Paphos People

Amid mounting complaints over the cost of living, the government on Thursday said it may bring back electricity and fuel tax subsidies in the near future.

Speaking to public broadcaster CyBC, Finance Minister Makis Keravnos did not rule out reinstating subsidies on electricity bills or the lower VAT rate on motor and heating fuel.

Both those forms of temporary relief ended in July, with unions, consumer advocacy groups as well as politicians calling for their reinstatement ever since.

So far, the administration has held firm, insisting that any relief measures must be targeted and not generic.

Thursday’s remarks by Keravnos suggested the government may have softened its stance.

But the economy czar qualified that any new measures to tackle the rising cost of living would come only once parliament passes the 2024 state budget. The budget got the green light from the cabinet just this week.

“I will not accept that the government does not listen to the cries of society,” the minister said. “On the contrary, because as we speak there are several measures being implemented giving relief to low-income earners and vulnerable groups.”

In a bid not to appear totally tone-deaf, the government earlier cut to zero the VAT rate on certain essential items – bread, milk, eggs, coffee, sugar, baby foods, baby and adult diapers, and female hygiene products.

But such relief steps are seen as too little, too late. On Wednesday about a dozen unions got together and urged the administration to implement a series of “anti-inflationary measures.”

These included resuming the subsidies on electricity and fuel tax, as well as expanding the list of items subject to zero VAT to meats and dairy products.

FULL STORY:- https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/09/28/government-may-reintroduce-electricity-and-fuel-subsidies-says-finance-minister/

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Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

in an Island of sun its a shambles and scam that anyone is beholden to the government for supply of energy, the sooner people wake up to it the better.

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Straight talking, no Gimmicks.

Live your dreams.

Well tanny with 80% of electricity produced with fossil fuels , lpg and diesel ! All these green policies seem a bit daft ! Many cars on the road are twice as big as they need to be , so double the carbon footprint to manufacture and increased fuel consumption or larger battery due to all the dead weight being dragged around , heavy vehicles have large tyres which produce more particulate polution , so on tyres evs score badly against petrol/diesel engines .
Electricity needs to be cheap as marketing is pushing us to use only electricity and no other form of power . Electric kitchens , electric heating , electric transport , All eggs in one basket ! Apsolutely stupid ! Definitely tears at bedtime cenario .
The cabbages in Brussels even want to ban log fires .
Surely not a big brother distopan society, your entire life on a server and control over where and how much electricity you use in your 15min city .

I entirely agree Mouse, what i refer to is the constant (and yes is EU and world wide) lack of forethought and straight corruption in so many projects that could have been introduced over so many years.

Why for example is energy financially controlled by government with anti user facets?

Why is energy paid for at all. there could easily be a system where electric is brought to homes freely. we continue to pay for infrastructure paid for in the 1980's

Even the friend of his people Mr Gadaffi gave free energy, etc etc.

But energy is control and the powers that be dont want to give up control as they put very little into society....

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Straight talking, no Gimmicks.

Live your dreams.