The bill, which was sent to Parliament and was to be examined as a priority, grants the Minister of Commerce the authority to issue decrees determining the maximum retail prices for bottled water in 500ml and 750ml packages.
The aim of the bill and the concern of the government is to put a stop to profiteering and protect citizens (both locals and tourists).
While considering the few extra cents on each bottle of water as profiteering (which it is), it allows hundreds of thousands, sometimes even billions, to be stolen from us citizens by extension.
After the Clean Monday storm, we learned that for years the Ministry of Energy has been renting a warehouse from a private individual for €6,600 per year.
And the private individual sublets the said warehouse to the Ministry of Health for €135,000 per year, to store medical supplies!!!
It takes little effort for common sense to understand the manoeuvre and how one can profit €128,400 without any effort by renting a property that is not even theirs.
The best part is that he sublets it back to the original owner, who obviously “forgot” it was his own.
This is Cyprus, as someone who knows how business is done better said.
And thankfully, God has not abandoned us yet and sent us a springstorm to teach the ignorant where the taxes we pay go (not that everyone pays, since the state is owed around €2.5 billion).
Yes, the storm caused damage beyond one million in medicines and construction, but at least it might put an end to the manoeuvre that has been going on for years, and perhaps there will be better management of medicines before we die from spoiled drugs (not that we will ever know).
Regarding the pressing issue at hand, which is of course the cap on bottled water, the bill imposes fines up to €10,000 on businesses that do not comply.
The authorities are so strict, yet they have known for years that pharmaceuticals for hospitals (and for everyone after the GHS) were housed in a building without a license, nor did it meet the minimum standards for the purpose it served.
Plus the rental manoeuvre.
And now that the tempest has revealed all this, the Ministry of Health says its priority is “to ensure the medicines”.
As for the rest, not a word.
Well, the minister is new and doesn’t know, but the general director who has been at the Ministry of Health perennially has nothing to say to enlighten us?
