You’re reading the Prompt 2024 newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox. Vice President Kamala Harris is out with her economic plan “to bring down costs for American families.” There’s already a lot of buzz about her proposals to go after corporate “price gouging,” cut taxes for families with kids and offer $25,000 … Read more
A lot of investment has been undertaken for touristic development ranging from hotels to quality places of entertainment and even more important addressing the upgrading of staff, food and service. Previous years with the tourist arrivals have been increasing by approximately 8% p.a. and this, coupled with the planning relaxation given by the then Government, … Read more
There’s a growing divergence between EU targets and national plans, and electrification is not happening quickly. Are voters turning their backs on the EU’s 2030 climate objectives? Year-to-date natural gas consumption is 3.1% down, to 195.6 bcm from 201.9 bcm in 2023. Milder weather has reduced household consumption. In general, the trend is downwards. Europe … Read more
In the near future, the Cyprus property market is expected to continue on its dynamic path, however, it will not be a bed of roses, and strategic planning will be crucial to navigate changes and challenges ahead. In the next couple of years, we should expect to experience moderate growth as high interest rates stabilise … Read more
The OPEC+ group of oil producers has extended its production cuts totaling 3.66 mln bpd until 2025, maintaining a controlled supply while taking advantage of the current price of the benchmark Brent crude at over $85/barrel. OPEC forecasts that cumulative oil-related investment requirements from now until 2045 will amount to about $14 trln, or around … Read more
There is a lot of discussion about what is more beneficial to the taxpayer – to build or rent government offices or even buy ready office buildings from the open market. Some uninformed reports blow up the rental payment issue out of all proportion in the sense that the government is spending €26 mln a … Read more
In small economies such as Cyprus, investment opportunities are limited, especially those which can produce reasonable returns in relation to the risk involved. Due to the introduction of the general public health system, various groups of investors (including foreign ones) have turned their interest towards health related projects, either as healthcare centres or simply as … Read more
On the morning of October 7, 2023, I found myself reading the Economist when suddenly a message appeared on my phone. The Hamas terror attack in Israel was all over the news and I could hardly believe how such massive and despicable crime could have happened in our times, especially given Israel’s superior army, intelligence … Read more
It is noticeable how city centres can change from one day to another, so to speak. Larnaca, the “poor” relative of all towns, partly due to its unfortunate vocal pressure groups and some municipal corruption in the past, has been left behind in its development. The very recent upgrade of the original town with numerous … Read more
Until recently we had the impression that foreign well-sounding brands were the criterion of buying e.g. clothing from €100 to €500, because they are of an international brand and therefore if you are show-off who seem to be the majority, not only will you buy the brand, but with great pride you will tolerate the … Read more