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It is with great pleasure that I attend today the annual Congress of the Pancyprian Guild of Public Employees. My presence here is a sign of my appreciation and respect for both the leadership of the Organization and for all civil servants, who are the engine of the executive power.
I was a member of PASYDY and even during the election campaign I was criticized because as a former member of PASYDY I was running for the Presidency of the Republic.
It is a fact, my friends, that in reviewing the functioning of the Civil Service in general, there are inevitably weaknesses and distortions since its functioning is based on a model of administration of past decades. Major reforms have been carried out with the contribution of the PASYDY. At the same time there is much more to be done. It is for this very reason that when we took over the governance of the country we set as one of the most important objectives the implementation of the reform and transformation of the Civil Service into a more flexible, more efficient and more effective mechanism. A mechanism that will modernize the way the public administration operates, utilize modern technology, evaluate and reward employees based on objective and measurable criteria.
More generally, the reform of the Civil Service is part of a broader strategy and philosophy of the Government to create a modern rule of law that will provide quality services that will serve the economy, but at the same time will meet the increased, justified demands of today's economy.
More generally, the reform of the Civil Service is part of a broader strategy and philosophy of the Government to create a modern rule of law that will provide quality services that will serve the economy, but at the same time will meet the increased, justified demands of today's economy.
More generally, the reform of the Civil Service is part of a broader strategy and philosophy of the Government to create a modern rule of law. The context and challenges have now diversified, resulting in the need for new skills, methods and processes.
As you are aware, a number of reforms in relation to the operation of the Public Service have been wheeled out by the previous Government, which we are required to implement effectively and immediately during our administration. It is my strong belief that their proper implementation will be to the benefit of the functioning of the Civil Service and by extension to the benefit of our citizens and society.
The reforms include the introduction of a new performance appraisal system for civil servants, with differentiation of the appraisal scale for employees below Pay Scale A13, which will be taken into account for both promotion and individual advancement purposes.
The reforms include the introduction of a new performance appraisal system for civil servants, with differentiation of the appraisal scale for employees below Pay Scale A13, which will be taken into account for both promotion and individual advancement purposes.
Further, a new category of posts, the so-called "Interdepartmental Promotion", comprising the scientific/professional posts in the Civil Service at Scale A13, is being introduced with a view to enhancing the mobility of officials and making the best use of the talents possessed by Civil Service officials.
At the same time, a new framework will be implemented for the selection of candidates by the NEC to fill junior - middle management and managerial posts in the Civil Service, with the ultimate aim of ensuring the selection of the most suitable candidates and the effective application of the basic principles of objectivity and meritocracy. This will be achieved through the establishment in the public sector of Evaluation/Examination Centres, a practice which is successfully followed in the private sector by large organisations internationally, and in Cyprus, in order to recruit and promote the best.
The above is not enough to address the current challenges facing the Public Service. Equally important reform is that of digital transformation and e-government. The digital transformation of our country concerns both the relations and transactions between the state and the citizen and business in general, and to this end we are promoting a number of specific actions. At the same time, with the strengthening of e-government, the necessary tools will be given to public servants, so as to increase their productivity and improve the services provided to citizens.
At the same time, the creation of new Deputy Ministries that are being launched will help improve administrative functioning and address chronic issues in targeted areas of interest, such as, for example, the Deputy Ministry of Immigration and Asylum. We are in the final stage and the relevant proposal will soon be submitted to the Parliament.
In relation to other smaller but necessary interventions for a more efficient functioning of the Civil Service, I would like to recall that we have recently concluded the extension of flexible working hours, which we hope - we will evaluate - will also contribute to the reduction of traffic congestion. Soon the Government will also adopt flexible forms of work, an innovation based on good examples from abroad adapted to the Cypriot reality.
Apart from the reforms I mentioned above, allow me to briefly mention some other important issues, which also touch on the general functioning of the Civil Service, considering that it is the backbone of the executive power.
With regard to the economic philosophy and approach of our Government, we focus on the triptych of maintaining fiscal discipline, broadening the productive base of the economy and continuing to promote structural reforms. These pillars contribute both to enhancing the competitiveness of our economy and to strengthening the welfare state.
Moreover, the recent crises have once again highlighted the need to shield the economy, but also to preserve the path of growth so that we can, by extension, have a meaningful social policy for the vulnerable groups of our compatriots. By strictly adhering to fiscal discipline and through a people-centred approach, we aim to promote, through a series of investments, targeted measures and reforms, the expansion of the productive base of the economy, making use of research, innovation and technology and, above all, our country's remarkable human resources, which I truly believe is our most important asset.
Within the general framework that I have described, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, as well as the long-term development strategy "Vision 2035", include a significant number of actions that we need to implement, working collectively, without vacillation and without any procrastination.
Important projects, in addition to the modernization of the Civil Service to which I have referred, include, among others, the reform of the justice sector, extensive subsidies to businesses for digital and green investments, strengthening subsidies to research and innovation, the tax reform on which we have already started working, programmes to upgrade the skills of workers, better linking education and the labour market, and improving the legal and institutional framework to fight corruption.
[P IN THIS CONTEXT, AS REGARDS CIVIL SERVANTS, THE CYPRUS ACADEMY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION SHOULD ACCELERATE AND STRENGTHEN THE NECESSARY ACTIONS IN THIS REGARD.[/P]In relation to the green transition, achieving environmental sustainability and climate neutrality is an objective of paramount importance for our country. Therefore, the Government supports the adoption of ambitious emission reduction targets whose limits have been set at the European level and we have been part of the decisions taken and will have to work to implement them. At the same time, decisions on critical environmental issues must take into account the available scientific knowledge. From the analysis done by academic consultants, it has become clear that the green transition in relation to the Fit for 55 Package to reduce polluting emissions in 2030 is a major challenge for Cyprus and requires significant investment and transformation of almost the entire economy.
Achieving the targets I mentioned above is imperative to improve our daily lives and the environment in which we live and will bequeath to our children. From the health of the environment also depends the quality of our lives, the future of our country and, more generally, the economic activity in our country.
I therefore appeal to everyone, and especially to civil servants, that, despite any different approaches, which are fully respected in the context of democracy, we should jointly support the policies I have mentioned, in order to deal more effectively with the needs and challenges of modern times. You, the civil servants, are well aware of the challenges and the workload required to successfully implement what needs to be done and I would like to thank you warmly for your efforts.
Rest assured that in this effort we will face challenges, such as the recent example of the sanctioning of our compatriot service providers. This requires seriousness and proper handling to safeguard the credibility of Cyprus as a business and investment centre, which is an important component in the implementation of our programmes. Preserving our credibility is a major stake for the Government, but also a personal goal for me, and everything that is being said, all the grumbling, comments and references to representatives of other governments do not affect me in any way whatsoever. The objective of moving forward and getting this issue over and done with once and for all is a top priority of my Government.
Over the past two years or so, both internationally and domestically, inflation rates have increased significantly as a result of the pandemic and Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, with cascading effects on all sectors of the economy.
As I have repeatedly stressed, our government has put people at the heart of our policies. Recognising the negative impact of inflation on households and businesses, and following on from what the previous Government announced, we have already implemented important measures to mitigate the impact of price rises, without of course - and for us this is an inviolable principle - jeopardising fiscal discipline. We have seen in the past when we departed from fiscal discipline the consequences and the impact on the whole of the Cypriot people.
In this context, (to mention some indicative results) we decided to extend the subsidy on increased electricity bills until June 2023, while the measure to reduce special taxes on essential goods continues until June 2023.
With regard to the institution of the Automatic Price Indexation, I would like to express my great satisfaction with the agreement that has been reached. This positive development is an indication that there is a sincere desire for dialogue in the common interest. And when there is a positive mood, yes, we can get results. Significant disagreements and different approaches will exist, but they can be put aside, and mutually beneficial agreements can be reached. Industrial peace in our country, and particularly at the present juncture, is very important and crucial. That is why I want to thank you for the responsibility that your Guild has shown.
The agreement that has been reached paves the way for the negotiation of a comprehensive agreement that touches on other data for the future configuration of the ATA and to this end I invite you to bring your contributions to the dialogue table as soon as possible.
The agreement that has been reached paves the way for the negotiation of a comprehensive agreement that touches on other data for the future configuration of the ATA and to this end I invite you to bring your contributions to the dialogue table as soon as possible.
In addition, safeguarding the Social Security Fund (SIF) and achieving a decent living for our pensioners, as I repeatedly mentioned during the election campaign, are key priorities for the Government. Therefore, we will proceed with the modernisation of the Pension System framework, for the development of private funds, adopting the best practices and approaches seen in other European countries. At the same time, it is important to ensure that best practices are followed in terms of the management of pension funds and in this regard, we will seek to establish a strong Supervisory Mechanism in this regard.
Beyond that, there are other labour issues on which, within the framework of our people-centred philosophy, we will focus in the immediate future.
At this point, allow me to make special reference to the restoration of the shift allowance and overtime compensation, which, as we announced during the pre-election period, will be implemented gradually. Following discussions between the PASYDY leadership and the Ministry of Finance that have been concluded positively, I can announce today that the restoration will start from 2024 and will be completed in 2025, both for shifts and overtime.
The international economic environment is characterized by considerable uncertainty, with many unpredictable factors, particularly with regard to geopolitical developments. As a small, open and liberal economy we are inevitably affected by exogenous factors, but at the same time the flexibility provided by the size of our economy and the inherent adaptability allows us to recover under difficult circumstances. Above all, of course, and here is our responsibility towards Cypriot society as a whole, the State should constantly and carefully monitor developments and intervene directly and effectively only where and when necessary. This is what we have been doing since the beginning of our governance and I assure you that this is what we will continue to do.
And of course we will continue the dialogue with the social partners who are our allies in this effort and will continue to be. Good policies that stand the test of time can only be built through dialogue. And this is our appeal to the House of Representatives, to all parliamentary parties.
Thank you once again for your invitation and I wish you every success in your multifaceted work for the well-being of your members and our country in general.
(PM/EP/SX)
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