The cabinet has approved fuel subsidies for the agricultural and fisheries sector to help boost competitiveness and sustainability in the sector, and to offset a new tax on coloured fuel.

President Nicos Anastasiades is ready to hold a dialogue with the island’s political leadership in a bid to form a consensus government early in 2015.

Barbaros, the Turkish vessel which carried out exploration activities for hydrocarbons in Cyprus’ EEZ since 20 October 2014, sales off Eastern Mediterranean on the 30 December, Turkish media reports.

Finance Minister Harris Georgiades is pleased that 20 months after the bailed-out island’s near meltdown, the economy and banking sector is stable with every quarter improving on the previous one.

The Cyprus Stock Exchange has announced the de-listing of struggling Cyprus Airways’ shares as from January 13, 2015.

The government wants to build up its cash reserves from €200 m at present to about €500 m by the end of 2015, representing half the amount it intends to hold in liquid assets and to reduce the risk factor related to foreign borrowing.

The monthly Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) compiled by the Economics and Research Centre of the University of Cyprus saw an improvement of 2.1 points to 105.2 in December 2014, compared to the previous month’s survey.

Recent drilling results at a prospective offshore gas field should not be a cause for disappointment, President Nicos Anastasiades said recently.

The Cabinet has forwarded to parliament a bill governing the establishment, operation and monitoring of casinos, it was announced recently.

According to the results of the Labour Force Survey for the 3rd quarter of 2014, the number of employed persons amounted to 366,307 (men 187,314 and women 178,993) while the number of unemployed reached 69,895 (men 37,906 and women 31,989).