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- Ελληνικά
The 2025 state budget will be in surplus, President of the Republic Nicos Christodoulides said today.
Addressing the members of the Council of Ministers at the opening of the meeting of the Council of Ministers this morning at the Presidential Palace, the President of the Republic said: "Today, the special meeting is about the budget for 2025.
Following the approval of the 2025-2028 strategic framework, today the discussion at our level on the 2025 budget begins. You remember when we approved the strategic framework, I specifically asked you to look in detail at the budget of each ministry. I asked you to categorize the inelastic, the operating expenditures, which cannot be avoided, and to look at the social and development expenditures.
All that concerns the daily life of the people, of society, which is our priority.
In particular, I had asked for the development part of the budget to be matched with the priorities that we promised the people, the actions included in our electoral programme. I have said this several times. Our social contract with the people, what we promised, we are here to implement it. And I am particularly pleased because the implementation of what we have said is at a fairly high level.
The priorities of each ministry must be perfectly aligned with the budget ceilings.
Certainly the budget will be in surplus, there is no question of it not being in surplus. What I want is [TO SEE] how we make the best use of each ministry's budget, particularly in terms of development and social spending.
Based on the discussion we have and where we come to - there will be another discussion, it's quite an important issue - I will again this year follow last year's practice of February 29, 2024 and in early 2025 we will present to the world what we will do in 2025. It goes without saying that before the end of March 2025, I will again go to the public directly to say all these, the 88 actions, I remember them very well, that we promised for 2024, which ones were implemented, if there are any that were not implemented then why they were not implemented and others. This in the context of accountability to society, to the people for the need for direct contact. You will do the same in your ministries with separate press conferences.
The budget of any government also sends a signal of priorities. I said earlier that it is based on our election programme, an election programme implemented over five years. Along the way, other needs arise, some data, which of course we take into account. But it is important, some flagship actions that I want the second half of 2024 - but also the whole of 2025, there are some policies - to give special emphasis, for example, digital transformation of the state.
We had a special meeting, we were briefed by the Deputy Minister. The implementation of digital transformation, which concerns all of us horizontally, is a priority and we cannot accept any delay on this issue.
Bold reforms must be made. The state was established in 1960; today we are in 2024. We cannot operate on 1960 terms. In the context of bold reforms, yes, don't expect everyone to be satisfied with what we are promoting. We are here, if we think it is for the good of society, if we think it will improve the daily life of the citizen, to clash with anyone. Of course we will discuss beforehand, as part of the public consultation, with those affected, but under no circumstances do I want political or any other costs to be taken into account. We are here, first and foremost, for the community.
The green transition is very, very important. Climate change is here. Some people think it is a long way off. Not far away at all. We are already paying the consequences. We have a responsibility, especially towards the younger generation, as well as some other issues, such as measures on under-generation. I said it the day before yesterday, in September I expect specific proposals. It is an issue that we must address with policies that are part of our political philosophy, which is social liberalism.
A strong economy, for which we take decisions on the basis of the triple bottom line: fiscal responsibility, a strong financial system and bold reforms, helps us to be able at the same time to make social policy, on the one hand, targeted to those in need, and secondly, on issues that as a state we have an obligation, such as education and health, which are high on our priorities, but at the same time also to the middle class of our country. The middle class, which over time has kept the economy going, has been the backbone of the Cypriot economy and Cypriot society.
This is where we start. I want us to be very specific, specific and not general policies that we want to implement in 2025. I want to hear the three or four flagship policies and on the basis of these flagship policies, which are in our election programme, we want to build our budget. A budget which, I say from now on, will be surplus."
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