohibit anybody from working, simply, to work you have to get special permission from the three-member committee," he added.
The term "state official" also included security forces, such as the Chief of Police and the Chief of the Fire Service, while the discussion focused on whether the Chief of the National Guard (NF) should also be included, given that he is Greek, and whether there would be a way to apply the law if he is employed by a company in Greece within the two years after the end of his term of office without the special permit.
AKEL MP, Irini Charalambidou, expressed the opinion that there should be a clear provision in the law so that state officials, who may find work abroad within the two years without asking for permission, know that they will be prosecuted, either outside or inside Cyprus.
A representative of the Legal Service said that perhaps the opinion of the Ministry of Defence should be needed on the inclusion of the Chief and Deputy Chief of the AF, as the consultation that had taken place with that Ministry was for the inclusion of officers and non-commissioned officers.
The Committee also discussed whether the Governor and the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank should be included in this list.
A representative of the Central Bank, who was invited to the meeting, informed the Committee that the Central Bank Law already includes regulations restricting the taking of a position or acquisition of interest in certain institutions, including credit, financial and their subsidiaries, payment institutions, electronic money, and insurance companies, and prohibits taking a position for a period of two years after the termination of the Governor's or Deputy Governor's appointment and there is no possibility to seek special permission.
He also mentioned that there is a mechanism to control where the Governor can be employed and through the European Central Bank.
It was expressed by Mr. Demetriou and PPP MP, Marinos Mousiutta, that the provisions of the Central Bank Act are stricter than what they are considering.
Demetriou said he believes there is no reason to include these two offices.
Source: CNA
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