Prime Minister Ozkan Yorgancioglu and the Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas briefed reporters at a press conference, on the coalition government’s activities after its first year in office, ‘BRTonline’ reports.
Reading out a list of the government’s achievements, Yorgancioglu said that their greatest accomplishments were in the area of environment as it had passed legislation allowing solar energy systems to be installed in homes and workplaces.
He also said that work on using whey water and solid sewage to produce energy had reached the tender stage.
Pointing out that one of the government’s first actions when assuming office a year ago, was to cancel the delivery of a riot control vehicle. Yorgancioglu also said that a draft law had been prepared to bring the police under civilian authority.
Also praising the government’s contributions to improving the economy, its success in raising exports and lowering imports as well as closing the budget deficit gap and public expenditures, Yorgancioglu said that a committee had been established to oversee all issues related to Hellim/halloumi production, including its registration as a co-Cypriot product of origin in the EU.
Yorgancioglu also mentioned that “a series of reforms, laws and bylaws had been passed by the Council of Ministers which improved the state’s collection of unpaid taxes and revenues as well as giving low interest rate loans to small businesses and enterprises”.
On the issue of tourism, he said that the TRNC had been represented at a number of the world’s largest tourism fairs and that efforts by the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sports to further promote the TRNC at all levels continue.
Yorgancioglu also reminded everyone about the introduction of a new chipped ID system which will come into service by the end of this year.
The meeting ended following a Q&A session during which Yorgancioglu and Denktas answered reporters’ questions on issues relating to the economy, the arrival of water from Turkey as well as other domestic issues recently on the country’s agenda.
