The European Commission has approved a €2.7 million scheme by Cyprus to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) active in the agricultural and livestock production, affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework.

Cyprus notified the Commission of a scheme under which the public support takes the form of non-payment of lease contracts for years 2020 and 2021 due to the State on lots and allotment of land belonging to Turkish Cypriots (managed by the Ministry of Interior), State land and forest land.

The scheme aims at mitigating the liquidity shortages that the beneficiaries are facing because of the coronavirus outbreak. The aid amount will correspond to the lease due.

The Commission found that the Cypriot scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. In particular, the aid (i) will not exceed €225,000 per beneficiary active in agricultural production or €1.8 million per beneficiary active in forestry; and (ii) will be granted no later than 31 December 2021.

The Commission concluded that the measure is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State.

The Digital Security Authority of Cyprus, the Cypriot police’s electronic crime unit, the Central Bank of Cyprus and the Association of Cypriot Banks have joined forces, pooling their expertise, know-how and experience in a joint campaign to safeguard people from being victimised online.

The Aspis campaign aims to inform the public of common ways in which criminals try to extract money or information from their victims.

The campaign starts on Saturday, September 25, and will include information shared on social media, as well as radio and television infomercials.

“All of us together can protect our transactions, our private communication, and our personal data and property,” the campaigners said in a statement.

The Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) announced that the application period for the Cyprus Export Award 2020 started on Friday, September 24 2021. The deadline for applications is October 1, 2021.

Exporters of Industrial and Agricultural Products and Services may apply, provided they meet the relevant criteria.

Those interested can obtain the regulations and criteria of the Cyprus Export Award, as well as application forms, from the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry and from the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) ended Friday, September 24, with profits, bucking the trend of the previous days.

The main Cyprus Stock Market Index was at 66.10 points by 13:22 during the day, reflecting an increase of 0.14 per cent over the previous day.

The FTSE / CySE 20 Index was at 39.48 points, representing a rise of 0.10 per cent. The total value of transactions came up to €15,367.

In terms of sub-indexes, the hotel and investment firms indexes remained stable, while the main index rose by 0.07 per cent.

The biggest investment interest was attracted by Vassiliko Cement Works (€8,078, +0.77 per cent), Louis (+1.28 per cent) and Atlantic Insurance (-1.9 per cent).