As Mr. Kyprianou stated in his statements at the Offices of KOAP, who visited today, in Nicosia, "the fact that the Organization has already planned the complete computerization by 2013 is very important".
Mr. Kyprianou referred, in particular, to the problem of temporary employees of KOAP, stating that "this, in addition to being unfair to the employees themselves, is completely counterproductive, in the sense that someone is employed in a specific area for a period of time, he acquires experience in the performance of his duties and is obliged, because he is extraordinary, to leave ”.
"This is counterproductive", said Mr. Kyprianou, addressing "an appeal to both the Ministry of Finance and the Parliament, to discuss these issues in a spirit as complete as possible".
As Mr. Petridis said, 50% of the 240 employees in KOAP are employed on an extraordinary basis.
The General Secretary of AKEL thanked the management of KOAP and their associates for the hospitality they reserved for him and stated that "it is no coincidence that AKEL shows the interest every year".
"It's due," he added, "to the fact that we, as a party, attach great importance to the development of the agricultural sector and to tackling the various problems that we must admit have developed in all countries in recent decades."
"We believe, therefore," said Mr. Kyprianou, "that KOAP has an important role to play in the effort for rural development and in terms of helping and supporting farmers to proceed with the cultivation of various products and as a result." therefore plays its own important and decisive role in the development of the entire agricultural sector in Cyprus ”.
"We are happy", added the General Secretary of AKEL, "because, every year, we find with our visits that there is an improvement both in terms of the organization and in terms of the way the Organization operates in general".
"So we want," said Mr. Kyprianou, "to congratulate them and say that we will always be by their side, in the effort to address the various problems."
Welcoming the Secretary General of AKEL, Mr. Petridis stated in front of the journalists that the Secretary General of AKEL "has shown great interest in the Organization. He visits us ", he added," every year and it is our pleasure to have him here ".
According to Mr. Petridis, during the discussion he had with him, he "informed him about the progress of the Organization", who, "until today, has paid the farmers and has subsidized them with the amount of one billion euros from 2004 until today ".
"The Agency, this year", said Mr. Petridis, "has reached the point of paying 90% of the applications in December and to date has paid 99%, while the remaining 1% are the problematic applications, which will be examined along the way".
"The next goal of the Organization", as Mr. Petridis stated, "is to become fully electronic", that is, "to make all applications electronically".
"Last year", said Mr. Petridis, "we had received 25% of the applications electronically and this year we aim at 50% and in 2013 all the applications will be electronic and no application will be allowed to be submitted on paper".
"This," said the Commissioner for Agricultural Payments, "implies a large reduction in our administrative costs on the one hand and the acceleration of payments and subsidies to farmers on the other."
Source: iKypros