They wonder why...

[apc2010]

People are so pissed off by the Government here.........


FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE • Monday, 30 December, 2013
A number of changes to the social insurance law come into effect as of the 1st of January to fulfill Cyprus’ obligations deriving from the Memorandum of Understanding, Theofanis Tryfonos, Director of the Social Insurance Services, said on Monday.

The first change concerns all employees who will be required to pay additional contributions of 1% to the Social Insurance Fund, whereas the same increase will apply for the employers.

For the self-employed the increase will be 2%, while for public servants the additional contribution will be 0.5%.

Another important change provides that employees who have worked for only a few years, will not be entitled to a pension unless they have paid contributions for at least twelve years.

The third change concerns a large group of employees, those who have worked for more than 33,5 years.

According to Tryfonos, as of the 1st of January in case they choose to retire at the age of 63 years oldo their pension will be reduced by 6% for the rest of their lives. However, they could always avoid the reduction by choosing to retire at the age of 64, Tryfonos said.  — (FG/Agencies)


So if you work half a fvcking day, mon-friday and you pay less social than the rest of the country ........

 

[Barman]

People are so pissed off by the Government here.........


FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE • Monday, 30 December, 2013
A number of changes to the social insurance law come into effect as of the 1st of January to fulfill Cyprus’ obligations deriving from the Memorandum of Understanding, Theofanis Tryfonos, Director of the Social Insurance Services, said on Monday.

The first change concerns all employees who will be required to pay additional contributions of 1% to the Social Insurance Fund, whereas the same increase will apply for the employers.

For the self-employed the increase will be 2%, while for public servants the additional contribution will be 0.5%.

Another important change provides that employees who have worked for only a few years, will not be entitled to a pension unless they have paid contributions for at least twelve years.

The third change concerns a large group of employees, those who have worked for more than 33,5 years.

According to Tryfonos, as of the 1st of January in case they choose to retire at the age of 63 years oldo their pension will be reduced by 6% for the rest of their lives. However, they could always avoid the reduction by choosing to retire at the age of 64, Tryfonos said.  — (FG/Agencies)


So if you work half a fvcking day, mon-friday and you pay less social than the rest of the country ........

 

I know.... 

Plus VAT up to 19% in January and petrol up from Jan 1 by €0.05 or so.... 

Put up the price of everything then increase the tax on jobs.... you couldn't make it up..... 

[apc2010]

It will also help claim tax from all those self-employed people.......

the social is already bollocks for the self-employed ...

[Steve]

Full pension at 64, lower VAT than most of Europe.  No wonder the sums don't add up

And what BM said, taxing employers more to avoid losing votes by taxing consumers is the classic dumb dumb trick that cripples economies.

What's the Greek for basket case?

[apc2010]

Full pension at 64, lower VAT than most of Europe.  No wonder the sums don't add up

And what BM said, taxing employers more to avoid losing votes by taxing consumers is the classic dumb dumb trick that cripples economies.

What's the Greek for basket case?

If you work for the gubberment you can retire after 30 years.......

and they only work half day........

[Steve]

As I understand Cyprus politics you have a gullible indigenous population fed with Enosis-esque policies and a niche living off them.

But then I remember that fiasco of a coup in 1974.  I figure I'd better keep clear of Cyprus,  I might just open me gob.  You have to live there, earthquakes are likely the least of your problems.

[Miss Adventure]

As I understand Cyprus politics you have a gullible indigenous population fed with Enosis-esque policies and a niche living off them.

But then I remember that fiasco of a coup in 1974.  I figure I'd better keep clear of Cyprus,  I might just open me gob.  You have to live there, earthquakes are likely the least of your problems.

We don't have to live here, we choose to.

Yes, Cyprus is experiencing problems, but most western countries have experienced rises in VAT, National Insurance, petrol etc, etc, etc etc in the last few years, generally due to the f***-ups of whichever government has been in power. There are massive changes occurring here in the public sector, banking sector, police etc etc etc, long overdue I grant you, but at least these issues are now being addressed. This is difficult in a culture where not paying tax is a national sport, one which many of the Brits here are playing in the Premier league themselves.

However, in Cyprus the sun shone on Christmas Day, it was 21 degrees and you can generally get a beer for €2. Still nowhere's perfect.

[Baldy]

As I understand Cyprus politics you have a gullible indigenous population fed with Enosis-esque policies and a niche living off them.

But then I remember that fiasco of a coup in 1974.  I figure I'd better keep clear of Cyprus,  I might just open me gob.  You have to live there, earthquakes are likely the least of your problems.

We don't have to live here, we choose to.

Yes, Cyprus is experiencing problems, but most western countries have experienced rises in VAT, National Insurance, petrol etc, etc, etc etc in the last few years, generally due to the f***-ups of whichever government has been in power. There are massive changes occurring here in the public sector, banking sector, police etc etc etc, long overdue I grant you, but at least these issues are now being addressed. This is difficult in a culture where not paying tax is a national sport, one which many of the Brits here are playing in the Premier league themselves.

However, in Cyprus the sun shone on Christmas Day, it was 21 degrees and you can generally get a beer for €2. Still nowhere's perfect.

 

[Steve]

As I understand Cyprus politics you have a gullible indigenous population fed with Enosis-esque policies and a niche living off them.

But then I remember that fiasco of a coup in 1974.  I figure I'd better keep clear of Cyprus,  I might just open me gob.  You have to live there, earthquakes are likely the least of your problems.

We don't have to live here, we choose to.

Yes, Cyprus is experiencing problems, but most western countries have experienced rises in VAT, National Insurance, petrol etc, etc, etc etc in the last few years, generally due to the f***-ups of whichever government has been in power. There are massive changes occurring here in the public sector, banking sector, police etc etc etc, long overdue I grant you, but at least these issues are now being addressed. This is difficult in a culture where not paying tax is a national sport, one which many of the Brits here are playing in the Premier league themselves.

However, in Cyprus the sun shone on Christmas Day, it was 21 degrees and you can generally get a beer for €2. Still nowhere's perfect.

 

Well it was a Smugger that started the thread

You are living in what should be a gold mine, excellent weather, relatively high level of English speakers, historical treasures and relatively short logistical links via Turkey

Oh dear I mentioned the elephant in the room.  All the time your voters reject UN brokered solutions like they did a few years back, you are sitting on a missed opportunity.

[Barman]

As I understand Cyprus politics you have a gullible indigenous population fed with Enosis-esque policies and a niche living off them.

But then I remember that fiasco of a coup in 1974.  I figure I'd better keep clear of Cyprus,  I might just open me gob.  You have to live there, earthquakes are likely the least of your problems.

We don't have to live here, we choose to.

Yes, Cyprus is experiencing problems, but most western countries have experienced rises in VAT, National Insurance, petrol etc, etc, etc etc in the last few years, generally due to the f***-ups of whichever government has been in power. There are massive changes occurring here in the public sector, banking sector, police etc etc etc, long overdue I grant you, but at least these issues are now being addressed. This is difficult in a culture where not paying tax is a national sport, one which many of the Brits here are playing in the Premier league themselves.

However, in Cyprus the sun shone on Christmas Day, it was 21 degrees and you can generally get a beer for €2. Still nowhere's perfect.

 

Well it was a Smugger that started the thread

You are living in what should be a gold mine, excellent weather, relatively high level of English speakers, historical treasures and relatively short logistical links via Turkey

Oh dear I mentioned the elephant in the room.  All the time your voters reject UN brokered solutions like they did a few years back, you are sitting on a missed opportunity.

The elephant in the room is not turkey but the EU....

You are staggeringly ignorant of the situation here if you think a deal with Turkey would solve the islands problems...

[Miss Adventure]

As I understand Cyprus politics you have a gullible indigenous population fed with Enosis-esque policies and a niche living off them.

But then I remember that fiasco of a coup in 1974.  I figure I'd better keep clear of Cyprus,  I might just open me gob.  You have to live there, earthquakes are likely the least of your problems.

We don't have to live here, we choose to.

Yes, Cyprus is experiencing problems, but most western countries have experienced rises in VAT, National Insurance, petrol etc, etc, etc etc in the last few years, generally due to the f***-ups of whichever government has been in power. There are massive changes occurring here in the public sector, banking sector, police etc etc etc, long overdue I grant you, but at least these issues are now being addressed. This is difficult in a culture where not paying tax is a national sport, one which many of the Brits here are playing in the Premier league themselves.

However, in Cyprus the sun shone on Christmas Day, it was 21 degrees and you can generally get a beer for €2. Still nowhere's perfect.

 

Well it was a Smugger that started the thread

You are living in what should be a gold mine, excellent weather, relatively high level of English speakers, historical treasures and relatively short logistical links via Turkey

Oh dear I mentioned the elephant in the room.  All the time your voters reject UN brokered solutions like they did a few years back, you are sitting on a missed opportunity.

The elephant in the room is not turkey but the EU....

You are staggeringly ignorant of the situation here if you think a deal with Turkey would solve the islands problems...

Thanks BM, you beat me to it!

[Steve]

Well yes it must be such bad form to comment on somewhere two time zones away from where you live 

FWIW I never said it would solve all your problems but do you not think it's a major inhibitor to any big investor? 

[Barman]

Well yes it must be such bad form to comment on somewhere two time zones away from where you live 

FWIW I never said it would solve all your problems but do you not think it's a major inhibitor to any big investor?

I didn't say it was bad form - I merely stated that you are completely ignorant of the situation here....

What you read on teh Interwebs is a world apart from the situation on the ground....

Sadly, we can't click our fingers and make the TCs and GSs like each other for the benefit of the economy... They are worlds apart.

I know that just months after WW2 Allied troops were marrying German girls and German PoWs were marrying English girls. Yet 40 years on from the conflict here the country is still as divided as ever (not just physically) and numerous UN resolutions have come to nothing.

Sadly, the GCs believed that the EU would resolve this issue when they joined in 2004. Instead EU membership has devastated the economy of The RoC while giving billions of €uros to Turkey.

So the whole thing is a complete buggers muddle.... the 'UN brokered solution' was doomed to fail because the UN had done nothing to enforce their numerous resolutions over the previous years. The GCs despise Turkey, their settlers and by association the TCs because of the invasion and continued occupation. And lastly, turning to the EU for a resolution has resulted in the financial annihilation of the island's economy while our ever increasing taxes fund handouts to Turkey.

That said, I'd still rather live here than in the UK.

[Steve]

Seems to sum it up well ^.   For all its faults I like the UK more but can see why many would prefer Cyprus.   Certainly this last year on here has given me a lot of insights into the good about the place

I'd followed the fates of Cyprus on and off for years since the idiocy of that coup.  At least that led to the end of the bastard Greek Colonels regime that initiated it (ironic?).  From this distance the UN's two state solution looked a good one but IIRC foundered on who took the burden of land compensation.  All beggars belief when you look at the size of this years bail outs.   

Anyway surely for most Cypriots they need increased investment and trade and are they really going to get that with half the coast line cut off by that border, all that litigation and international bad publicity?  Seems your government is in the meantime trying to tax Cyprus employers into recovery - yeah like that's going to work. 

[apc2010]

When people are still alive remember being bombed out of their homes ..they generally don't like the bastards .........generally G/Cs and T/Cs do not have a problem ...it's the turkish settlers and the cheapskake English wankers who have bought stolen lands ...........

BTW happy new year Orams ........