Daily Press Review - 21/11/2019

CSE roadshow in Athens

The Roadshow that will be organised by Cyprus Stock Exchange in Athens on 2 December, has received great interest. Six listed companies will participate. During the Roadshow, there will be a presentation of the new development plan of the CSE to stakeholders of the financial market of Greece. According to a CSE announcement, the participating companies are Bank of Cyprus Holdings Public Co, Hellenic Bank Public Company Ltd, Demetra Investment Public Company Ltd, Logicom Pic Ltd, Petrolina Holdings Ltd and Atlantic Insurance Company Ltd. This initiative is expected to substantially contribute to further explore the potential of CSE-listed companies as well as attract companies by boosting investment interest. The CSE will be promoted, Greek institutional stakeholders will be informed and the activities of CSE-listed companies will be presented, as will the potential for internationalisation of CSE-listed companies. Moreover, the participating CSE-listed companies will make presentations targeted at members and officials of institutional investor, financial analysts, investment fund representatives and officials of companies listed in the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE).



They gained experiences!

The International ITF championship (Category 3)  came to a close on Saturday 16 November. It was organised by Hellenic Bank Masters Tennis Academy in Strovolos. Due to the high level of the tournament, no Cypriot athletes managed to get an award but they did gain significant experience. As it comes to Greece, the up-and-coming Mikaela Laki managed to win the singles tournament for girls.



Cyprus Banks Association Roadshow in the US was highly successful

Cyprus Banks Association’s roadshow in the United States was very successfully held about two weeks ago. The Association’s delegation held very important contact with competent authorities and partners in Washington and New York, as well as elected officials, internationally recognised banks and journalists. The delegation was comprised of the Chairman of the Association and CEO of Hellenic Bank, Ioannis Matsis, the vice-chairman of the Association and deputy CEO of Bank of Cyprus, Christakis Patsalides, the CEO of cdb Bank, Costas Argyrides and the Director of Compliance of Bank of Cyprus, Marios Skandalis. According to InBusinessNews’ sources, the delegation’s mission was to inform all the authorities and different partners of Cyprus in the US with regards to enhancing the framework of combatting financial crime, which was implemented in the past few years in the Cyprus banking sector and at the same time, present the results of these initiatives, which on the basis of their effectiveness establish Cyprus as a model in the banking sector of the wider European area.



Distinction for Eurobank

Eurobank Cyprus and Eurobank were honoured for yet another year as the best Private Bank in 2019 in Cyprus and Greece. The internationally renowned Global Finance magazine awarded Eurobank Cyprus and Eurobank with the ‘Best Private Bank Award’ for 2019, the former for the 7th year and the latter for the 15th year, recognising their high performance in the Cypriot and Greek markets respectively. The distinction concerns financial institutions around the world and is awarded to banks that have responded effectively to the needs of their Private Banking clients, while achieving significant results in the evaluation field.



Ancoria Bank receives Integrity Forum certificate

Ancoria Bank received a certification of participation in the Business Integrity Forum (BIF), which was established in Cyprus by the Cyprus Integrity Forum organisation. According to a Press Release, the CEO of Ancoria Bank Yiannis Loizou accepted the certificate of participation at the ceremony that was held at the headquarters of Ancoria Bank in Nicosia.



SYPRODAT urges head of Central Bank to act on foreclosures

Borrowers protection association (SYPRODAT) calls the head of the Central Bank, Constantinos Herodotou to prevent the auction of houses and business housing by the banks, by using the competencies he was granted by law. The association says that the Cypriot society demands that banks the price of their illegal actions and warn that if this situation goes on, the results will be worse than in 2013 and we are very much afraid that there is no way back. The association is fully behind the Financial Ombudsman’s encouragement of borrowers to apply for Estia and protect their primary residence and business housing.



Limassol Port: How much the state receives despite privatization?

Significant sums from state-owned funds come from Limassol's commercial activities, despite its privatization in April 2016, according to relevant information quoted by the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Vassiliki Anastasiadou, on the occasion of today's (21 (11) discussion of the Ministry budget today by the Parliamentary Committee on Finance. Specifically referring to the commercialization of Limassol Port activities, Ms Anastasiadou informed Parliament that from the date of the Port's assignment to private companies until mid-October the state's receipts totalled € 138 million. As stated, in connection with the privatization process of Limassol Port's business activities, on April 25, 2016, three Concession Agreements were signed with the following Contractors: Joint venture EUROGATE International GmbH 60%, Interorient Navigation Company Ltd 20% and East Med Holdings S.A. 20%, with a revenue percentage of 62.71%, for the Container Terminal; Joint venture DP World Limited 75% and GAP Vassilopoulos Public Ltd 25%. with a revenue share of 10.1% for Maritime Services; Joint venture DP World Limited 75% and GAP Vassilopoulos Public Ltd 25%. with a revenue share of 52.1% for the General Trade Terminal. The Ministry’s relevant Project Team, adds, closely monitors the implementation of the terms of the Concession Contracts, stressing that various problems observed and related to the Contract are handled by the Project Team and the Ministry as necessary.

 

First boats arriving

Politis reports on Ayia Napa Marina operating on a pilot basis and receiving the first boats at the end of November before the official opening in February 2020.  For two months, boats of different types will be hosted at the marina free of charge for the purpose of evaluation the marina’s docking services offered with a view to correcting any weaknesses. This was revealed in an interview with the InBusinessNews by the Ayia Napa Marina Operations Manager Constantinos Fytiris, explaining that marketing efforts abroad will intensify for the attraction of foreign yacht owners.



Larnaca Port: Still under evaluation

The article reports that while Ayia Napa Marina is in the final stage of construction, for the development of the Larnaca marina which was the first marina to be built in Cyprus, the state is still negotiating with Israeli potential investors who since last July have submitted officially their new proposal for an integrated development with the port. According to Transport Minister Vassiliki Anastasiadou, speaking today before the Parliamentary Committee on Finance on the budget of the Ministry of Transport Communications and Works the evaluation process of the Israeli proposal is in progress and if it meets the critetria, the misty will proceed with negotiations.



Solutions for tourists with sensory disabilities

By participating in a European programme, Larnaka Tourism Board (ETAP) is seeking to upgrade the tourist product so as to offer higher quality tourism to persons with sensory disabilities. ETAP announced yesterday its participation in the Erasmus programme entitled “Tourism for persons with sensory disabilities” which was recently approved. The programme will last 18 months and aims to develop satisfactory solutions to providing tourism services to persons with sensory disabilities, meaning blind, deaf or with partially impaired hearing and vision.

 

Gynaecologists divided over Pap test frequency

On the matter above, Phileleftheros’ article reports that gynaecologists appear divided with regards to the frequency needed for PAP tests. Speaking to Phileleftheros, Oncologist Adamos Adamou stressed that a two year period between Pap tests is a safe period and supports that from the moment that a doctor is given the right to justify the repetition of the test when they themselves deem necessary, then there is no cause for concern. The Director of the Gynaecology Clinic of Makarion Hospital, Agathoklis Christofides, had a similar opinion, referring people to international studies who point to the fact that 2-3 years is a safe period between tests. The oncologist Georgios Astras however, said that each woman should be seen as a separate case and not everyone should be put in the same “basket”.

 

 

 

Race against time for Phase 2 of GHS

The HIO is rushing to prepare for the second phase of the GHS, so that it will be ready for full implementation on 1 June 2020. The incorporation of hospitals in the GHS is a significant pending issue, and according to everything that was published in the last few days, the HIO needs to be ready to hand in a memorandum of cooperation to the Cyprus Association of Private Clinics and Hospitals, which will include the main terms of the negotiation that will follow between the organisation and each hospital separately. Negotiations with the rest of professionals who will join the GHS next June, are also pending. Nurses, physiotherapists, ergotherapists, speech therapists, dieticians and psychologists still haven’t received the financial proposals of the HIO, since the organisation is now discussing with the competent unions about the practical part of the participation of healthcare professionals in the GHS. The Director of the Hospital, Efi Kamitsi said that the financial negotiation will follow suit. Another pending issue that needs to be settled without further delay is the preparation of all the Regulation Texts that need to be voted by the House before 1 June 2020. According to the newspaper’s sources, the draft regulations have already been prepared.

 

Three nephrologists needed in Famagusta

The Nephrology Clinic of Famagusta operated with a second nephrologist who was seconded from the Larnaca Hospital after the death of a patient last week and the severe complaints for understaffing in the department. The spokesman of Nephrologists in the district, Giorgos Kezos said that another patient came close to dying on Sunday, since on that day the Dialysis Department operated with paramedics only and no nephrologists present. Commenting on OKYPY’s announced intention to immediately proceed with hiring a second nephrologist for the needs of the Famagusta hospital, Mr Kezos stressed that things would of course be better compared to only having one doctor. However, he also stressed that the staffing problem in the Famagusta Nephrology Clinic would only be resolved by 70% and patients with kidney disease in the Kokkinochoria area, are calling OKYPY to hear their voices and proceed with hiring a third doctor, exclusively for the district’s hospital. As he explained there are 400-500 kidney disease patients in Famagusta who need regular medical attention, while another 40-50 patients need dialysis. As Kezos argues, problems with the nephrologists in the Larnaca Hospital first started three years ago.

 

30-year-old caught with 500 packs of illegally duty-free cigarettes in Nicosia

Police officers confiscated 500 packs of illegally duty-free cigarettes and 2kg of illegally duty-free tobacco found in the possession of a 30-year-old man in Nicosia. Following a tip, the police stopped and searched the 30-year-old’s vehicle where police found the illegally duty-free cigarettes and tobacco. Police also found €425 and 1580 Turkish Lira in cash. The Customs & Excise Department found that the cigarettes and tobacco were brought in from the occupied areas and so the 30-year-old was arrested for the illegal possession of duty-free tobacco products, and for illegally bringing them into the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus.







COPD kills millions of people annually  

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fifth most frequent cause of death across the globe and is closing in on the third place, as it’s responsible for more than three million deaths per year across the globe. COPD will cause an increase in deaths in the next few decades; more than 500 million hospitalisations and around 7 million deaths annually. The primary cause of COPD is exposure to tobacco smoke (either active smoking or second-hand smoke). COPD is not curable, but treatment can relieve symptoms, improve quality of life and reduce the risk of death, with medicines that improve respiratory functioning and slow-down or stop the advancement of the disease. Many cases of COPD are preventable by avoiding or stopping smoking early. If smoking ceased to exist, COPD would be a very rare disease occurring due to environmental pollution or genetic factors which make up 10-15% of all cases. The most common symptoms of COPD are breathlessness (or a "need for air"), chronic cough, and sputum (mucous) production.