Cypriot workers and Europeans working in our country are highly qualified in relation to their professional employment, according to data announced by Eurostat.
Specifically, for citizens of other EU Member States, the highest percentages of highly qualified workers were recorded in Italy, Spain and Cyprus (50% each). Compared to all EU Member States, the percentage of the highest qualified employed nationals in 2019 was in Spain (35%), followed by Greece (32%) and Cyprus (31%).
These figures, which concern foreign nationals working in Cyprus, are quite encouraging, as they show that in addition to … fraudsters who wanted to obtain a Cypriot passport, we can, with the right incentives, attract qualified foreign workers and persuade foreign companies. to transfer their headquarters to our country.
Community subsidy
The government proceeds with subsidies from community councils for the implementation of actions and projects of local character, with a purely tourist aspect. By decision of the Council of Ministers, a proposal was approved for subsidizing projects, which are estimated to be able to contribute positively to the local tourism development of the place.
According to the proposal approved following a proposal by the Ministry of Tourism, the projects and actions that can be subsidized include the design of spaces using traditional community buildings or community property, for the promotion and promotion of traditional arts, professions and activities. Examples in this context are the creation of visitable experiential workshops specializing in Cypriot crafts and handicrafts, experiential workshops of works of art such as painting, sculpture, etc. Eligible for grants will also be projects and actions related to interventions for aesthetic upgrading of the Communities and / or for the promotion of the agricultural heritage and the environmental wealth of the country.
Indicative actions are the placement of signs of a specialized form for displaying the cores of the villages and points of interest, design and implementation of landscaping projects through which to give color to the Community, replacement of advertising umbrellas with umbrellas / canopies of uniform aesthetics, etc. It is clear, then, that the ultimate goal of the program is to improve the competitiveness of the countryside, mountainous and remote areas, to upgrade the local tourism product for visitors and, consequently, to increase the number of visitors from local and foreign inland .
The beneficiaries of the program will be the local community councils. Interested communities can submit their request until 31.3.2021 at 13:00.
New device marking
From March 1, 2021, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, washers-dryers, dishwashers, and electronic sales screens, as well as from September 1, 2021, light sources, will be marked with the new energy label EU in stores, advertising and online platforms.
The new EU energy labels include a new energy scale with categories A to G and all products that previously had energy class A +++ to G are being re-categorized in the new scales. In the adjusted label, the energy efficiency of a product is determined according to stricter standards and the highest category A remains empty, in order to encourage innovation and to have room for further progress.
The new energy labels also include a QR code, which when scanned leads to the European energy label product database, known as EPREL. The database records energy and environment information for products bearing the EU energy label and allows the various models to be compared.
Andros and the reform of local government
The position for holding referendums for the reform of the local self-government after two years and while the synergies in the municipalities and communities will have started their operation, expressed the secretary general. of AKEL Andros Kyprianou, criticizing DISY that it says one thing about the participation of citizens in the decisions that concern them and does another. Mr. Kyprianou explained that AKEL supported the position of holding the referendums in 2023 and the synergies to start now, as this way the people will have two years to see the benefits that will result from the unification of the municipalities and the communities and will be in favor of referendums. He added that the citizens should not be forced to make decisions made by the parties, considering that they have the absolute truth, without having the right to express their opinion. In other words, in a few words, Mr. Kyprianou proposes that the reform start in 2021, but that the citizens decide if they approve it in 2023! What should we comment on this, Mr. Kyprianou? I leave it to the judgment of our readers.
The battle of mobile telephony
The battle of mobile telephony in Cyprus is erupting, with companies trying to gain customers before the official entry of 5G into our lives. Cyta, according to information in the column, will soon announce new products and services, while Epic, in order to gain new subscribers, announced a 50% discount on the monthly fee for a period of 12 months to new customers. Primetel and Cablenet are preparing similar moves, which want to further increase their shares.
Unlocking the economy and the leaders
As the Minister of Health, Konstantinos Ioannou, announced on Wednesday, the following will be implemented from tomorrow:
· Reopening of barbershops, hairdressers, beauty salons.
· Increase from 25% to 50% of the percentage of staff that can have a physical presence in private service companies, without a minimum and maximum number of people.
· Prohibition of gatherings in homes, with the exception of the visit of up to two (2) people, meaning they are relatives of 1st and 2nd degree.
From Monday, February 8, 2021, the following will also apply:
· Reopening of public and private primary schools and the 3rd Class of Lyceums and Technical Schools.
Reopening of retail businesses, including department stores and malls.
· Reopening of gambling agencies, only for the purposes of completing the ticket, without the use of table seats.
· Reopening of museums and other archeological sites.
· The Divine Liturgy in the places of religious worship is performed in the presence of believers with a maximum number of persons up to 50 people, in compliance with the health protocols.
· Increase in the number of people for home visits, to four (4) people.
The column for another week reveals to you what famous people of the political, state and sports life of the place wanted to say and did not say on the subject.
Analytically:
Nikos Anastasiadis, President of the Republic of Cyprus: I was baptized parper, Socrates, and so I gave priority to barbershops.
Averof Neophytou, president of DISY: With the increase of the number of people to 4 for visits to homes, on February 8 I invite my friend Nikolas Papadopoulos to my house.
Andros Kyprianou, secretary general AKEL: 50 people in churches and 0 in theaters. The theater of the absurd.
Nikolas Papadopoulos, president of DIKO: To give the naturalization files to the auditor general.
Marinos Sizopoulos, president of EDEK: The flights from Brussels should have been stopped, so that Papadakis would not come to Cyprus.
Marios Karoyan, President of DIPA : Those whom I call “my nephew” are considered first degree relatives and I will be able to invite them to my house, my nephew Socrates?
Eleni Theocharous, president of Solidarity: Again, it is good that the beauticians will open, because our hair has become a railing with what we hear.
George Lillikas, President of the Citizens' Alliance: Now that you have learned that I am not going to be an ambassador in London, will you start the pre-sale jokes again, Socrates?
Charalambos Theopemptou, president of the Ecologists' Movement: Again, it is good that they decided to ban sports on nature trails, which unfortunately were not respected by the citizens and they threw garbage.
Christos Christou, president of ELAM: Thousands in the Malls and 50 only in the churches. For God's sake.
Archbishop Chrysostomos II: I do not say anything, because if I say you will have to take me out again to say that you misunderstood.
Prodromos Petridis, president of APOEL: If I catch your cup, will you stop writing to me every week, Socrates?
