Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides on Thursday appealed to all parliamentary parties to vote in the 2021 state budget which he described as the “main weapon” against the coronavirus pandemic’s bleak economic consequences.
Petrides was making statements after talks with a delegation from the newly-formed Cooperation of Democratic Forces platform. They had exchanged views on 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 the government to manage the pandemic.
Speaking on behalf of the platform, MP Angelos Votsis said 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 Green party also said they will vote against the budget because of reduced social and environmental expenditure.
