The recommendations made in the International Monetary Fund’s report on Cyprus confirm the government’s responsible fiscal policy, said President Nikos Christodoulides on Monday ahead of the 15th Nicosia Economic Congress.
He noted that many of the IMF’s suggestions are already in the government’s plans and within the finance ministry’s scope, adding that reports from both the IMF and the European Commission are always taken into account “with one goal only—to strengthen the resilience of the Cypriot economy.”
“Reading through the recommendations confirms our responsible fiscal policy,” he added. “If we hadn’t followed this approach, especially considering the current unstable environment, our country would be in a much more difficult position to face any potential challenges.”
“We don’t demonise the recommendations—we don’t reject them,” Christodoulides stressed. “Many of them reflect our own initiatives, which we’ve already started implementing.” He added that the Council of Ministers would move forward with relevant decisions and- where necessary- bring draft laws to parliament.
When asked about the IMF’s recommendation to eliminate the 13th salary in the public sector, the president stated that the government is not concerned. “There are many other things that need to be addressed first,” he added, “and we are already working on them.”
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