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Labor Minister: Τhe support for the citizens is targeted

16/09/2022 07:45

Minister of Labor Kyriakos Koushos said Thursday that the support of the government to the citizens is targeted and the focus remain to provide them with efficient services.

He added that the aim of President Nicos Anastasiades is to build a real Welfare State, which will meet the needs of the people, especially the vulnerable ones.

Delivering a speech at the inauguration of the Social Welfare and Employment Center of the Municipality of Larnaca, Koushos referred to the significant strengthening of the State's support to the family, the adoption of a series of measures to reconcile professional and family life and the creation of structures for quality care and social development of children and adolescents.  

The Center costed 4,2 million euro and was co-financed from EU structural funds.

Labor Minister also said that from 2013 up to this day the government introduced measures that benefited 17,829 mothers, totaling €8.9 million, 2,600 vulnerable families were also benefited through the new "Child Dowry" Plan, with a total cost of €3.2 million, while with the increase in income criteria of the child allowance, 379 families are benefited annually, with an additional annual cost of €1 million.

In addition, he said, 12,338 people have benefited from the introduction of paid paternity leave, with a total cost of €6.6. million. Koushos also referred to the establishment of the Children's House and the Woman's House, in 2017 and 2020, which helped 1,500 children and 565 women with a total cost of €2.8 million.

Moreover, he referred to the Mother's Allowance which was re-introduced in 2017 through which 16,764 mothers with multiple children have benefited with an annual cost of around €6.8 million.

The Minister also referred to the paid paternity leave through which 12,338 beneficiaries have benefited, with a total cost of €6.6 million.

In addition, he referred to 11 projects under the "Cyprus - Tomorrow" Plan which provide for the extension of free compulsory pre-school education from the age of three years and eight months, tuition fees for children between the ages of three years and four years and eight months attending public kindergartens and schemes to subsidize infant and toddler care services up to 3 years and 8 months.

An additional 25 thousand children are expected to benefit from these policies, he said.