Cyprus business & economy wrap-up from the day before
This means that Cypriot households had more money left to spend or save after paying taxes and receiving any government benefits, compared with the previous year.
This also includes the income of non-profit organisations that help households, such as charities and community groups.
The statistical service also reported that the total economy’s gross disposable income reached €30.66 billion for the year 2024, based on the preliminary figures.
Gross saving for the economy stood at €4.33 bn, while the net borrowing figure was recorded at €3.06 bn.
This represents a decline from the €1.34 bn surplus, or 3.9 per cent of GDP, recorded in the same period of 2024, as expenditure outpaced revenue growth.
During January to September 2025, total government revenue increased by €650.10 million, or 6.2 per cent, reaching €11.20 bn, compared with €10.55 bn a year earlier.
Revenue from taxes on income and wealth rose by €182.20m, up 6.7 per cent, to €2.89 bn, while social contributions climbed 7.3 per cent to €3.47 bn.
He warned that the implications for Cyprus are particularly serious, given the island’s growing tech ecosystem.
“Cyprus is home to a growing number of innovative technology companies,” he said. “These firms need to pay close attention to emerging cyberthreats, including AI-driven DDoS attacks.”
“Many Cypriot tech companies operate in intensely competitive markets, and some aim to disrupt them, so they must be ready for resistance from existing market players, including tactics that sometimes cross legal boundaries,” Leskin added. These risks should be taken seriously.”
According to the CBC’s quarterly financial accounts, which cover the period ending June 2025, household debt stood at €19.70 billion, equivalent to 55 per cent of GDP.
This marks a slight decrease compared with the previous quarter, mainly due to the rise in gross domestic product.
Compared with December 2016, the household debt-to-GDP ratio has fallen sharply by around 62 per cent, underscoring a steady trend of deleveraging over recent years.
The figure, which represents about 35 per cent of the district’s total licensed capacity, remains unchanged from last winter, based on a joint survey by Etap in cooperation with the Paphos branches of the Cyprus hoteliers association (Pasyxe), the Association of Cyprus Tourist Enterprises (Stek) and individual hoteliers.
The available capacity spans all types of accommodation, with most hotels and resorts closing only between December and February.
Reacting to the decision, Victor Trokoudes, founder and chief executive of Plum, which operates in the United Kingdom, Greece, and Cyprus, said the central bank’s steady approach offered welcome relief following months of economic uncertainty.
“Many will be relieved to see a relatively calm and steady approach from the central bank after all the recent drama surrounding tariffs and geopolitical tensions,” he said.
Trokoudes explained that the ECB’s stance was justified by current data. “Inflation at 2.2 per cent is not far from the ECB’s target and in line with expectations, a trade deal has been agreed with the US and the Eurozone economy is stabilising, so there seemed little reason for the ECB to change rates,” he said.
As of December 31, 2024, total assets in financial instruments across the economy amounted to €795.27bn, with 50.3 per cent in equity and shares, 17.2 per cent in currency and deposits, and 18.8 per cent in loans.
Conversely, total liabilities reached €824.54bn, consisting of 50.8 per cent in equity and shares, 25 per cent in loans, and 12.1 per cent in currency and deposits.
The event will take place on November 3 and 4 in Billund, Denmark.
According to a statement by the House of Representatives, the conference is organised within the framework of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
It forms part of its parliamentary dimension, which brings together representatives of national parliaments and the European Parliament to discuss Europe’s digital future.
The event aims to equip professionals with practical skills in advanced AI tools, helping businesses harness emerging technologies to enhance productivity and innovation.
The programme, titled “Training in the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude) Effective Integration of Artificial Intelligence into Business Processes,” focuses on informing participants about tools like ChatGPT (from OpenAI), Gemini (from Google), and Claude (from Anthropic).
She explained that there are more than 24.4 million possible ticket combinations in the national lottery and that purchasing every one would cost €24.4 million for a prize of €1 million.
Moreover, she stated that a weekly spend of €100 on tickets is akin to financing a risky gamble rather than building savings.
Bondareva further highlighted that last year Cypriot betting shops generated €157.7 million in Gross Gaming Revenue, meaning that sum was lost by players.
She stressed that though the lottery offers excitement and community value, when fun turns into a financial expectation the risk grows.
The initiative comes ahead of a key meeting scheduled for November 19, 2025, with a delegation from Connect Europe here in Cyprus.
The chamber stressed that “the issue of digital connectivity and infrastructure is far from being a purely technical matter or one that is restricted to specialised bodies”.
Instead, the chamber explained, “it is horizontal and affects all businesses, regardless of their size or sector, due to its influence on daily operations, competitiveness, market access, and data security“.
The index recorded a decrease of 0.4 per cent compared with August 2025 and a fall of 0.6 per cent compared with September 2024.
For the period January–September 2025, the index declined by 0.4 per cent year-on-year.
In September 2025 compared with August 2025, the index remained stable in mining and quarrying as well as in manufacturing, while water supply and materials recovery rose by 0.4 per cent.
According to the announcement, the programme is currently in its fourth cycle, having kicked off in February 2025.
“In the period July -September, Cyprus Seeds’ Teams have achieved significant milestones, demonstrating their strong intention to take their technology to the market,” the announcement said.
It added that several teams funded under the Cyprus Seeds’ fourth Cycle made crucial progress in securing intellectual property, validating technology, and securing major funding opportunities.
“Active customers are emerging as the dominant force in reducing electricity prices across Europe,” he said in a comprehensive piece of analysis released this week.
From Spain to Germany, and from Finland to Portugal, Poullikkas mentioned, the growing participation of consumers in renewable energy generation is revolutionising the way electricity prices are set.
“These active customers are not simply purchasing electricity,” he said. “They produce, store, and manage their energy, transforming from passive consumers into active participants in the market.”
He explains that through photovoltaic systems, small wind turbines, storage systems, and smart applications, consumers are becoming what are known as “prosumers” – producers and consumers.
The jBOI 2025, which took place on Wednesday, brought together delegations from nine Balkan countries.
The jBOI is an annual programming competition that gathers talented secondary school pupils from Balkan countries.
Each participating country is represented by a team of exceptional young programmers, aged 10 to 15, who compete in solving demanding algorithmic problems, following the rules of the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI).
The closing ceremony for the jBOI 2025 was addressed by Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Nicodemos Damianou.
The Deputy Minister spoke about the importance of fostering programming skills, which can be a valuable asset for the young participants, regardless of their future career path.
According to an announcement released this week, Etap Nicosia took part in the project’s inaugural meeting, which was held in Carlow, Ireland, on October 21–22, 2025.
The event was hosted by the Carlow Municipal District, which serves as the lead partner for the initiative.
The board explained that the project, which is funded by the Erasmus+ VET programme and will run from September 2025 to August 2027, “aims to safeguard Europe’s intangible cultural heritage through intergenerational craft skills exchange”.
This represented an increase of 0.8 per cent compared with August 2024.
For the period January to August 2025, the index recorded a rise of 2.8 per cent compared with the same period last year.
The manufacturing sector saw an increase of 1.7 per cent year-on-year, while water supply and materials recovery grew by 3.3 per cent.
In contrast, mining and quarrying and electricity supply fell by 2.8 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively.
The legislation introduces stricter screening of investments that could affect national security, focusing on “sensitive strategic areas”, and creates a national mechanism to monitor them.
It brings Cyprus in line with the EU’s FDI Screening Regulation, in force since October 2020.
Under the new framework, any foreign investment exceeding €2 million will be subject to review, while property acquisitions will fall under scrutiny only when linked to “vital infrastructures”, a list the government is expected to finalise in the coming months.
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