Tepak salary concerns raised in committee
Fact: Salaries for the month of March were disbursed to Tepak employees using reserves from the university’s pension fund.
meetings
President reiterates support for businesses , — wants to “turn challenges into opportunities”
Fact: President Nikos Christodoulides addressed the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (Oev) during their annual general meeting and reiterated the government’s support for the local business community. He emphasized that businesses are the driving force behind economic development and highlighted the importance of cooperation between the public and private sectors to facilitate a better environment for businesses, promote innovation, and achieve sustainable economic growth.
Auditor general accused of shoddy work
The Internal Audit Service accused the auditor-general of serious negligence and conduct unbecoming in connection to a report he released, stating that he violated auditing principles and standards by not meeting with auditees before publishing findings. The agency also claimed that the Commissioner of Internal Audit took immediate action in response to allegations of conflict of interest and communicated this to the auditor-general, who still went ahead and published his report without considering this information.
Shipping Deputy Minister in China for ship naming ceremony
Fact: Shipping Deputy Minister Marina Hadjimanolis traveled to Guangzhou, China to attend the naming ceremony of the cargo ship ‘AAL Limassol’, owned by AAL Shipping, a subsidiary of Schoeller Holdings.
‘Specific plan’ for positive developments on Cyprus problem
Fact: President Nikos Christodoulides mentioned that the Greek Cypriot side has a specific plan for creating positive conditions for a Cyprus solution and hopes this effort will result in a resumption of talks.
May’s crucial appointments to determine Cyprus problem – Euro-Turkish affairs
The European Council conclusions provide an opportunity for Turkey to make gestures on the Cyprus issue, which will have an effect on Euro-Turkish relations. The upcoming visits of various leaders to Turkey are seen as opportunities to convey messages regarding both the Euro-Turkish and Cyprus issues. Ankara is expected to comply with some obligations, including those related to Cyprus, despite wanting the Borel report to be adopted without conditions. The Republic of Cyprus and the European Union have sent a positive message to Turkey about potential progress on issues of mutual interest, as long as progress is made on the Cyprus problem.
Minnesota Legislature Weighs Corporations’ Role in State’s Economy
The Minnesota Legislature is considering several bills targeting corporations, including proposals to require large corporations to disclose their state income tax filings and to cap the number of single-family rental units a company can own. Rep. Esther Agbaje is pushing a bill that would cap the number of single-family homes one business entity can own, primarily corporations. Governor Tim Walz has stated that he is not interested in raising or cutting corporate taxes, but rather maintaining a proper balance. Minnesota has the highest corporate tax rate among the states, but the effective tax rate is lower due to deductions. Several bills are moving in the Legislature aimed at regulating corporations, including those related to single-family home ownership, tax transparency, hospital salaries, debt collection, corporate tax studies, health care acquisitions, and employee classification. Critics argue that the bills and underlying philosophy behind them are anti-business.
INSIGHT-Deconstructing the spectacle and stagecraft of a Donald Trump rally
Donald Trump held a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where some of his supporters camped out overnight in their cars to see him. Trump’s rallies are a key feature of his campaign, designed to create an emotional experience for his base and attract new supporters. The rallies are meticulously planned and Trump is involved in every detail, including the music. Attendees register with the campaign to attend the rallies, which are also used to collect data, attract media coverage, and recruit volunteers. The rallies are held in battleground states like Wisconsin, where Trump narrowly lost to Biden in 2020. The events are carefully stagecrafted to entertain the crowd and reinforce Trump’s message that the country needs to be fixed. During the rally, Trump repeated false claims about the 2020 election being stolen and made promises about deportations and building a wall. The speech had a religious tone and included pledges of loyalty and protection between Trump and his supporters. The rally ended with Trump exiting the stage to an R&B song.
UN Envoy Holguin back in Cyprus in May
Maria Angela Holguin, the United Nations Envoy, will return to Cyprus at the beginning of May. She will meet with President Nikos Christodoulides to discuss efforts to restart negotiations from where they were interrupted in Crans Montana in 2017. Ersin Tatar insists that her duties come to an end after six months since her appointment as UN Envoy.
EU corporate tax ‘harmonisation’ reforms would be opposed, Harris says
Ireland does not support reforms of the European Union’s internal market that propose harmonization of national corporate tax rates.