A new group promoting the improvement of Nicosia is calling on other concerned residents to join their efforts.

Speaking to the press `Friends of Nicosia` chairman Michalis Sarris –a former Finance Minister- out –lined some of the group’s aims, starting with inviting people here and aboard to sign an online petition calling for the new Cyprus Museum, due to be built on the site of the old Nicosia General Hospital , to be constructed as soon as possible.

Sarris pointed out that plans to relocate the Museum from its current location near Nicosia Municipal Theatre had  been in the pipeline for 40 years since the currently building is not large enough to house all the pieces at his disposal, some of which remained in the Museum’s basement for decades.

Group Secretary, businesswoman Marianna Trokoudi, added that `Friends of Nicosia` hoped to collect at least 20,000 signatures.

Operating under the banner `Together seeking the Nicosia  we deserve,` `Friends of Nicosia` is also organising an event on Saturday. April 9 entitled `Nicosia: the president and the future` which will include expert speakers from the municipalities of  Barcelona and Paris.

Also speaking at Wednesday’s press conference, group member Dr Nicos Maroudias said that ` Friends of Nicosia` was a non-profit, non-political, non-ideological  group that “invites everyone in Nicosia to join us.”

Nicosia Mayor Eleni Mavrou congratulated the group for its initiative and said she and her Municipal Council was looking forward to working with them.

The Friends of Nicosia were also invited to join forces with other organisations working to improve Nicosia. Complaints cited by residents of the  city centre include litter, noise and difficulty accessing their homes by car.

There is a euro5 registration fee and euro10 annual membership fee to be part of `Friends of Nicosia`.  Those interested can sign-up online through the group’s website (sea below.) Also , those who do net want to join can submit their e-mail address to receive updates on the group’s activities.

For more information on Friends of Nicosia, in Greek visit www.filoitislefkosias.org

Related posts:

The  Action for Equality, Support and Anti-Racism (KISA) has called on parliament to reconsider its decision to review-on a monthly basis- the social welfare benefits of third country nationals who receive public assistance, on the grounds that such a policy is “discriminatory and xenophobic.”

“The new practice concerns not only asylum seekers, the reception conditions of whom may be subject to modifications, but also persons, who live in Cyprus with international protection in violation of the Refugee La, according to which people with international  protection have equal access to social rights as citizens of the state and EU nationals  that reside in Cyprus. KISA considers that this practice discriminates against third-country nationals, since its sole basis is the ethic origins of public assistance beneficiaries,” it said.

The organisation fears the decision will have financial implications on the state, resulting in more waste of public funds purely to serve “petty political interests.”

It said it would report the Republic of Cyprus to the European Commission and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for violating the EU acquis and Refugees for violating the EU asquis and the Refugee Convention and to organise various protests, if parliament fails to revoke its decision.

Related posts:

Cyprus’ economic recovery could accelerate to close to %2 GDP growth this year, according to a preliminary estimate by visiting IMF officials.

“A gradual economic recovery is underway with growth likely to reach the 1.5-2% range this year and favourable prospects for a continued upturn in 2012,” IMF official Wes McGrew told reporters.

He said the `generally favourable outlook` was subject to high risks especially from ongoing “financial turbulence” in other eurozone countries.

The International Monetary Funt  said the biggest challenge facing the island’s economy was reducing the fiscal deficit which is almost double the EU ceiling of 3%.

Another possible risk is the contracting British Economy having a direct impact on a tourism industry reliant on UK visitors.

McGrew said the government needed to curb its bloated wage bill and forge ahead with pension reform. “Countries across Europe are pursuing far-reaching reforms to correct fiscal imbalances and preserve  investor      confidence and Cyprus should seize the opportunity.”

But he said government should  pursue a policy of restraining      expenditure rather than increasing revenue through taxation.

Despite  going  on an austerity drive the government has hiked the price of cigarettes and introduced 5% VAT on previously zero-rated food and medicines.

It also seeks to increase a levy on large property holdings to get the deficit down below 4% of GDP this year.

“long-term prosperity in Cyprus depends in large part on its continued growth as an international business and finance centre- which rests upon has no estimate of what it expects the unemployment a foundation of sound public finances,” said McGrew.

Currently, the IMF has no estimate of what it expects the unemployment level to be at this year.

The government predicts improved tourism income will help the economy to grow by around 1.5% in 2011 after an unprecedented year-long recession in 2009.

In expects GDP growth figures for 2011 to touch one percent after the economy shrank by 1.7% in 2009.

Related posts:

The Cyprus weather will remain unstable with the change of more rain falling along with some snow on higher ground.

After some bright, day weather in early February, the rain clouds have thankfully returned on the back of a low pressure system affecting the island.

As earlier in the week, downpours are expected on Saturday afternoon with temperatures dipping a few degrees.

The outlook will remain overcast with patchy cloud cover in patchy cloud cover in most areas on Sunday which will bring local showers and isolated thunderstorms.

Snow is also expected on Troodos at the weekend which should attract more skiers to the slopes as it gets slightly colder.

Nevertheless, maximum temperatures should still be around 16C inland and on the coast and 8c in hill villages.

Night time temperatures will touch  0 C on the mountains and dip to 5c elsewhere.

Despite the recent wet weather, February rainfall still well below the average  for the month and until the  clouds opened, the driest for 110 years.

It is hoped that the rain expected for the rest of this month will take Cyprus beyond that unenviable landmark.

Forecasters say March should also be relatively wet giving a boost to precious water reserves.

Recent rain has only marginally improved the island’s water reserves as the dams are virtually half full and lower than they were last year.

From the beginning of the year water flow into the dams has seen total capacity reach 51.4% (150 million cubic metres) compared to 55.3% this time last year.

Since October winter rainfall has only reached 70% of the seasonal average so far.

The first and last time the island’s dams overflowed was in march 2004, but Cyprus is still a long way from that happening again.

Related posts:

A new research programme designed to assess the power of waves  around the coast of Cyprus with the aim of one day harnessing their electrical energy has been launched by the Oceanography Centre of the University of Cyprus.

Research scientist Andreas Nicolaides said the E-Wave programme aimed to demonstrate that waves in Cyprus waters were excellent sources of sustainable energy.

Funded by the research Promotion Foundation, the wave energy programme has been launched by the Oceanography Centre in cooperation with the University of Athens, the US Naval Postgraduate School, the Cyprus Meteorological Services and the Cyprus energy Agency.

Nicolaides said that while wave energy is not a new concept , little research has been done into the power of waves in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

“E-wave, which aims to identify locations where wave power is at its strongest is a pioneering study for this part of the world. If we know where the energy is then we have the potential to harness it,” said Nicolaides.

He added that the programme was based on the global  ocean wave prediction model WAM, which predicts directional spectra as well as wave properties such as significant wave height, mean wave direction and frequency, swell wave height and mean direction, and wind stress fields.

The model is continually updated to incorporate the latest results of research from around the world which E-wave will contribute to with its findings.

According to Nicolaides the results of the programme will help identify areas where wave power devices can one day be installed to extract energy directly from the surface of the sea or from pressure fluctuations below the surface.

“this will be the next logical step but currently we are concentrating on evaluating cyprus’ potential for producing wave based energy.”

The researcher explained that wave energy is becoming increasingly attractive as oil costs rise and the negative side effects of traditional energy systems become more apparent.

“Harnessing the immense wave power in our oceans can be part of the solution to our energy problem as it has the potential to generate cheap renewable power.”

Related posts: