The business people in Cyprus as well as the employees of the private sector have been mostly affected by the economic crisis, Energy Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis has said.
Addressing Thursday the general assembly of the Famagusta Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Lakkotrypis said that it is for this reason that the government has taken action in order to support the business sector , recalling that recently the government has finalized an agreement with the European Investment Bank for the funding of Cypriot enterprises with 250 mln euros.
Referring to the tourist sector, the Minister noted that the government has made steps in collaboration and coordination with other institutions, in order to tackle the negative effects on Cyprus, following the Eurogroup decision of last March for a deposit haircut.
He said that until September the income from tourism recorded an increase of 8% whereas October arrivals increased by 4,4%.
Lakkotrypis noted the significance of the recent agreement with Russia for the liberalization of flights , pointing out that this will be very beneficial for the Cypriot tourist sector.
In his address the Minister also referred to the energy strategy, noting once again that the government wishes for Cyprus to become an energy hub, thus strengthening its role in the region.
He referred to the construction of the LNG at the Vasilikos area, as well as the use of natural gas for electricity production in order for the consumers to pay lower prices.
The Minister once again pointed out that the aim is for Cyprus to regain the trust of foreign investors and to continue to be an important international business center.
He also referred to the economic support of the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency (CIPA) and the actions taken for the promotion of entrepreneurship.