CYPRUS
The Cypriot Government has launched another attempt at Public Service reform with two new Bills approved by Cabinet.
A previous attempt was rejected by Parliament in 2016.
Minister for Finance, Harris Georgiades (pictured) said the Government had never abandoned the effort despite the rejection.
“The new Bills were drafted following consultations with all parties involved,” Mr Georgiades said.
“A framework of Bills was approved anew that improves the operation of the civil service to a large extent.”
However, the immediate reaction of unions was one of surprise that the legislation was being revisited now.
The Bills provide for a new evaluation system to replace the current one under which most PS employees are deemed “exceptional”.
It also introduces provisions for high-ranking officials who will go through an examination process when seeking promotion rather than the present procedure by which they are promoted according to years of service.
Cyprus has been repeatedly urged by the European Union to adopt reforms to improve the efficiency of the public sector in particular with regard to public administration, governance of state-owned entities and Local Government.
Opposition parties rejected the previous Bills in December 2016, arguing that they did not go far enough to correct the distortions and did not live up to expectations.
A couple of months before that vote, the Government said the political environment was not conducive as the Bills — which aimed to address recruitment, evaluation, and promotion of PS staff, their pay and the transfer of workers from Departments with excess staff to others needing workers — touched certain taboos.
Whether it is any better now is debatable as the Government is currently fighting a court decision to immediately restore millions of euros of Public Service salaries cut in 2012 as part of an austerity drive.
Public Service unions reacted with shock and complaints they had not been consulted on the new moves.
Nicosia, 6 October 2019
