Government says "unprepared" for casino creation - no reason for hundreds of illegal casinos

det cazino450 NewsOn a television station, G. Loukaidis declares that the creation of a casino is catastrophic for the place.

The government will take its decisions on the issue of casinos when it is ready and this decision will be based on specific data, based on an investigation conducted by the Ministry of Finance, said on Wednesday the Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou… 

He added that the issue was not discussed at yesterday's meeting of the Council of Ministers, nor was it the subject of discussion at the National Congress today, while he said that the Government is discussing the issue with social partners and political parties, including AKEL, but is the same who will make the final decisions.

In statements to the President, Mr. Stefanou said that the issue of creating a casino was not included in the support package discussed yesterday at the Council of Ministers and which includes dozens of measures to support the economy and development.

He added that the Government is not seeking, nor will it seek, 100 million euros for the needs of the budget, as stated by the Vice President of DIKO Nikolas Papadopoulos, as the 2012 budget does not include revenues from the creation of casinos and therefore there is no such need.

He also said that the confusion that Mr. Papadopoulos spoke about was caused by him with his statements.

Regarding the statements of the Deputy President of DISY, Mr. Stefanou said that Mr. Neophytou refers to statements that were never made "to misinform and slander the Government".

The Government Spokesman pointed out that the Minister of Finance, Kiki Kazamias, never spoke about invisible investments in the casino sector, as Mr. Neophytou said, but referred in many cases to the prospects of attracting investments in Cyprus, which, as he said, is a key element of economic Government policy.

He noted that there is great interest in foreign investment in Cyprus, which - he said - the Government wants to encourage with additional development measures, part of which concerns investment issues.

Besides, Mr. Stefanou reminded that the issue of the legislative regulation for the electronic betting is pending in the House of Representatives.

"We hope that the House of Representatives will finally move quickly, concluding the debate and passing the specific legislation," said Mr. Stefanou, in order to regulate the issue and bring revenue to the state.

Asked whether the information about the negative attitude of the President of the Republic yesterday at the Ministerial and today at the meeting of the National Council is correct and whether a possible change of attitude depends on a relevant study by AKEL, Mr. Stefanou said that the casino issue was not the subject of today's meeting of the National Council.

He went on to say that the Minister of Finance stated that he would conduct an investigation into the matter, given the Government's negative position on the casino.

The government, he said, will take all its decisions, based on this investigation, which will count all the data, as the issue is not simple.

Referring to what is written or said about who decides on the issue of casinos, Mr. Stefanou stressed that "the one who decides is the Government" and added that the Government consults and discusses with the social partners and political parties.

Much more, he continued, the Government consults and discusses with the party that supports the Government, which is AKEL.

He added that the issue is not only economic but also social, as is the case with gambling and betting and should therefore be considered in this light. For this reason, he continued, the issue will be seriously considered and the Government will take its decisions.

Mr. Stefanou also stated that the issue of development support had never been focused on the issue of creating a casino. "Growth does not mean casino, nor does casino mean growth," he said.

Asked when the issue is expected to return to the Council of Ministers, Mr. Stefanou replied that it will be done "when the Government is ready", while regarding the report of the Ministry of Finance, he answered "everything in due time", adding that the Government will take and notify its relevant decisions.

The Government will study the Report of the Warning Mechanism
The Government will make comprehensive assessments regarding the European Commission's intention to investigate apparent macroeconomic imbalances in Cyprus and eleven other Member States, Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said today.

Speaking at the Presidential Palace, Mr. Stefanou, responding to a question on the "Warning Mechanism Report" presented yesterday by Commission Vice President Olli Rehn, said that these issues should be addressed comprehensively, while adding that there are distortions. and problems faced by the Cypriot economy over time.

In the effort to address the problems caused by the global financial crisis, we try to address the various other problems that have emerged with particular acuity in recent years, while they have existed for many years, said Mr. Stefanou.

In an appearance today on a television station at noon, AKEL MP George Loukaidis said that opening a casino would be disastrous for the place.

Source: KATHIMERINI / SotiraNews