A few years back, nobody in their right mind would have imagined that Cyprus, which enjoyed zero unemployment, prosperity and boasted as the land of plenty would end up a pauper state. Certainly something went terribly badly wrong!
Ironically, today’s catastrophe it’s on a completely different spectrum and admittedly much, much worse; it’s a self-inflicted tsunami that is not about to subside so easily. Predictions by Ernst & Young agency reported that the economy would continue to contract well beyond 2017. Other experts report a greater instability along the way with a prolonged recession! Meanwhile Cypriots are in for a rocky ride.
Despite the official rhetoric, if no serious foreign investments are attracted to kick-start the economy things do not look so rosy! The discovery of natural gas may well be the only possible saviour! Meanwhile the country is faced with an impossible task of recovery and possibly may require additional IMF EU-Troika loans.
What makes the present crisis inexcusable is the fact that a conniving sector in the echelons of power has raped the island of its dignity and caused insurmountable damage to its international reputation! A “white-collar” criminality has triggered a deadly virus of economic chaos driven by none other than brute greed and trickery. If those responsible are not apprehended and held into account, Cyprus will never regain its trust again.
Compounded by endless fiscal malpractices, today, a great number of the population is living below the poverty line. Ruined economically they are trapped and Cyprus has changed forever; one of uncertainty! In fact, Cypriots can no longer make long-term plans but simply try to survive for the day and protect themselves from worse things to come. Unable to cope, unfortunately, a great number of them take extreme actions; suicides, alcoholism, robberies and family break-ups are on the increase.
For the first time ever, economic depression has affected almost the entire population. Irrespective of government spin and propaganda to convince us otherwise, things are not doing that well at all. The Cyprus Institute of Statistics has reported recently that 5.7% of the population (55.000 plus) are now dependent on municipal and church food banks or other charities for provisions. Food banks have become the last line of defence for destitute Cypriots. For a small country this is disastrous!
Such unheard of revelations indicate the shocking truth and scale of destitution, hardship, poverty and hunger across the island! Desperate people often resort to desperate actions and if the present anger is not tamed, it will soon turn into a time bomb and spill into the streets; the consequences of that explosion would be unimaginable!
Unwisely, a Europhile government refuses to alter its political principles and continues to massacre its own people by introducing severe austerity measures ordered by Troika – just like Portugal and Spain! In fact, people have now become numbers on balance sheets to be manipulated and erased when necessary in order to keep the IMF EU-Troika happy. A most shameful policy indeed!
Under the present conditions the population has very good reasons to be angry! Aside from having their money stolen from their own bank accounts by EU Troika/Anastasiades government, there are currently over 85.000-registered unemployed but those figures are likely closer to 110.000. It is predicted that those unemployed will surpass the 150.000 mark by early next year. A human tragedy in the making right in front of the eyes of those who govern! Never in the history of Cyprus such a misery has ever been afflicted upon the people by a government failure.
Shops and businesses are continuing to shut down; bankruptcies are sky-rocketing; hundreds of children go to schools hungry; direct and indirect taxation is on the increase; wages are “cropped” or slashed; people are bracing themselves to lose their homes; consumer spending-power has been reduced to a trickle; the housing prices have dropped 60% and house sales plummeted by 80%; the consumer market is as good as dead and there are no inward investments to speak about. Certainly not a pretty painted picture.
Fortunately, among the ashes of despair there is always a glimmer of hope. This is provided not by governments but by ordinary caring folk who understand the need to help others in similar situations. It seems there are those who take great pleasure on “giving” and there are those who thrive on “grabbing”.
Like an army of guardian angels, volunteer groups sprouted right across the island helping out those in need. Soup kitchens have been set up; food and clothing banks; delivery of provisions to the elderly; visitation to the most vulnerable groups; the provision of human compassion and consultation; transporting people back and forth to doctors and hospitals and the list continues infinitely. This proves that where the government and politicians failed miserably, the generosity of the people puts shame on them all!
The Sophia Foundation – and other groups – for example have organised kitchen facilities in schools across the island and provides daily hot cooked meals to all children so they will not go hungry – yet the government stopped providing free milk to children in order to save money; a demand by EU-Troika!
Housewives and the unemployed and many other willing volunteers have become the foot soldiers of this campaign of survival. They have proven that the Cypriot spirit of generosity is alive and well and that, they take pleasure in “giving” rather than “grabbing”.
The groups of volunteers like faithful sentinels are there to help but for many destitute people across the land, the battle of survival is not over yet…there is a very long, long walk to cover before they can feel safe and learn to trust the system that failed them so bitterly.
Andreas C Chrysafis,
Paphos
