PARLIAMENT yesterday approved the budgets of the University of Cyrus (UCY) and the Technological University (TEPAK) but froze the allowances paid to academic staff.The freeze concerns €1.8 million for UCY and €621,000 for TEPAK... Read on

LAWMAKERS are looking to block the generous allowances given to university academic staff since the early 90s, officials said yesterday.Given for the first time in 1992, the allowance aimed to act as an incentive to attract esteemed academics to the newly-founded University of Cyprus (UCY).The practice was later extended to the Technical University (TEPAK) and the Open University.Today, all permanent academic staff receive the allowance. Professors at UCY receive around €12,000 per year while assistant professors get some €7,000.For 2012, UCY had budgeted €1.8 million for the allowance.Yesterday, the House Education Committee decided to recommend to the plenum to block the funds earmarked by the UCY and TEPAK for allowances... 3 comments

 CYBC ISN’T the only semi-government organisation that can’t pay its staff due to parliament’s delay in approving their budget.Nine of the state’s 39 SGOs have not yet had their budgets approved, including the University of Cyprus (UCy), technical university TEPAK and the Cyprus Land Development Organisation (KOAG).The KOAG budget is expected to reach the House Plenum on Thursday, along with that of the CyBC. The UCy budget will be discussed at the House education committee today, in the hope that it too will tabled for the vote on Thursday.And the budget for the special fund for the promotion of renewable energy sources will be submitted to the plenum the day after tomorrow... 3 comments