EU boosts Turkish Cypriot SMEs

The European Commission announced on Wednesday that 47 new contracts have been signed to subsidise Turkish Cypriot small to medium enterprises (SMEs) as part of the EU assistance programme for the Turkish Cypriot community.

The Commission said the main goal of the tender for SMEs was to enhance and improve their competitiveness as a measure of boosting the labour market and of preserving natural resources.

The projects which received EU grants promote business excellence through the modernisation of production processes, and products and services offered, a Commission statement said.

They also aim at establishing European standards on quality and the environment, energy efficiency, and measures promoting renewable energy sources, environmental protection and IT.

At the same time, the press release says, they encourage further cooperation between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot businesses.

A total of €6.5 million have been disbursed so far in grants in the framework of the EU assistance programme to the Turkish Cypriot community.

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.