BENEFICIARIES are expected to receive state allowances, set by the Plenum on Thursday, by the end of the month.
The Plenum agreed unanimously on three supplementary budgets amounting to just over £104 million which aim to cover added state expenses, sponsorships and donations and social benefits for various classes of the public in need.
Head of the House Finance Committee Aristos Chrysostomou said that the State will be awarding weaker classes generously.
“Aim of the measures that were voted for was to help the financially weaker classes of our public.”
Under the grants system:
Families with one, two or three children will get a one-time payment of £500 to £1,000
One-parent families will get up to £300 to their state benefits
Old people who are alone will get up to £250
Enclaved families with dependant children who are attending school will get an added £2,000, heavily disabled people with £1,000 each
People who are in the process of rehabilitation from addictive substances will be entitled to £1,000 annually
Specifically, the plenum granted £2 million to state broadcasting channel CyBC, £3 million as deposits for new fire helicopters, £21 million to Social Security Fund, £15 million to development planning, £2 million to the Cyprus Tourism Organisation, £5 million as added child benefits, £3 million for patients who are sent abroad for treatment, £3,191,000 for the transportation of children to school, £2.3 million for unexpected additional costs in pharmaceuticals, £35 million for additional costs in public hospitals and £70 thousand for the transportation of Turkish Cypriots to and from the Ledra Palace, Strovilia and Pergamos barricades.
£9,742,000 in total were granted for the financial support of the weaker classes of the public – such as poor families, one-parent families, solitary old people, enclaved families and heavily disabled people.
Grants were also given to various Unions and Organisations amounting to £640 thousand.
Acting government spokesman Marios Karoyian expressed his satisfaction with the plenum’s decisions. “These measures, even if some people are mocking them, are a substantial, important and effective support to those who need them most”.
