The restrictions decided by the Council of Ministers regarding the use of official mobile phones by officials and civil servants were implemented from 1/1/2022, setting a maximum amount of € 5,000 per year to cover telephone calls. As we have been duly told, most, if not all, eligible officials and high-ranking public officials are subscribers to mobile packages with unlimited calls, messages and internet, with a monthly subscription of up to € 170 per month if combined with the market telephone device, as they are entitled by the state and a mobile phone which they choose worth up to € 800. It should be noted that mobile packages do not cover international calls, or cover only a small part when it comes to calls to the EU and thus officials exhaust the amounts eligible annually for the use of a business mobile phone, which range from € 1,000 to € 5,000. per year. The amount is determined depending on the position and public office held by the beneficiary official.
In particular, the restrictions that came into force on 1/1/2022 regarding the right to use an official mobile phone are as follows:
For the Attorney General, ministers, deputy ministers and the government representative, up to € 4,000 per year. The amount can be increased by € 1,000 per year upon approval by the Minister of Finance based on evidence.
For the Assistant Attorney General, the Auditor General, the Accountant General, the Chief of Staff, the Chief of Police, the Deputy Chief of Staff, the Commander-in-Chief of the KYP, the Directors-General of Ministries, Undersecretaries and the Directorate-General for European Programs, € 3,000 per year.
For the President of the EDY, the President of the EVS, the President and members of the Supreme Court, the Commissioners, the President of the PSC, the Director General of Parliament, the Deputy Government Representative, the Secretary of the Council of Ministers, the Director of the Press Office President, the director of the Office of the President of the Republic and the ambassadors, up to € 2,000 per year.
{For the directors of government departments and services and for government officials who are in charge of special duties, up to € 1,000 per year.
And telephone device
All the above state officials and the general directors of ministries, sub-ministries, General Directorate of European Programs and the Parliament, as well as the ambassadors, are entitled to an official mobile phone, which is purchased by the beneficiaries and the payment of the value is paid by the relevant accounting office. In exceptional cases and with the approval of the Minister of Finance, an official mobile phone may be provided to any other official or government official in addition to those listed above.
Computers and ipad
It should be noted that the officials in question are also entitled to computer equipment (laptop, ipad, etc.) provided by the Department of Information Services. As we have been duly told, in the event that the electronic device or mobile phone is irreparably damaged through the fault of the beneficiary, then the beneficiary bears all the costs of repair or replacement, while in the event of damage to the device not due to the beneficiary and not covered by warranty , then the corresponding part to which the beneficiary belongs should bear all the costs. In the event that the beneficiary retires or leaves the service for any reason, then the electronic device and the mobile phone should be recovered as it is state property, unless the beneficiary wishes to purchase them.
