Cyprus Institute officials defend its work

THE auditor-general expressed concerns yesterday that the Cyprus Institute (CyI) may never become self-sufficient, as officials from the beleaguered research institution defended its work, pledging that any shortcomings will be corrected.

The CyI has been under fire after a report by Auditor-general Chrystalla Georghadji effectively said it was not worth the public money spent on it.

It has absorbed some €30 million in state funds and has not lived up to its initial business plan, which provided for securing external financing and enrolling 2,500 students. There are currently only 10.

Speaking before the House Watchdog Committee, Georghadji reiterated that the institute’s business plan had been “overly ambitious,” as she highlighted the need for a more realistic plan to be drawn.

“We are worried that the Institute may never become self-sufficient,” she told lawmakers.

The Institute – a non-profit science and technology research institution, formally established in 2005 – has been receiving funds from the state since 2003. “The state paid out €29.3 million by the end of 2011. CyI’s funding from non-government sources is minimal,” said Georghadji. The institute has so far managed to secure only €3.7 million in funds from EU programmes.

Dr Andreas Pittas said one of the mistakes was that the CyI had never showed the huge work it has done.

Responding to criticism over the ‘failure’ to enroll the number of students set by the business plan, Pittas said they did not even have the space to house them as the facilities were never constructed.

“Where should we put them? Outside?”

But Pittas said he generally agreed with Georghadji in that changes had to be made.

“I agree that a lot cited by the auditor-general is correct and I assure you they will change,” he told MPs.

CyI chairman, professor Costas Papanicolas said the ongoing debate has created uncertainty, which was harmful.

“Uncertainty is really destructive and the state investment will not perform if we extend this uncertainty,” Papanicolas said.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.