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Eight months have passed from the day the present administration took over, with many events marking 2008 as a crucial year for Cyprus politics and the economy.
The government has been faced with such challenges as rising fuel costs and falling tourism arrivals (and revenue), a slow start to the political talks between the two community leaders and a stagnating economy made worse by the global financial crisis that reached a climax with state interventions to save banks and other institutions.
Cyprus can only two things – maintain its healthy rate of foreign deposits in Cyprus accounts and improve efficiencies that will keep the island as an attractive finance and services centre.
However, it is ridiculous for the government to suggest that the state has enough resources to inject into the economy in the form of development and other projects that will secure employment and create new opportunities for others, at a time when no one seems to be able to take a serious decision on anything.
Road works remain uncoordinated with ditches all over the place and long lines of cars in morning, noon and evening traffic causing more harm to the environment that we can afford to clean. Vital construction had been put on hold by the previous administration, forcing state planners to rethink projects that were never implemented, delaying their start and conclusion even further.
The energy sector, ports and marinas have been left to the mercy of contractors with no one to check them, while bunch of high-ranking civil servants cannot decide how to overcome the illogical delays caused by objections over one or another contract.
Worst of all is the parrot-declaration of almost every government minister of the past decade or so that Cyprus ought to become a centre of excellence for finance and investments, health and medicine, education or even technology, while all we hear are declaration that never materialize.
The joke of the times is Cyprus’ aspiration to become a regional financial centre and how some day we will see a one-stop-shop solving all our problems, almost like a God-like presence that will descend upon us and give the solution to all our problems.
How can Trade Minister Antonis Paschalides be serious about attracting foreign companies and investors when it still needs days or weeks to get anything done at Company House? And how humiliated does Finance Minister Charilaos Stavrakis feel when he tries to convince institutional investors to set up shop here, at a time when, while still working in the private sector, he knew that Company House was a hopeless case?
Surely, as Cyprus tries to beef up its competitiveness, it should seriously think about revamping some of the fundamental issues dogging the local economy. The only way is for the two Ministers to resolve whatever problems exist as soon as possible, before we lose any more of the business that has left the island’s shores already.
Unless, of course, if neither is serious about doing anything to improve Cyprus’ poor image in this field.
