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Increased by €4.6 million compared to 2022 is the budget of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare for 2023. According to the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Anastasia Anthousi, the final overall Budget of the Deputy Ministry for the year 2023 (Regular Expenditures, Development Expenditures and co-financed projects), amounts to €620.5 million. The social benefits make up about 90% of the budgeted costs.
Speaking before her members of the Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee, to whom she presented the budget of her Deputy Ministry for the period 2023-2025, Mrs. Anthousi referred to a three-year increase in the budget, at a rate of 4.66%, 0.95 % and 0.82% for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025, respectively.
According to Anastasia Anthousi, 87.3% of the budgeted expenses for 2023 concern social benefits.
As he stated during the session of the Finance Committee, “the goal of the Deputy Ministry's budget is to strengthen the welfare state and support vulnerable citizens”, to note that “the Government of Nikos Anastasiadis set as its primary goal the creation of a substantial, effective and strong welfare state, with high-level, accessible, friendly, accessible and personalized services, which meet the modern needs of the ever-changing society and citizens”. Department of Social Integration from January 1, 2023, the establishment of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare.
In addition, Mrs. Anthousi mentioned that from now on all services for the support of socially vulnerable groups will be under the umbrella of one Authority, with the aim of the approach being complete, substantial, direct and targeted towards those who really need it.< /p>
The strategic pursuits of the Deputy Ministry
Referring to the strategic aspirations of the Deputy Ministry, Mrs. Anthousi said that they remain the modernization of the organization, methods and work principles, as well as the increase of the operational effectiveness and efficiency of its Departments and Services, through the simplification of procedures and the improvement of citizens' accessibility, with the help of digital transformation and e-government.
At €620.5 million the final total budget
Presenting the 2023 budget to the members of the Parliament's Finance Committee, she said the budget of her Deputy Ministry (Regular and Developmental Expenditures) amounts to approximately €547.4 million, showing an increase of €4.6 million compared to the corresponding 2022 budget, which was set at €542.8 million.
He also noted that with the transfer of the Department of Social Integration of Persons with Disabilities from January 1, 2023, an amount of €49.8 million is added to the total Budget for 2023, presenting an increase of €2 million compared to the Department's corresponding budget for 2022 (€47.8 million).
“As a result of the above transfer, the total amount of the budget for 2023 amounts to €597.3 million. To the above is added an amount of €23 million that comes from co-financed projects with the managing authority of the General Directorate of Development and therefore the final total Budget of the Deputy Ministry for the year 2023 (Regular Expenditures, Development Expenditures and co-financed projects), amounts to €620.5 million”, said more specifically.
About €631.5 million until 2025
Speaking with a three-year horizon, specifically from 2023 to 2025, Mrs. Anthousi said that the budget of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare is estimated to reach approximately €631.5 million by 2025, with the additional increase amounting to another €11 million. .
“In comparison, I mention that in 2022, the Budget amounted to €550 million and the absorption so far is at 74%”, pointed out the Deputy Minister of Welfare.
In addition, he noted that from the Welfare Benefits Management Service approximately €334 million (76 percent) has been absorbed, and from the Social Welfare Services €70.5 million (70 percent), while the percentage of implementation of projects co-financed by community funds is at 45% with an amount of €2.7 million.
Reduction by €15 million in the EEE
In her statements, after the end of the session, the Mr. Anthousi underlined that the budget of her Deputy Ministry for 2023 is increased, with social benefits making up approximately 90% of the budgeted expenses.
As he mentioned “through the various actions, which have either started and will be completed in 2023, or will start within the next year, it seems that there is a holistic support for vulnerable groups through the creation of structures and the completion of legislative frameworks”.
At the same time, he said that it is proven that with a strong economy there are also the indicators of the targeted benefit policy, with a budget reduction of €15 million in the Minimum Guaranteed Income (MGI) precisely because there is a reduced unemployment rate.
“This money”, he explained, “has been transferred to other actions, such as subsidizing childcare centers within the framework of the Tuition Subsidy and Feeding Scheme for Children up to 4 years of age”.
Regarding the results of the targeted policies, Ms. Anthousi said that they are reflected in a survey published in October 2022 by the Statistical Service, according to which the risk of poverty or social exclusion in Cyprus is 4.4 percentage points below the average of the European Union.
Finally, he stated that “the Deputy Ministry will continue to have targeted actions and the benefit policy will be complementary to other actions, so that it is next to the citizen, the children, the vulnerable groups ».
The position of the parties
The deputy of DISY, Onufrios Koullas, expressed the great satisfaction of his party, saying that “the government correctly, methodically and with the necessary controls, supports society by expanding the welfare state”.
As noted by the government  ?implemented correct development policies, without new taxes and new contributions, to note that in this way he created the conditions of a real state and a level of welfare of the citizens, without the foolish policies that in the past led to the opposite results, i.e. poverty and poverty.
According to Mr. Koullas, “we are in a period of progress, despite the great difficulties that have come to us”, to note that DISY wants to continue on this path”.
The MP of AKEL, Andreas Kavkalias, reported that “the government refuses to discuss an increase in the EEE allowance, which was set in 2014 at 480 euros for single people and reduces the EEE budget by 15 million in 2023 “a fact that constitutes challenge for society”.
“At the same time,” he noted, “the rulers over the years have limited themselves to the bare minimum to support society with the vulnerable groups of the population receiving the greatest pressures. Ten years later what is recorded are the huge delays in the payment of the EEE, the low pensioner allowance and the Social Insurance fund benefits and pensions”.
Also, Mr. Kavkalias said that “the unfulfilled commitments of the rulers to create independent legislation for persons with disabilities, consistent with the principles of the UN convention and the unfulfilled commitments to modernize the Social Welfare Services, are recorded”. to note that what his party is calling for is “to change and get rid of these policies and create a real welfare state for work, with decent wages and rights and an adequate safety net, for vulnerable groups”.
The member of the EDEK CS, Andreas Apostolou, expressed his satisfaction because the issue of the need to support families who have triplets or quadruplets and the need for support for the non-medical expenses of patients and their relatives who go abroad for treatment , “seem to be headed for resolution.”
In relation to the issue of the need to support families who have triplets or quadruplets, Mr. Apostolou said that “unfortunately, there were not enough provisions to support these families with care services and access to various benefits, due to financial criteria” , to note that the Deputy Minister of Welfare filed today her intention in the coming weeks to submit to the Council of Ministers a relevant welfare, for the creation of a support plan.
Regarding the need for support for the non-medical expenses of patients and of their relatives, who go abroad for treatment, said that a fund has been included in the state budget, with which the patient, when he gets approval from the Ministry of Health, to go abroad, can make a relevant application to the Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Welfare, in order to support these families by covering non-medical expenses.
He mentioned that EDEK's proposal is to institutionalize a specific plan, to note that the Deputy Minister of Welfare informed the members of the Finance Committee today that she has requested specific information from the Ministry of Health and when these are submitted it is her intention to implement and submit the specific plan to them.
