MPs on Monday sought clarifications regarding a request by parliament’s administration to hire 12 more people on high civil service pay scales, after noticing that the spending item was included in the state budget for 2026.

Parliament had put in a request to hire 12 people (administrative and managerial personnel). But it seems that MPs, currently reviewing the various budgets for fiscal year 2026, only stumbled on it on Monday – causing some consternation.

The positions requested concern the civil service pay scales of A8 through to A13.

Some media outlets suggested these positions had been “concealed” from MPs.

But Akel MP Andreas Kafkalias explained to the Cyprus Mail this was not the case.

What had happened, rather, is that parliament had not provided MPs with documentation justifying the hiring of the 12 staff. But the request itself is in the budget.

“So we asked parliament’s services to come back with information justifying the hiring,” Kafkalias said.

Parliament’s budget for 2026 comes to €37.6 million.

Of this, €18.4 million concerns payroll (including MPs and parliament personnel), €5.7 million operating expenses, €13 million are ‘transfers’, and €0.5 million are fixed costs.

The ‘transfers’ item covers such things as the salaries of aides to MPs as well as awareness campaigns.

Operating expenses include day-to-day operations (€2 million), building maintenance and repairs (€0.7 million), plus extra expenses from parliamentary activities connected to Cyprus’ presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first half of 2026.

Notably, parliament’s budget for 2026 does not include an item for relocating to new premises.