Outwardness of Cyprus companies is an important element President Nikos Christodoulides said Monday, announcing at the same time that a meeting with Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry will take place to discuss cooperation in order to strengthen the name and credibility of our country abroad, which is a key component for the outwardness needed.

Christodoulides who addressed an award ceremony at the Presidential Palace of the Cyprus Export Award 2021, said that CCCI is a key partner in this effort, adding that we must make use of modern forms of technology, evaluate all the actions carried out in the previous years, so that we can constantly improve and assist the companies to gain extroversion.

He said that last week a meeting took place with officials at the Presidential Palace and he is also planning to meet the Chamber and discuss how they can work together to strengthen the name and credibility of our country abroad which it is also a key component for the extroversion of Cypriot businesses.

Christodoulides added that in organizing business missions abroad, we should be more targeted and more specialized in order to have results, pointing out that we cannot organize missions during which we will present all the products that Cyprus offers, saying that this is “a sign of amateurism.” He noted that we need to be more professional in our actions, taking into account the international competition.

President Christodoulides also said that strengthening our political relations is particularly important because they also open up roads for business missions and cannot last without economic and business ties.

Regarding the energy sector, the President said that natural gas, which was also the goal of the previous government, can be a key fuel as a bridge and not as a solution, to achieve our climate goals, transforming our economy into a circular one, but also strengthening the competitiveness of our country.

He said that we are working in this direction of importing natural gas into Cyprus in two ways and in working in cooperation with Israel, a country with the same interests.

President of the Republic also said that the project of the electrical interconnection of Cyprus, Greece and Israel is also being promoted in this direction, which will remove the energy isolation of our country and create the conditions for an even greater dissemination of Renewable Energy Sources.

He also referred to the new plans with the extension of virtual net metering to businesses and the implementation, for the first time, of virtual net billing for all businesses, as well as plans to promote energy efficiency and RES investments in public and private buildings, residences and businesses, with increased grants for vulnerable groups.

The President also said that a total of €330 million has been secured from the European Structural and Investment Funds for the implementation of various Grant Schemes during the 2021-2027 Program Period covering, among other things, the technological upgrading and support of the manufacturing sector, as well as the marketing of agricultural products, the strengthening of new entrepreneurship, the encouragement of investments in the circular economy and the digital upgrading of businesses.

He furthermore said that in 2022 exports of domestic products reached €1.7 billion and recorded, despite the challenges, a significant increase of 14.5% compared to the previous year. A corresponding increase of 17% compared to 2021 was also recorded in services exports, which reached €20.2 billion.

CCCI Chair Christodoulos Angastiniotis said that exports can survive the crisis and we should invest in this sector that gives life to the Cyprus economy. He said that it is imperative that the state continues to support export businesses with new, innovative incentives that will help them to compete and assist them in exploring new products and expansion of exports.

Angastiniotis said that the Chamber constantly submits proposals for the promotion and extroversion of our economy and with their implementation exports will be maintained and increased. He added that the CCCI wants to promote the institution of the economic diplomacy with the aim of promoting exports which is one of the three traditional pillars that helps to maintain the growth of the Cyprus economy.

He also mentioned the necessity of technological upgrading and digitization and the production of innovative products by businesses and noted that these help in formulating a better strategy by businesses.

Chairman of the Selection Committee of the Cyprus Export Award Manthos Mavrommatis said that our export companies provide good products and services and basically have a very good name among their foreign customers. But he emphasized, in the era of widespread information, this is not enough because the good name of the country is also needed.

He mentioned that some recent events have unfortunately smeared the good name of Cyprus adding that there were multiple negative effects for all and we will all pay the price for the greed of a few.

He noted the need of restoring the country's good name, which he said is an obligation of the state and professional organizations and will have multiple positive effects in general and will strengthen our export efforts in particular.

At the 41st Cyprus Export Awards ceremony in the Industrial Products Export Awards category, the award for small industrial units, with a staff of less than 50 people was awarded to the company D. ELLINAS FACTORY PRODUCTS LTD.

The award for industrial units with more than 50 employees was jointly awarded to KARNIC POWERBOATS LTD and MUSKITA ALUMINUM INDUSTRIES LTD.

The Special Award for Export of Industrial Products was awarded to the company ELYSEE IRRIGATION LTD, the award for Export of Agricultural Products to the company J&P FRESCA (CYPRUS) PRODUCE LTD, in the category of Export of Services in the field of financial services the award was awarded to the company INFOCREDIT GROUP LTD, in the field of maritime transport and of commercial shipping was awarded to ONETECH GROUP LTD and the General Service Award went to NEAPOLIS UNIVERSITY.

A special honorary award was also presented to the company LIMASSOL MARINA LTD, as a recognition and appreciation of its contribution to the support of the Cypriot economy and, in particular, in the tourism sector.

Finally, an honorary distinction was awarded to THE CYPRUS INSTITUTE – HPC (High Performance Computing) FACILITY for its significant contribution to the establishment of Cyprus as a regional center of advanced computing services.