The revised state budget finally passed with nails and nails between the pro-voters and the anti-voters, as well as a reference to Giolitis and ChristofiasWatch. The Government has gathered the necessary MPs with the latest additions so that it can pass the revised budget by a majority.
29 MPs voted for DISY (18), EDEK (3), Solidarity (2), ELAM (2) and Cooperation of Democratic Forces (3), Citizens' Alliance (1) while 26 MPs voted against, those of AKEL (16), DIKO ( 7), Ecologists (2) and the Independent MP Anna Theologou.
Of the 35 amendments, six were voted on before the Budget was put to the vote. The revised budget for 2021 envisages revenues of € 6.48 billion and expenditures of € 7.16 billion.
SEE ALSO: Tension in Parliament after reference to “Christofias Watch”
According to the report of the Parliamentary Committee on Finance, the Budget forecasts expenditure (regular and development), amounting to € 7,158,245,905 and shows an increase of expenditure by 2.5% compared to the originally budgeted and approved expenditure of the 2020 budget (excluding supplementary budgets for 2020).
The new Budget is presented increased by € 339,912,290 compared to the Budget voted against in December. Revenues projected in the said budget (excluding financial flows) amount to € 6,480 million, compared to revised revenues of € 5,917 million in 2020, showing an increase of 9.5%.
The positions of the Leaders or Representatives of the parties that preceded the vote, in addition to the provisions of the budget and the effects of the economic and health crisis on the citizens and the economy, also contained counterclaims between the parties that voted or voted in favor of the budgets and petitions. who decided to vote or vote against.
Following the statements of the Leaders or Representatives of the parties, the session was interrupted for a 5-minute break requested by AKEL.
The Minister of Finance Konstantinos Petridis and other members of the Council of Ministers were present in the room where the Plenary Session was discussed during the Budget.
The discussion of the State Budget was interrupted for a few minutes after the earthquake until the members of the parliament and the staff of the Parliament recovered from the suddenness of the earthquake.
Crossing funds with amendments
A total of seven amendments to the revised budget submitted by parties were voted by the Parliament, out of the 35 amendments in total that were initially submitted by all parties except DISY.
Among the amendments that secured the necessary majority is the proposal to cut any costs related to the privatization of public bodies and state-owned enterprises, government departments and services, excluding costs for the development of the Larnaca port and marina, the development of the Troodos area, Cyprus Stock Exchange, as well as any transaction concerning the Solidarity Fund. This amendment was tabled by AKEL, DIKO, EDEK, Citizens' Alliance, Ecologists' Movement-Citizens' Cooperation and Democratic Forces Cooperation.
AKEL, DIKO, EDEK, Solidarity and Ecologists passed two amendments. The first to note that before any expenditure is made by the Ministry of Interior for the part related to the purchase of services by three specialized international companies for the performance of enhanced due diligence for applicants for Cypriot Citizenship, based on the Cyprus Investment Program € 2,200 .000 to inform the Parliamentary Committee on Finance and to obtain its written consent.
Also another amendment concerns a note against the expenditure of € 261,000,010 of the Ministry of Finance, so that after 50% of the total amount provided for the part concerning the operation of the Investment Fund for the provision of Capital financing, amounting to € 5,000,000, no expenditure to is carried out for the remaining 50% without first informing the Parliamentary Committee on Finance and Budget and securing its written consent.
An amendment of AKEL, DIKO and the Ecologists' Movement was also voted in favor of which, before any expenditure is made for the construction of specific roads, highways and junctions in Nicosia and Limassol, the Parliamentary Committee on Finance and Budget must be informed and its budget approved.
This budget note concerns the construction of a Primary Road from Aglantzia to the International Fair in Engomi, the Southern extension of the Academy Avenue in Aglantzia, part of RIK Avenue, to the Nursery Street in Aglantzia, the Primary Road from Aglantzia Makareio Sports Center and ends at the New Nicosia-Limassol Road through Alexandroupolis, Python, Iraklis and Stavros roads, the configuration of Large Traffic Nodes in Nicosia, the study for the construction of the Levos Agias Fylaxeos Avenue and Gladstonos and Thessaloniki Avenues, in Limassol.
Three amendments tabled by AKEL and the Ecologists' Movement were also approved. The first includes a note to inform the Parliamentary Committee on Finance and Budget before securing any expenditure for the part related to Sponsorship of the Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company Ltd (EYK) and to secure its written consent.
The second is a note to inform the Parliamentary Committee on Finance and Budget before securing any expenditure for the part concerning the financing of the new European Commission financial instrument (Recovery and Sustainability Mechanism), amounting to € 100,000,000 and to ensure her written consent.
On the third, the Parliamentary Committee on Transport is informed in writing every six months about funds intended to cover the obligations of the state arising from the Public Service Concession Contracts of the Regular Passenger Services, the contracts for the transportation of public school students with special lines, the installation ticket issuance / cancellation and fleet management, as well as related infrastructure costs.
