Front Page Headlines
Consumers pay for market’s rigidity
Cypriot importers avoid advance purchase of cheap oil products. Easy profits and shift of costs to consumers discourage fuel market from showing flexibility and foresight. AHK (Electricity Authority of Cyprus) finally took the step of advance purchases. Hired an advisor and getting ready for more.
- Consultations for lifting of measures: Plan on April 29
- Again to the EU for Yavuz
- Blurry fraud project
- Kosher slaughter: Counterproposal with money
Roadmap to rebirth
Here is how we will return to normality and with which businesses the economy will restart. Scientists and Presidency decide on gradual lifting of limiting measures.
- Attack on Cyprus and the Aegean: Ankara takes advantage of pandemic for new faits accomplis
- Yavuz started the seventh illegal Turkish drilling
- Scandal with EU funds concerns casino in occupied areas
Construction sites – small businesses open first
Minimum limits and inclusion of new categories in (support) plans. PEO (Federation of Workers): Health and safety of workers a priority. Different measures in every district or region.
- “Yavuz” is at plot 6
- Warnings for “golden visas”
- Authorities unaware, clarifications expected from OLAF over 410,000 fraud
Lifting measures talks next week
Cabinet to meet on April 29, construction workers set to be the first to return.
Resurrection at beginning of May
View of situation cleared yesterday at Presidency – What authorities say. Restart of Cypriot economy begins with gradual lifting of measures.
- By FM and President Anastasiades: New Turkish provocation in Cypriot EEZ reported to the EU
- AKEL stumbled regarding OLAF report, which concerns occupied areas
Main News
Government prepares plan for gradual lift of coronavirus measures in May
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Internal Security, Economy
OVERVIEW
The government has decided that gradual lifting of coronavirus measures could begin in early May. Dailies report on statements made by the team of the government’s experts as well as on the results of Tuesday’s meeting between President Anastasiades and representatives of business associations and workers unions.
Meanwhile, another 12 cases of the coronavirus were detected on Tuesday, out of a total of 1,325 tests, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Health. This brings the total number of cases in the government controlled areas (including the SBAs) to 784. Newspapers note, citing T/C media, that on Tuesday there were no new cases in the north.
During the daily coronavirus press conference, Molecural virology professor Leontios Kostrikkis told journalists that next week it should become apparent whether citizens showed the necessary care during the Easter holidays.
The interministerial committee tasked with handling the coronavirus pandemic will submit suggestions for phasing out the measures on April 29, which means that any decision will be taken at the beginning of May.
Microbiology professor Petros Karagiannis told the media on Tuesday that measures can be loosened only when it becomes clear that the downward trend in new cases will continue. He suggested that each phase of loosening of measures should take place at two week intervals.
Karagiannis said that the epidemiological curve in Cyprus has started flattening sooner than hoped. He added though that citizens should continue following social distancing measures for the foreseeable future.
Government spokesperson Kyriakos Koushios told journalists that the first measures to be lifted could be the reopening of some parks and the reopening of small businesses.
RoC takes new drilling by Yavuz in plot 6 to the European Union
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Oikonomiki Kathimerini, Phileleftheros, Politis
Energy, External Security, Regional/ International Relations, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
Turkish drillship “Yavuz” has begun work in plot 6 of the Cypriot EEZ and the Cypriot government will be looking for a reaction by the European Union during Wednesday’s teleconference of EU foreign ministers and in Thursday’s European Council, daily newspapers report.
Cyprus News Agency has reported, citing military sources, that “Yavuz” reached plot 6 at 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning, together with support ship “Orhan Bey” and a Turkish navy frigate.
Phileleftheros reports that Cyprus has been in constant communication with Greece and the EU, as well as with Israel and Egypt, and that Cypriot Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides talked on the phone with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias ahead of Wednesday’s Foreign Affairs Council.
The government is also reported to be in close communication with France and Italy, ahead of Thursday’s telemeeting of the European Council. French and Italian companies Total and ENI have been licenced by the RoC to search for hydrocarbons in plot 6.
Christodoulides also told CyBC that the EU is in contact with Ankara and that the issue has been discussed by the member state ambassadors in Brussels, Phileleftheros reports. The Cypriot Foreign Minister also told Alpha TV that Turkey seems to be taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis to create faits accomplis.
Oikonomiki Kathimerini reports that Nicosia has low expectations regarding the possibility of a stronger reaction by the EU against Turkey, and is focusing on increasing sanctions against state-owned Turkish Petroleum (TPAO).
In an announcement, the Greek Foreign Ministry said that Turkey is contravening international law and being a destabilising factor in the region. The repetition of illegal actions does not create international law, the Greek FM added.
The UK has also reiterated its support to the RoC’s rights to her EEZ, in a statement by a spokesperson of the UK High Commission in Nicosia. The spokesperson also added that the best way to solve difficult problems such as the hydrocarbons issue is to move towards a solution to the Cyprus Problem so that the country’s natural resources can be developed to the benefit of all Cypriots.
Phileleftheros also reports that MEPs Demetris Papadakis (EDEK) and Kostas Mavrides (DIKO), both members of the Socialist and Democrats group, brought up the issue in the European Parliament. Papadakis asked for the Comission to intervene with measures against Turkey.
Phileleftheros reports that Turkish vice-admiral Cihat Yayci has written in a new book with the title “Requirements of Greece” that Greece has broken the terms of the Lausanne and Paris treaties, which means that the country’s claim to 23 islands is today invalid.
KEY ACTORS
Christodoulides (Cypriot FM)
>> The EU is in contact with Ankara over the issue, which has also been discussed on the ambassador level in Brussels
>> Turkey is taking advantage of the pandemic to push through new faits accomplis
Greek Foreign Ministry
>> Turkey’s actions contravene international law and contribute to regional destabilisation
>> Repetition of illegal actions does not create international law
UK High Comission in Nicosia
>> Reiterates support to RoC’s rights to conduct research in its EEZ
>> The best way to solve difficult issues such as this is to move towards a solution to the Cyprus Problem
Government points to north regarding fraud case uncovered by OLAF
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Internal Security, Economy, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
Dailies report on statements made by the government, the Attorney General and the National Betting Authority regarding a case of fraud uncovered by the European Anti Fraud Office (OLAF) involving an unnamed casino/ hotel project in Cyprus and a number of companies in France, Ireland, Romania and Spain.
The dailies recall OLAF’s announcement last Saturday that it had uncovered an attempt by five small and medium companies to defraud the EU budget of 410,000 euros originally intended by the EU’s Research Executive Agency to fund a project for developing better forest fire detection technologies.
OLAF found that the companies involved had lied about their qualifications and had siphoned a large part of the funds to other uses, including to a casino/ hotel project in Cyprus.
Cyprus Casinos, which is the only company operating a legal casino/ resort in Cyprus, denied any involvement in statements to the Cypriot media.
In a statement sent to Politis, an OLAF spokesperson clarified that the casino/ resort in question is a project that was not completed. The spokesperson further clarified that the case file had been sent to authorities in France, Ireland, Romania and Spain and made no reference to the Cypriot authorities. OLAF has said it cannot disclose more information due to the need for confidentiality.
Cyprus News Agency reports that government spokesperson Kyriakos Koushios said that no authority in the Republic of Cyprus has been informed of this case. Koushios added that since the only company operating legally in the RoC has denied involvement, that would seem to imply that the case concerns a project in the areas not controlled by the RoC government.
He also called on political parties to avoid commenting on the issue which tarnishes the country’s name without reason. Opposition AKEL had been criticising the government since the first reports came out.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Costas Clerides told the CNA that he had sent a letter to OLAF requesting more information on the case. Clerides also said that the RoC’s Law Office had not received any notification on such a case.
MOKAS (Unit for Combating Money Laundering) head Eva Papakyriakou also told CNA that her unit has also not been informed of the case. She noted that OLAF would have to send a request to the Attorney General’s office before any legal action can proceed in the RoC.
Finally, the National Betting Authority said in a statement that it had contacted OLAF to ask for clarifications and received the answer that the case does not concern the company that has already build a casino in Cyprus. The National Betting Authority added that there are no claims of illegal activities in the RoC.