The government and the Ministry of Energy will continue to be partners and helpers of EBE Famagusta's efforts so that Cyprus is maintained as an attractive and competitive destination for tourism, investment and the development of innovative business activities, said the Minister of Energy Trade, Commerce and Industry Natasa Pileidou .
In her greeting at the Annual General Meeting of the Famagusta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EBEA) held yesterday in Ayia Napa, Ms. Pileidou referred to the "vision of the government and the Ministry of Energy for the redefinition of the economic model of Cyprus, with the aim of transitioning to a green, circular, digital and of course competitive economy".
He added that "for the Government, supporting entrepreneurship is a high priority", noting that "at the Ministry of Energy we are continuing the huge effort we have been making in the last two years to strengthen the resilience of businesses and at the same time we are continuing our policy to facilitate the arrival of investments in Cyprus ».
"With an increased development budget of 40,5% compared to 2022, which includes projects of the Recovery and Resilience Plan "Cyprus Tomorrow", but also through institutional reforms, modernization of infrastructure and processes that we have promoted or are promoting, we contribute in practice in the evolution of the Cypriot economy into a green, sustainable, prosperous and competitive one and into an inclusive society", he noted.
He added that "in total the Ministry of Energy has secured from the EU more than €580 million for the period 2021-2027, which are granted as incentives to households to invest in green energy and to businesses to modernize".
The Ministry, Ms. Pileidou continued, "has announced, or will announce until the end of 2022, Grant Plans that exceed €330 million for the years 2021-2022. For 2023, the announcement of Plans amounting to €120 million is planned to support businesses, of which €80 million to promote investments for energy storage in combination with new RES".
Regarding the New Commercial Policy, with an initial time horizon of 2023, which has been drawn up and is being implemented by the Ministry of Energy, Ms. Pileidou said that there are "specific Action Plans, all of which aim to strengthen the presence of Cypriot products abroad and increase exports.
"Both the new National Visual Identity for the promotion of authentic Cypriot products through the "Cyprus Made" brand, as well as the Action Plan for the promotion of Cypriot wine, as well as the Action Plan for the promotion of Halloumi PDO, will contribute decisively to the increase of exports, and by extension local production, with multiple benefits for the entire economy and the sustainability of our country", he pointed out.
Regarding the Action Plan for the promotion of halloumi, he said that "we are proceeding in close cooperation with the KEBE and the cheesemakers in the preparation of our campaign in targeted markets abroad. Our joint efforts seem to be bearing fruit" he said and explained that "exports of domestic products increased by 50% in the period 2016 - 2021, from €960 million to €1,5 billion".
He noted that "exports of Cypriot products continue to show significant growth, with an increase of 21,8% in the first quarter of 2022, while exports of services rose from €9.7 billion in 2015 to €15.4 billion in 2021, with a significant increase of of the order of 63%".
Regarding the tourism industry, the Minister of Commerce said that "it is a driving force of development for the Famagusta region, which feeds the economy of the whole of Cyprus. Tourism received a significant blow from the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, with the consequent loss of important markets, not only due to the sanctions, but also due to the reduced purchasing power of consumers in the markets that have always been of great interest to Cyprus".
The government, continued "in the context of the National Tourism Strategy, implements a multi-level network of actions aimed at upgrading and enriching the tourism product and intensifying its visibility and promotion, both in existing and new markets" while promoting the construction of vital development projects such as the Marinas of Ayia Napa and Paralimni and the construction of new and upgrading of existing hotel units, together with a series of wider improvement projects, with significant benefits for the region.
He also stated that "the government is helping to extend the tourist season through targeted promotion and promotional partnerships with airlines and tour operators, but also with an expanded offer of authentic entertainment and engagement experiences such as experiential workshops, Christmas villages and specialized routes, as well as the tangible support of domestic tourism".
As Natasa Pileidou said, "the Famagusta Tourism Development and Promotion Company is doing a remarkable job. The tourism sector is required to pursue continuous development, the provision of high added value services, the targeting of the new mix of tourist markets and the best possible utilization of new technologies and means, always in a context of viable sustainable development, with respect for the natural environment" .
In this context, the Minister of Commerce noted "we call on tourism businesses - and not only - to take advantage of our Ministry's Sponsorship Plans for the transition to the green and digital economy".
"The €40 million Energy Upgrade Plan has been announced and will be open until the end of the year, while the second announcement of the Digital Upgrade Plan has been accelerated due to the huge interest in the first announcement, with announcements expected next January," he concluded.
Source: KYPE