Filenews 6 January 2022 - by Eleftheria Paizanos
All cottage industries, i.e. small businesses operating in communities and engaged in the production and promotion of Cypriot and local products, will be registered in a special register. The Ministry of Energy, in cooperation with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and the Commissioner for Mountain Areas, have prepared a draft bill, which is subject to public consultation.
The purpose of the bill entitled "On the Terms and Conditions of Production, Processing and Distribution of Cottage Industry Products and Creation of a Register of Cottage Industries Law of 2022", is the legislative regulation of issues relating to the establishment and operation of cottage industry units, as well as their effective control. These matters are not regulated by other existing laws or regulations.
The bill defines the terms and requirements of manufacturing production and distribution of small quantities of cottage products, as well as the conditions for the mandatory registration of cottage industries in the register to be kept. All cottage industry facilities (cottage industries) will be registered in the register, in order to keep all the necessary information for decision-making, financial support and policy making, as well as for any other legal use by the competent authorities and other competent bodies. The legislation will apply to the production, from the processing in cottage industries and the distribution directly to the final consumer, in premises or in a public market or otherwise, as determined by the legislation in force from time to time, small quantities of cottage industry products.
The competent authority for the creation and maintenance of the register is the Cyprus Organization for Standardization (CYS). Before the start of operation of a cottage industry facility, it will be required to register in the register of cottage industry facilities. The cottage industry must, during the production, processing, distribution, distribution and exhibition of its cottage industry products, display in a prominent position its individual registration number, which will be assigned to it by the competent authority.
Aid for cottage industry and stay in the countryside
The new legal framework will give impetus to young people to become active in the field of economy, with the aim of upgrading the products they will produce and promoting them online both in Cyprus and abroad. In particular, the bill will contribute to the effort to make cottage industries more competitive and to keep citizens active in small businesses in the countryside, in mountainous and border areas. It is worth noting that the public consultation on the draft bill will be open until January 31st. The draft is posted on the website of the Department of Industry and Technology of the Ministry of Energy and interested parties will be able to send their comments electronically.
