The Ministry of Finance has submitted to Parliament the second supplementary budget for 2022, in which the total amount of additional appropriations required amounts to €171.8 million,. The burden on the budget balance from the adoption of the proposed Supplementary Budget proposal amounts to 0.64% of GDP.
These additional expenditures relate to the extension of the implementation of a number of anti-coronavirus measures in the first months of 2022 and extraordinary expenditure as a consequence of the war in Ukraine. Also, as reported by the Ministry of Finance, there have been a number of requests submitted by Independent Agencies/ Ministries/ Ministries of State/ Departments to the Ministry of Finance to cover additional needs for strengthening defence armour, fire prevention, social benefits, health benefits, sports as well as other requests. The need also arose to amend Article 16 of the Budget Act as well as the creation/abolition/renaming of positions.
The major expenditures listed in the supplementary budget relate to: Special Independent Services €6.4 million, Defence Armour €52.8 million, Water Purchase €36 million and OEDA €2 million, Allowance for Pensioners with Service during the Turkish Invasion €2.6 million and Social Pension €2.98 million approximately.
Furthermore, housing programmes targeting refugee beneficiaries €2.5 million, a grant for the repair and maintenance of occupied churches €1.3 million, a contribution to the Capital Financing Investment Fund €10 million.
Also, repayment of arrears owed by the Municipality of Lakatamia to the Water Development Department €3.4 million, repayment of a loan for dockers €5.8 million, sponsorship to the Cyprus Sports Organisation for the completion of the Limassol Stadium - €4.5 million and recruitment of temporary teaching staff at all levels of education - approximately €4 million.
Also provision of inpatient services for people/patients with neurological diseases at the EOKA Fighters' Hospital for rehabilitation purposes, services which have not yet been included in the GESY - approximately €2 million and purchase of medicines and vaccines - approximately €31 million. approximately,
Needs that have arisen
As stated in the note of the Ministry of Finance, the need has arisen to rename the positions of President of the Commercial Court to Commercial Court Judges and to create two new positions of Judge of the Maritime Court, in accordance with the Law providing for the establishment and operation of the Commercial Court and the Maritime Court/
Still, the need for the creation of a new Chapter, based on the Law on the Establishment and Operation of the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority of 2022 and the expenses for the operation of the Authority including the creation of the posts and salaries of the Transparency Commissioner and the four Members of the Authority, for seven months.
Also the need to create a new Chapter under the Establishment of the State Ministry of Culture and Related Matters Act, 2022, and the expenses for the operation of the State Ministry, including the creation of the posts of the Deputy Minister of Culture under the President, and his advisors/associates and the Director General of the Deputy Ministry, and by extension their salaries for six months, as well as the inclusion/transfer of provision for the sponsorship of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra and the Cyprus Theatre Organisation, for six months.
It also resulted in the incorporation of the new names of two Ministries in the Budget following the passing of relevant legislation, which are renamed the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance from the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance and the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth,
Also the need to rename the posts of Assistant Attorney General, Assistant Auditor General and Assistant Accountant General to Assistant Attorney General, Assistant Auditor General and Assistant Accountant General, following an opinion of the Attorney General of the Republic and the circular issued by the Ministry of Finance.
There was also a grant of €83,876 in favour of the Movement of United Cyprus Hunters.
The need also arose for the creation of a very limited number of posts to strengthen the proper functioning of the State machinery, which concern: the Department of Information Services, the Department of Forestry and the Fire Service, to meet needs to enhance early fire prevention and a Legal Officer against abolition of posts of Legal Officer in the Legal Service, new posts of an Officer in the Office of the Commissioner for Administration, in the Tender Review Authority and new posts in DG Development against double crossing of a post.
Section 16 of the Budget Act is also amended to summarize up to 6 fixed-term IT Officers (Cl. A8, A10 and A11) in the Department of Information Services, up to 12 fixed-term employees (6 Agricultural Research Officers (Cl. A8, A10 and A11) and 6 Agricultural Research Technicians (Cl. A2, A5 and A7(ii))) for the implementation of the programme for the application of genomic analysis and innovation in animal and plant production (AGRICYGEN) at the Institute of Agricultural Research.
In addition, to increase the ceiling of the total number of permanent and temporary teachers for the school year 2022 - 2023 (at all levels of education) by 337 teachers (from 13,548 to 13,885).
Source: CNA
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