Fact: Deputy Minister of Research Nicodemos Damianou emphasized the crucial importance of space technology for securing Europe’s economic future, its strategic independence, and its role on the global stage during a gathering of the Space Council in Brussels.
The Research & Innovation Foundation (RIF) has launched an innovation vouchers program offering €10,000 per project to Cypriot small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to boost their competitiveness. The program aims to provide access to specialized expertise for SMEs to improve existing products/services or develop new ones. The total budget for this call is €310,000, and proposals must be submitted by October 9, 2024. This program is funded by the NextGenerationEU Recovery and Resilience Facility.
The submission process for candidate nominations in district administrations and municipalities in Larnaca was completed on Wednesday. People in Larnaca are voting in June to elect district governors, mayors, deputy mayors, municipal councillors, and members of school boards. Angelos Hadjicharalambous and Evangelos Evangelides submitted their candidacies for the role of district governor.
Fact: A total of 63 candidacies were submitted for the European Parliament elections in Cyprus, with 61 candidates running with the backing of their parties and 2 standing as independent candidates.
The issue of disclosing personal assets by politically exposed persons (PEP) in Cyprus has been problematic, with no standardized or verified submission process. Former President Nicos Anastasiades submitted an asset list that was widely mocked for appearing to underrepresent his wealth. Criticism from the Council of Europe led to a proposal for submissions to be checked by a committee of auditors. Recently, Tax Commissioner Sotiris Markides suggested PEPs should publish their net asset position instead of a detailed list, to avoid disclosing sensitive information. However, deputies argued this method lacks transparency. Another proposal is for PEPs to submit a capital statement prepared by an auditor, which may offer more transparency but has raised concerns about cost. Discussions on amending the laws are ongoing, with all parties recognizing the need for a more serious and formal system.