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The new Cabinet appointed after much delay on Friday does not inspire confidence, neither as regards raising local sentiment, nor in getting the right messages across to our European partners and the international markets. It is clear that President Christofias has decided to use his loyal core ministers as the pillar of his policies for the remaining 18 months in office, while recruiting some politically unknown, yet somewhat mature figureheads to try to keep the ship afloat.
The government spokesman has repeated on several occasions that it is the president who determines policy and not his ministers, which leaves much to be said about the capabilities of each member of the cabinet, which in its present lineup is a far cry from one representing the general public.
The burden (and the blame) will be on two of the new ministers – the Finance portfolio that was given to former Akel MP Kikis Kazamias, with his background in party economics, the Cooperative investment house, etc; and at Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Praxoula Antoniadou, the EDY leader and more recently staunch supporter of Christofias’ failed economic policies.
Kazamias is in charge of finding ways to convince the public why taxes should be raised without any significant cutbacks from the bloated civil service machine, while economist and technocrat Praxoula undertakes the most valuable ministry as regards present and future revenue, as she is responsible for Company House, tourism and the oh-so-glorious energy sector.
Kazamias will earn our support if he has the guts to stand up to the almighty trade unions that seem to be determining Christofias’ economic policies and not the president himself. The Minister of Finance must find ways (and there are lots we can tell him) of how to increase revenues for the state, without seriously damaging our image as a business and services centre, while at the same time drastically cutting back on public spending (ie. civil service wages). He must also call the bluff of the civil servants’ union that claims there are 600 mln euros in uncollected taxes (but have yet to tell us from where exactly), which, if true, is a crime and anyone with any knowledge of this tax evasion should be considered an accessory to the same crime.
Ms Antoniadou, on the other hand, must be careful not to be tempted by the millions if not billions worth of deals shoved into her face, all in the name of the “public good”, but in fact nothing more than aimed at benefitting the pockets of a few. Her portfolio is in charge of reviving the services sector which earns the state a lot of money in company registration, administration and other fees. She is also responsible for tourism, where years of corruption have led us to the mess of the property market we see today, thousands of unlicensed apartments and villas deprive the CTO of precious income and the stupid absence of a gaming law and casino licenses that have so far lost the state millions if not billions of euros that disappear through the unregulated online services and avid Cypriot gamblers who choose to spend their money in the Turkish occupied north.
So, do we give the new ministers a day to prove themselves, a week, a month or a year?
