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Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letibiotis briefed the media today at the Presidential Palace.
In his opening statement, the Spokesman said: "The President of the Republic will hold a meeting with Ms María Ángela Holguín, Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General for Cyprus on Tuesday 30 January. The appointment of a personal envoy by the United Nations Secretary-General is an important development, particularly after a period of prolonged, unfortunately, stalemate on the Cyprus problem. As a Government, from the first day in office, we have been working persistently and methodically to make it possible to resume negotiations from the point where they have been suspended.
With the same sincere political will and constructive attitude, we enter this new period for the Cyprus problem, hoping that the same political will will will be demonstrated by the other side, with a view to the final resolution of the Cyprus problem within the agreed framework, as set out in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, of a bizonal bicommunal federation with political equality.
Ms Holguín has already held a meeting with the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus in New York, where she has been extensively briefed, and held a telephone conversation with the High Representative of the European Union, Mr Josep Borrell.
During her stay in Cyprus, Mrs Holguín is planning meetings, in addition to the two leaders, with social groups, and will then visit the guarantor powers and Brussels, where she will have a series of contacts.
We underline once again our commitment to our supreme national objective, which is none other than the achievement of a comprehensive and viable solution, in accordance with the Charter and the relevant United Nations resolutions, on the basis of a bizonal bicommunal federation with one sovereignty, one citizenship and one international personality with political equality, as defined in the relevant United Nations resolutions, consistent with the European acquis and fully respecting the principles on which the European Union is founded.
We recall that the process of expressing interest in becoming a member of the Board of Governors of the English School of Nicosia has been ongoing since 12 January.
Expressions of interest will be posted on gnomodotiko.gov.cy and on the website of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth and the expression of interest will last until January 26 at 8 am.
We invite once again our fellow citizens who are interested in contributing to the work of these organizations to express their interest.
The modernization and upgrading of the Minimum Guaranteed Income (MGA) was an electoral objective, which was included in the President's Governance Programme and is based on three axes:
1. The effective acceleration of the processing of applications,
2. The immediate termination of the provision of the benefit where and when fraud or an attempt to defraud the system is identified,
3. The integration and inclusion of all recipients of the ESI in society as a whole by integrating them into the labour market or into education and training programmes or psychosocial support programmes.
In particular, as the competent Deputy Minister mentioned, the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare has managed during these ten months to deal effectively with the delays in the examination of applications which caused justified reactions from a large number of our fellow citizens.
Indicatively, from 1 March 2023 to 31 December 2023. [/LIST]
That is, 22% more applications were considered in 2023 than in the corresponding period in 2022.
- As of January 1, 2024, 1,362 applications were pending for consideration, while 5,828 were pending in the corresponding period last year. That is a 74% reduction in pending applications.
Today the average processing time has been reduced to 90 days, where it used to take 12 or even 24 months.
The goal of the State Ministry of Social Welfare for 2024 is to further reduce the average processing time of applications to 60 days.
Regarding the second axis, the Ministry of State has strengthened the EEO Sector Audit Team since July, carrying out a total of 303 targeted audits by the end of December on high-risk cases, which have resulted in 204 fully justified terminations, with annual savings of €1.7 million.
The third pillar of integration and inclusion of beneficiaries in society is achieved by strengthening the Social Intervention Mechanism which aims to activate them, through their integration into the labour market or through training or psychosocial support programmes, by drawing up a personalised plan with a binding cooperation agreement for each beneficiary.
The Ministry of Social Welfare continues to strengthen the EEE and to find further ways of facilitating applicants and beneficiaries with very specific objectives, which are already being implemented.
Building a modern and efficient welfare state that will ensure decent living conditions for all its citizens is our main priority. We will continue on the path of modernization of the state, with a view to improving the everyday life of all our fellow citizens."
(RM/NG/AF)
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