A new Finance Ministry bill aims to stop banks increasing their loan profit margins by arbitrarily increasing lending rates.

In a deal signed recently, TUI has captured one of Cyprus’ premier properties, the Sensatori Resort Aphrodite Hills near Paphos.

The number of building permits dropped by 8,2% from January to May, 2014, compared to the corresponding period in 2013, the Cyprus' Statistical Service said recently.

The government continues to try convince political parties of the merits of the revised foreclosures bill that needs to be passed by parliament in order to secure the next tranche of €453 mln in bailout money from the Troika.

Cyprus has an “elevated risk of default in the medium-term” Moody’s ratings agency said recently, despite the island’s good performance in the bailout adjustment programme.

Delia Velculescu, IMF’s Mission Chief for Cyprus will be moving on to another assignment at the end of September 2014, as part of her regular career progression, the organization said recently.

The government said while it always takes credit rating agencies' announcements under advisement, it wished to point out that Moody's had projected a 12% recession in 2013, which proved much softer at 5.4%.

The general government debt remained stable at €18.56 bln at the end July 2014 (preliminary data) compared with the of December 2013 when it was €18.4 bln., figures released recently by the Finance Ministry show.

Tourism Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis says his department is monitoring the latest developments regarding failing Russian tour operators, emphasising the importance of Russian holidaymakers on the Cyprus tourism market.

The number of applications for registration of new companies submitted in July 2014 jumped to the highest level of the past 16 months, according to data of the Department of Registrar of Companies and Official Receiver.