Cyprus Mail www.cyprus-mail.com
Friday, July 27, 2012
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Cards on the table at crunch meeting Government due to put forward its own proposals on exiting the crisis By Jacqueline Agathocleous
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HE TROIKA will today finish up week-long negotiations at a crunch meeting with the ministerial committee on economic issues, where both sides are expected to lay their cards on the table. The government is expected to put forward its own proposals on cost cutting and increasing revenue, which are based on a milder longer-term approach than the nightmarish scenarios leaking out from meetings the team has held so far this week with officials and unionists. Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said yesterday the government would have a better overview concerning the island’s capital requirements following the conclusion of its meeting with the troika representatives today. The troika – delegates from the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund in charge of Cyprus’ request for bailout - will continue its meetings this morning with the head of the VAT Service, before going to parliament to brief the Finance Commit-
tee and then on to the muchanticipated meeting with the ministerial committee, which will take place at 3pm. No agreements or final decisions are expected to be made, though it has become increasingly clear that there is a vast difference of opinion between the government and the EU lenders – both on the amounts needed and the methods that should be used to acquire them. In contrast to the measures proposed by troika – which according to reports include steep pay cuts for public servants and a cancellation of the Cost of Living Allowance (CoLA) – the government is said to be seeking milder measures, which can be implemented in the long term. President Demetris Christofias yesterday held a low-key unpublicised meeting with the troika, while the leaders of the major trade unions met with Labour Minister Sotiroulla Charalambous, where they were briefed on the troika’s intentions. In his meeting with the lenders, Christofias reportedly said Cyprus wouldn’t be seeking assistance from the EU’s support mechanism if it
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Fake snake tamer had spoken with forked tongue
Pigeons fly up over Jesal Park Chowpatty in Bhayander, near Mumbai, India yesterday, on a dry day during the monsoon season. According to reports, the wet period so far has yielded 22 per cent less rainfall than the average for the four-month-long rainy season that began in June (EPA)
AN Austrian applauded for capturing a 2.3-metre (7.5foot) boa constrictor he said he discovered on a riverbank has admitted he made up the story to get rid of a pet snake he found too big to handle, an animal rescue group said yesterday. “It turns out he could not get to grips with the snake and wanted to get rid of it this way,” said Susanne Hemetsberger, head of the Austrian Animal Protection Association. The owner handed over the reptile to an animal shelter. She said in hindsight the tale originally told by the Salzburg man, who has not been identified, that he had happened upon and bagged the 7-kg (15.5-pound) boa last week, seemed suspicious. “No passer-by who isn’t familiar with snakes would ever grab a boa constrictor. On the contrary, they would scream, run away and call the police,” she said. The man has two other twometre snakes that he wants to give away as well, Hemetsberger said. “The snake owner dished up one lie after another and I hope he gets the proper punishment for this. He can’t just release a snake and then pose as its finder,” she said, calling for curbs on the sale of exotic pets that inexperienced owners often find overwhelming.