Filenews 11 September 2022 - by Angelos Nicolaou
Projects, actions, policies and reforms are planned within the next five years through the implementation of the "Cyprus tomorrow" Programme. Through the Program there is the possibility of raising funds amounting to €4 billion euros. Huge employment opportunities and the creation of more than 11,000 new jobs. The Programme consists of eight pillars covering all citizens of Cyprus.
One of the protagonists of the Program and a close associate of the President of the Republic, the Deputy Minister to the President Petros Demetriou in an interview with "F" analyzes its main aspects. It refers to the government's expectations for its successful implementation and the adoption of measures and actions for the relief of population groups that were most affected by the pandemic and are still suffering now with the energy crisis.
- "Cyprus Tomorrow", is the title of a Programme for which the President of Democracy feels particularly proud. What messages does this title want to give, Mr Demetriou?
This title was not given by chance. This ambitious Program, for which, as you rightly mentioned, President Anastasiades feels very proud, includes reforms, policies and projects that are expected to enhance the economic development of our country and raise the standard of living of our people even more. The National Plan "Cyprus Tomorrow" is of historical importance. It concerns the Cyprus of tomorrow, the new version of our country and is the legacy of the Anastasiades administration to the next generations, a roadmap for the digital and green transition and the leap towards the productive reconstruction of our country. The achievements of "Cyprus Tomorrow", give all those guarantees for our country to continue to move on a growth trajectory, with all the positive consequences in our daily lives. Especially our young people, "the future" of this country, have again the opportunity to be active in all ways in the country that gave birth to them and raised them, to contribute, with their knowledge and skills, to its further progress and development and to shape a hopeful future for themselves and for future generations. Do not forget, Mr. Nicolaou, what this Government received in March 2013 and what it will deliver in March 2023. Every bona fide citizen can easily judge and see this.
- What exactly does this Program include? How can our young people, whom you made a special mention of earlier, make use of its content?
The Programme includes projects, actions, policies and reforms that are broken down into eight different development pillars. Its content is a brave intersection, as desired by the President of Democracy, and introduces a pioneering model of development, a new overall economic and social transformation, constituting, I would say, a "master plan", which is expected to lead economy, technology, mentalities and institutions to a new era. During the implementation of the Programme, there is the possibility of raising, for the next five years, funds of up to four billion euros. It is obvious that the utilization of these funds will enable the younger generation to be professionally active in Cyprus in areas such as smart entrepreneurship, innovation, research, education, health, energy, green development, environment, culture, sports, political and social protection, etc. With the implementation of "Cyprus Tomorrow", Mr. Nicolaou, huge employment opportunities for a plethora of young people, in addition to 11,000, quality and highly paid jobs are created, which will contribute to the further reduction of the unemployment rate in our country and will give an additional boost to its economic growth. "Cyprus tomorrow" is a program designed by Cypriots for Cypriots, with a medium and long-term perspective. It is not a circumstance, which the Government wants to take advantage of, it is an opportunity for our country to move up another level, it is a real opportunity for the next generation.
- Which other population groups benefit from the actions of the Program?
I would say the entire population of our country. With a close look at the policies, projects, actions and reforms of the eight Pillars, one can easily see that the National Plan "Cyprus Tomorrow" puts at the centre young people, women, vulnerable groups of the population, small and medium-sized enterprises, workers, the unemployed, the inhabitants of the countryside, mountainous, border and disadvantaged areas, our enclaved, refugees, all age groups of the population. It concerns all citizens and not the few. Its implementation can make the life of every citizen better. It's a plan for everyone. For every Cypriot.
- Give us some examples.
There are dozens of examples that confirm the universality of the positive impact of "Cyprus Tomorrow" on the society of the citizens. I will mention some of them: qualitative changes in education, the promotion of research and innovation, the upgrading of the health system, the holistic improvement of the road network, the construction and reconstruction of important buildings for public use, environmentally friendly actions, the regeneration and creation of green spaces, the creation of centres of research excellence, sports infrastructure projects, the creation of a network of bicycle paths, projects to revitalise the countryside and mountain communities, the upgrading of cultural sites, the downward adjustment of the mandatory age of compulsory attendance in pre-primary education, as well as strategies for strengthening the institutions of justice, for more rational waste management, for harmonization with the European acquis in the fields of climate and energy, for the management of public finances, for further recovery of tourism, for strengthening shipping, for e-government, for our cultural heritage, for our farmers, for the elderly, for young families, for gender equality... There are so many examples, Mr Nicolaou, that it is impossible to record in the context of an interview, but from what I have mentioned, it is obvious that "Cyprus Tomorrow" is addressed to each individual citizen and to all Cypriot citizens together.
- What are the general objectives of the Program and what are the expectations of the Government for their successful implementation?
Mr Nicolaou, the objectives have been set on the basis of the objectives of each Pillar and a specific methodology has been adopted to evaluate the progress of their implementation. With the implementation of the objectives of the Programme, and through a sustainable model of long-term development, Cyprus is expected to acquire high levels of resilience, productivity and competitiveness, with a reformed and effective public administration, a more effective judicial system, a modernized tax framework, a rationally trained and more productive human resources, a resilient health system and an upgraded education system. It is also expected that our country will be included in the list of advanced countries in the fields of Green Development and Digital Transition.
On the occasion of your question, I would like to note something very important. In order to achieve the goals for a truly different Cyprus of tomorrow, everyone must show the necessary prudence and consensus. On the one hand, the Government must proceed with rapid and steady steps in the implementation of projects and policies. On the other hand, it is imperative that "Cyprus Tomorrow", this Program that concerns the future of our children, remains outside of petty political expediencies. All parliamentary parties should warmly embrace the Programme and at the level of the Parliament, prove their true will to move the country forward, voting in favour of all the policies and reforms that will be put before them. Especially now, with the upcoming elections, this will must be demonstrated in practice.
- Mr. Demetriou, from what I have heard so far, it seems that "Cyprus Tomorrow" is a very important Plan for our country. But do you not think that the Government is somewhat lagging behind in the promotion and presentation of its achievements?
Maybe you're right. However, since 2021, when the Program was prepared, the Presidency of the Republic, the Ministries and Deputy Ministries and the entire state machine fell head over heels in the effort to implement it, for the benefit of our country, society and our people. Perhaps we have thus neglected the issue of highlighting the achievements of the Programme, ignoring what is often heard in politics that as much importance and value as it is to implement something useful and positive, the more it has to project it. So that public opinion, citizens and the people in general can become companions along the way. The President of the Republic himself has identified something similar to the one you mention in your question and has given instructions for the preparation of a plan for the more direct promotion of "Cyprus Tomorrow". In this direction, and this is news for you, a series of press conferences / events of the President of the Republic have been scheduled for the presentation by him of all the pillars of the Program, separately. It will begin next Tuesday, with the presentation of the Pillar "Welfare State – Inclusive Society". This will be followed by actions of the competent Ministers to further highlight, on the ground, the achievements of the Pillar.
- A lot is heard, Mr Deputy Minister, about the Recovery and Resilience Plan of the European Union. What is his contribution to the "Cyprus Tomorrow" Programme?
I would say that the Recovery and Resilience Plan is the heart, the lung and the driving force of "Cyprus Tomorrow". Through the Plan, and with funds worth €1.2 billion allocated to Cyprus, 113 reform and investment measures are expected to be implemented, with an emphasis on the green and digital transition. I recall that the European Union's Development and Resilience Facility, with a total budget of €750 billion, is at the core of the extraordinary and temporary instrument for financing the recovery and exit of the Member States of the Union from the crisis brought about by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. In Cyprus, by drawing up, at the beginning of 2021, the National Plan "Cyprus Tomorrow", we did not just aspire to get the country out of the crisis caused by the pandemic, but to make our country a model of development and progress. I should point out that, in addition to public resources and investments, the Plan is expected to mobilize, over the next five years, significant additional private funds in excess of €1 billion, mainly through the implementation of various sponsorship schemes that will support private investments and expenditure in the individual priority areas of the Plan, with the multiplier effect and benefit that this entails, in terms of the total investment resources and the potential impact of the Plan.
Targeted measures to address the crisis beyond €350 million
The Anastasiades Government in its 10 years of government is called upon to face the third in a row major economic crisis. With the onset of inflationary pressures, all Ministries have received approval from the Council of Ministers for measures worth more than €350 million.
- Have any adjustments been made to the Plan so that, in addition to the consequences of the pandemic, the consequences of the energy crisis brought about by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and which affect the economies of almost all countries are also addressed?
When we initially drew up "Cyprus Tomorrow", Mr. Nicolaou, we wanted to turn the crisis brought about by the pandemic into an opportunity and give our own response to the challenges of the next day. So now, with the new crisis that is afflicting our country and the entire world, we aim to substantially support the groups of the population that are most affected by adopting measures and actions to relieve them. Already, almost all ministries have submitted to the Council of Ministers and have received its approval for measures worth more than €350 million, which not only support individuals or bodies that belong to their sphere of competence (eg businesses, self-employed, farmers, etc.), but give them the opportunity to continue to operate, to remain viable and to convert, so, once again, the crisis is an opportunity. The Cypriot economy, thanks to the prudent and targeted policy of the current government, has again entered a growth trajectory and has become resilient in order to be able to support the citizens of this country from the consequences of a new crisis. I would like to remind you that this is the third major economic crisis that the Anastasiades Government is called upon to face in its ten years of government and is facing it successfully again.
- And one last question. We have heard from time to time about the "Exandas" program used by the Government. We know that you had an important role in its creation. What exactly is this program and how does it strengthen the effort to implement the goals of "Cyprus Tomorrow"?
When I assumed my duties as Director of the Office of the President of the Republic in March 2018, I saw the need for the creation of a mechanism for more rational and direct monitoring of the government's work. It is precisely this mechanism that is the "Exandas" program that we created. A digital tool for recording, monitoring and continuously updating all development projects, policies, reforms and strategies of the Government, in order to provide the Presidency and the Ministries with the possibility of immediate monitoring and coordination. An innovation is the fact that, through "Exandas", the ability to monitor the situation and the progress of the implementation of the government's work is given to all citizens through the program's website, thus satisfying the request of modern society for access to information, transparency and accountability. As far as the second part of your question is concerned, from what I have already said, I think it is obvious that "Exandas" is the main means of monitoring the course of "Cyprus Tomorrow" and, of course, its contribution to the successful implementation of the Programme is decisive.
The eight pillars of the Programme
There are eight pillars of the Plan's policy to address the effects of the pandemic, but also the challenges of the post-pandemic era.
These are the pillars: 1. Welfare state – inclusive society, 2. Health for all, 3. Education, employment, human resources, 4. Youth, sports, culture, 5. Reconstruction and modernization of the State, 6. Security, Rule of law, 7. Economic policy, development and crisis response and 8. Energy and environment. "I think it is understandable, from the title of each Pillar, in what context the projects, policies and reforms that it includes are moving. The selection of the pillars was made after an analysis of the broader and specialized objectives of the State, taking into account primarily the challenges faced by civil society and the needs of each group of citizens separately", according to the Deputy Minister to the President.
INTERVENTION
Announcements to become projects
A series of press conferences for the presentation of the pillars of the program is planned by the President of Democracy, starting next Tuesday, with the presentation of the Pillar "Welfare State – Inclusive Society". However, what the citizens want to hear from the mouth of President Anastasiades is how the measures will help households that do not make ends meet the rising cost of living. At the moment when the same money comes into his pocket, and on the other hand they are called upon to make much more out of it to cover their daily needs, let alone to plan for Tomorrow.
