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FinMin appeals to the parties to back the 2021 state budget

29/10/2020 16:34

Cypriot Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides appealed to the parliamentary parties to back the 2021 state budget as it constitutes “the main weapon for the handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the recovery of the economy” following the downturn caused by Covid-19.

Petrides met on Wednesday with a delegation of the newly-formed platform for the Cooperation of Democratic Forces, with which he discussed the 2021 state budget.
 
“I believe there is a common understanding over the critical moments facing the country and how decisive the next day will be but also (how decisive) the budget will be as the main weapon to handle the pandemic, the recovery of the economy and to restore the reforms the country needs,” Petrides said.
 
Asked whether the government will garner the necessary parliamentary majority, Petrides said if a sense of responsibility prevails then the budget will be backed as the main weapon to enable us to manage the pandemic.
 
Speaking on behalf of the platform, MP Angelos Votsis said the they will examine the budget “in a creative way.”
 
So far centre Democratic Party said it will vote against the budget unless the government provides the Audit Service data concerning certain naturalizations in the context of the Cyprus Investment Scheme in the wake of revelations of the Al Jazeera TV network. The Greens also said they will reject the budget because of reduced social and environmental expenditure.