Draft legislation establishing three under-secretariats, or sub-ministries, are soon to be brought before the cabinet for approval, President Nicos Anastasiades announced this week.
Addressing the annual general assembly of the Association for Large Investment Projects on Monday evening, Anastasiades said three under-secretariats would be created – for economic development, tourism and maritime affairs.
The under-secretariats would be politically and administratively autonomous, he said.
The move is part of a broader drive to streamline the operation of the state sector.
On the campaign trail for the 2013 presidential elections, Anastasiades pledged to create seven under-secretariats – a non-existent institution in the Cyprus government, with the exception of the post of Undersecretary to the President – for development, technology, and research; energy; European affairs; maritime; migration and social cohesion; environment and green growth; and culture.
In March 2013, the government submitted an umbrella legislation to parliament. The bill concerned the appointment, qualifications, jurisdictions and responsibilities of the under-secretaries.
But the events of that month – the Eurogroup decisions and the financial meltdown – forced the government to put the plans on the backburner.
Subsequently, ruling Disy and opposition Diko agreed to five under-secretariats, with the government finally settling on just three.
The task of planning for the new under-secretariats has fallen to the Undersecretary to the President Constantinos Petrides and his team, in charge of the broader public reform drive.
Petrides could not be immediately reached for comment.
The stated aim is to establish bodies that would concentrate powers and jurisdictions currently spread out among various government departments and semi-governmental organisations.
The goal is to consolidate and simplify procedures that are now dispersed among ministries and departments.
These departments act autonomously and without deadlines, each according to their own rules and protocols, creating a regulatory maze.
This is especially true for development projects, where there exist some 50 departments and government services that are involved in issuing permits.
That is where the mooted under-secretariat for economic development would come in, serving as a sort of one-stop-shop for people interested in development projects.
The red tape monster is borne out in a study which found that the number of different transactions between the state and the public (individuals and corporations) amounts to a whopping 1,500.
Digitisation and e-government would further improve and expedite the interface between the state and the public.
Also in the works is an under-secretariat for tourism, empowered to set out and enforce policies related to the tourism sector.
The Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO), being a semi-governmental organisation, has no direct authority over such matters as taxes and inspections – powers that are delegated to various ministries.
Under such a scenario, the CTO would likely be stripped of most of its responsibilities, keeping only the marketing task.
Media reports have cited government sources as saying that the planned sub-ministries would not burden the state treasury since no new people would be hired rather civil servants would be shuffled around from existing ministries.
