Filenews 14 September 2022 - by Eleftheria Paizanou
With the implementation of reforms, the reintroduction of social benefits, the introduction of new ones and the granting of increases in aids, the annual expenditure of which exceeded €211 million, the welfare state was established, according to the President of the Republic. To the above amounts, he said, will be added the actions of €315 million, which will be implemented until 2026, in the framework of the implementation of the "Cyprus – tomorrow" Plan, which is funded by the Recovery Fund.
Yesterday afternoon, the President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, proceeded to present the activities of the ten-year government and the "welfare state" pillar included in the National Recovery Plan. The President of the Hellenic Republic, among other things, referred to the reintroduction of benefits to people with disabilities, large families and low-income pensioners, at a cost of €22.5 million, to the increase of existing social benefits by €78.2 million. and the cost of ten new allowances worth €110 million. From 2013 to 2021, he said, spending increased by 24%.
What he did
Based on what the President said, the reforms that underpinned the welfare state include 19 actions. He referred to the introduction of the National Minimum Wage, saying that Cyprus is now one of the countries that introduced a minimum wage. He referred any differences to the Labour Consultative Body. He indicated that in a year's time the minimum wage will be revised, and then revised every two years. He assured that before the end of the term of office, 2 months' paid parental leave will be applied for parents who have children up to 8 years of age. At the same time, he stressed that at the final stage are the consultations on the reform of the pension system of social security. He also referred to the rationalization of the system and criteria for beneficiaries of benefit, the creation of a Register, the institutionalization of the UGS, with a total expenditure of €1.7 billion, the implementation of GHS, the establishment of the Deputy Ministry of Welfare, the institutionalization of the minimum pension, the application of the widow's pension to men, the introduction of paternity leave, the increase of maternity leave, etc.
Finally, the President, made reference to the targeted actions to support the family, adolescents and children, which are included in the Plan. Among other things, he said that 15,000 have benefited from the coverage of tuition fees for children in kindergartens, at a cost of €16 million, adding that thousands of children are expected to benefit from the operation of the 32 new multipurpose centres and childcare centres.
PD: I have a clear conscience
The President of the Republic said that he has a clear conscience, as he responded to the pre-election commitments he gave, for the creation of a real welfare state, without exclusions, which managed to support those citizens in need. He also indicated that the continuous effort to upgrade, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the social protection network to ensure a decent living and equal opportunities for all citizens, was the specific policy objectives, amounting to €315 million, adopted in the National Plan "Cyprus – tomorrow". This is, he said, a plan that is "the completion of the work we have begun and the bequest, not only to the next government, but to all citizens, every Cypriot and every Cypriot". Concluding, he noted that the ten-year review of the work on the welfare state is a political memorial for the late Minister of Labor Zeta Emilianidou.
In no time the examination of applications
Through the "Cyprus – tomorrow" Plan, the exogenous and other unpredictable factors that appear during the implementation of the welfare state will be addressed, President said. The system of social solidarity will be citizen-friendly. Among the actions, as he said, are the further reform and improvement of the operation of the Benefits Management Service, with the creation of a single computerized system to reduce the time to zero during the examination of applications, the reform of the Social Welfare Services sector and the adoption of a program for the recruitment of professional social workers, who will tour the communities, in order to deal more effectively with those who need social assistance.
