President Nikos Christodoulides confirmed that the development of the Larnaca port and marina will proceed as planned, despite setbacks. A cabinet meeting will be held to discuss the issue further, with the aim of finding a capable company to handle the development. The President emphasized the importance of capable companies managing critical projects like the Larnaca port.
Invest Cyprus participated in the Viva Technology event in Paris from May 22 to 25 to showcase Cyprus as a technology and business center.
Cyprus witnessed a marginal rise in ship management revenues in the latter half of 2023, reaching €638 million. These earnings accounted for 4.1% of Cyprus’ GDP over six months. Germany contributed 40% of the sector’s revenues, with Greece contributing 17%, Switzerland 10%, and Malta 5%. 31% of firms generated revenues between €2m and €30m, while 27% exceeded €30m. Crew management services now represent 51.1% of total ship management revenue. Ship management expenses decreased to €546m in the second half of 2023, with most costs covering wages for seafarers from non-EU countries.
– Scooters must be banned if no active measures are taken to ensure their safe circulation.
– The legislation states that the driver must be 14 years and up to ride a scooter.
– The driver must wear a protective helmet and a fluorescent vest after dark.
– Scooters are permitted to travel on bicycle lanes, roads with a maximum limit of 30km, or where allowed by authorities.
– Municipalities must take the law seriously to deter illegal use or consider a complete ban.
The government terminated its contract with Kition Ocean Holdings, causing concern among employees about their future. Trade unions met with the Minister of Labour to ensure workers’ continued employment would be prioritized. The government plans to follow labor laws in handling the situation. The Municipality of Larnaca expressed solidarity with the employees, while PEO opposes the privatization of Larnaca Port and demands protection for Kition workers. The General Secretary of OMEPEGIE-SEK stated that the Minister of Labour assured them that the workers would be employed under a new regime to prevent victimization.
The Cyprus Port Authority has regained control of Larnaca Port after terminating the concession agreement with Kition Ocean Holdings. The transition is going smoothly, with collaboration between CPA and Kition to ensure uninterrupted service provision. Pending issues include the handling of the ‘Amalthea’ aid initiative, with an American ship being loaded and set to depart soon. CPA has started procuring services from private companies and reinforcing existing staff with personnel from other locations. The government’s decision to terminate the concession was due to delays and disagreements, bringing Larnaca Port back under state control.
German business morale stagnated in May, with the Ifo institute reporting that the business climate index remained constant at 89.3, falling short of the forecasted improvement. The German economy is expected to have slow progress in its recovery this year, with companies being less satisfied with the current business situation. Despite some sectors recovering, the overall outlook remains cautious.
– Women make up a smaller proportion of top earners in British financial and professional services than before the COVID-19 pandemic, with 19.4% of the top 1% of earners being women between the first quarter of 2020 and the second quarter of 2023.
Donald Trump allegedly offered Big Oil executives 0 billion in tax breaks if they donated billion to his campaign. Congressional Democrats are investigating this potential quid pro quo deal. Joe Biden plans to eliminate these tax breaks for the oil and gas industry if elected. The fossil fuel industry is lobbying to maintain these tax breaks, which are set to expire next year. Some attendees at Trump’s fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago included executives of smaller oil companies focused on fracking and gas exporting. The event was also attended by individuals with controversial backgrounds in the oil and gas industry.
Tax rates for publicly-listed companies may remain unchanged in the upcoming fiscal year, with some changes in parlance that could affect the availing of lower tax rates. The base rate may see a rise for publicly listed companies, but compliance with cashless transactions could bring it back down to existing rates. Listed companies with free float up to 10% and above with cashless transactions would have tax rates of 20% and 22.5%. Noncompliance with the cashless transaction limit would result in higher tax rates. The government may also impose capital-gain taxes on individual investors for the first time if profits exceed Tk 4.0 million. The tax gap between listed and non-listed companies may be reduced by cutting corporate tax rates for non-listed companies by 2.5%. Capital-market experts believe that higher taxes and reducing the tax gap between listed and non-listed companies could discourage companies from entering the capital market. The government should focus on simplifying investment procedures rather than increasing taxes on the capital market.