Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 00-04-06

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>

Thursday, April 6, 2000

CONTENTS

[01] 'Squabbling officials put Aids patients' health at risk'

[02] Clerides in a twist over Cesnola Antiquities

[03] Neophytou hits out at committee bid to remove jet-ski restrictions

[04] Points system expected before the House today

[05] Exiled King of Greece in Cyprus on May 1

[06] How to lose your licence

[07] Investors turn to cheap stocks as market up

[08] Tycoon Stelios wants CSE listing for tanker firm

[01] 'Squabbling officials put Aids patients' health at risk'

AIDS patients were denied vital health checks because officials would not talk to each other, Health Minister Frixos Savvides admitted yesterday.

Officials from different Health Ministry departments were meant to co-ordinate the purchase of reagents needed for tests at the Larnaca Aids clinic, but never did so because they had fallen out.

"How can I put this delicately?" an evidently displeased Savvides told reporters yesterday. "I think the problem arose from the fact that there is no communication between the services. Quite simply, communication between those responsible was not what it should have been," the Minister said.

"The people who were meant to talk were not talking to each other." Savvides said he did not know why the officials in question, the heads of three different departments, had fallen out.

He said measures had already been taken to deal with the squabbling officials.

The vital reagents have since been procured.

The chemicals in question are used for blood analyses to monitor the health of Aids sufferers. The absence of the reagents meant the tests could not be carried out -- putting the health of patients at risk.

This is but the latest medical supplies &gt;scandal= to hit the Health Ministry.

Early last year, the Ministry came under fire from Ombudswoman Elena Nicolaou for failing to ensure an adequate supply of vital kidney drugs for dialysis patients. Police are still investigating allegations that the erythropoetine drugs found their way from state stores to the Nicosia race track, to be used for illegal horse doping.

Later last year, revelations that the government was paying over the odds for medicines and often buying almost expired drugs again cast the Ministry in a poor light.

Savvides insisted yesterday that the problem with the Aids tests drugs had nothing to do with procedures for drug procurement.

"In the specific instance, it is not a matter of time-consuming procedures, " he said.

But he did add that there were some "general problems" regarding the supply of Aids medication and promised that relevant measures would be announced soon. He did not specify what these problems were.

Thursday, April 6, 2000

[02] Clerides in a twist over Cesnola Antiquities

PRESIDENT Clerides came under fire yesterday as opposition politicians accused him of condoning the fact that a major exhibition of Cypriot artefacts in New York was founded on ‘colonialist theft’.

Opposition leaders said Clerides should have asked the US to return the 35,000 antiquities, which were systematically looted by an American consul to the island in the last quarter of the 19th century.

Instead, Clerides diplomatically skirted the issue at the opening of the new Cypriot rooms at New York’s Metropolitan Museum on Tuesday night. Around 600 pieces are being displayed.

He gave rise to further criticism when, in answer to journalists’ questions, he said the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia had ample artefacts of its own to exhibit.

The presence of Cypriot antiquities in museums such as the Louvre in Paris and the Metropolitan in New York helped promote Cypriot civilisation, the President added.

At the same time, in his opening speech, Clerides made reference to the thousands of antiquities stolen from the occupied areas since the Turkish invasion in 1974 and said the government was determined "to pursue the return of each and every object of our heritage removed illegally from this area of Cyprus".

Yesterday, communist Akel general- secretary Demetris Christofias, thinking in terms of the island's political problem, strongly criticised Clerides for his comment that having antiquities displayed abroad would promote Cyprus.

"There are antiquities stolen by various colonialists everywhere in the world and from everywhere in the world. They are in London, the US and in France, and in other countries," he said.

"I believe it is not right for the president of the country from which the stolen articles came to say that it is better for them to be abroad. I don't think that the tourists to the Louvre or some place in the US or anywhere else immediately thinks about the Cyprus problem when they see a statue."

Akel was backed from the opposite end of the political spectrum by fringe right-wing party New Horizons, which issued a statement saying that, while it was important for people in the United States to learn about Cypriot culture, Clerides should have used the opportunity of the inauguration to demand the antiquities’ return.

Meanwhile government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou got into a tangle in his attempts to defend Clerides.

He told his daily press briefing that the President had underlined that the government did want to have all the objects returned, and that Clerides' statements had been twisted by the media.

Reading an extract from Clerides' speech, Papapetrou referred to the section relating to the return of items stolen from the occupied areas.

When this was pointed out by a journalist, Papapetrou said: "No the President was speaking generally about all items taken illegally". However, when the journalist insisted Clerides had referred a specific "area of Cyprus", Papapetrou appeared to lose his accustomed poise.

"Ehhhh...No...wait, wait, wait.....yes of course from the territory of Cyprus......but in his statements he generalises even further......he mentions it is our aim to regain our archaeological treasures and he noted in his statement that the first step had already been taken as there was an agreement with Metropolitan Museum for the loan of several antiquities to Cyprus for a specific period," Papapetrou said.

"And Cyprus will loan to the Metropolitan Museum two or three other pieces". He added that, in this way, the government would be able to get the ball rolling on what items could be returned.

However, the signs are not hopeful.

Asked by the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) in New York whether the Museum would consider returning artefacts, Museum Director Philippe de Montebello said: "It is an entirely theoretical question." He added that outside of Cyprus, the Metropolitan has the best collection of Cypriot antiquities.

"We have very good relations and if we are asked for works on loan we would be happy to lend them," Montebello said.

Communications and Works Minister Averoff Neophytou, whose Ministry oversees the Cyprus Museum, said yesterday the return of the stolen antiquities would be impossible.

"Looking at the situation realistically, there is no possibility at least at the moment for them to be returned to Cyprus," he said.

"To make my position clear I didn't say we mustn't fight for them, but on the other hand I'm a realist and I do not see a possibility of them being returned".

Thursday, April 6, 2000

[03] Neophytou hits out at committee bid to remove jet-ski restrictions

The Minister said the committee's attempt to allow jet-skis all-day access to bathing beaches served only jet-ski owners and importers, and not the public or tourists.

"It is destructive to promote bills to protect 10 jet-ski owners and two jet-ski importers," Neophytou said while on a tour of boat lanes off Paphos beaches.

An amendment approved last year bans jet-skis and speed- boats from beaches between 1 pm and 4 pm. The communications committee is proposing that this ban be lifted, allowing the pleasure craft to ride the waves between 10 am and 6 pm uninterrupted.

Neophytou made it clear he thought the "prime time" ban imposed last year was working well. "Last year a law was passed which put an order to the shambles at sea. It was working satisfactorily."

"The House of Representatives' intention to abolish restrictions on hours for jet-skis and pleasure craft would be disastrous for our tourism and would also cause huge inconvenience for hundreds of thousands of Cypriot swimmers," the Minister insisted.

He openly charged the committee - chaired by Diko deputy and fellow Paphian Nicos Pittokopitis - with serving private interests.

"We must finally bring an end to the protection of the few at the expense of the many," Neophytou said.

The committee position is that jet-skis are not too noisy, and therefore do not disturb beach-goers too much. Deputies also see the pleasure-craft as an attractive addition to the island's tourism product.

Some 300 jet-skis are currently rented off local beaches.

Last summer, jet-ski owners protested wildly against state plans to limit their operations to certain beaches and specified boat lanes. Neophytou's visit to Paphos yesterday was part of an island-wide beach tour aimed at finding a compromise on the boat-lanes issue.

Thursday, April 6, 2000

[04] Points system expected before the House today

But the bill to be considered by the plenum this afternoon is a "watered down" version of the original proposal.

Police have long been pushing for the introduction of such a system - already widely employed in Europe - and the House communications committee has given its unanimously backing to a relevant bill.

The system would empower courts to penalise driving offenders by putting points on their licence. Motorists accumulating 12 points would have their licences temporarily withdrawn.

Points would be handed down for dangerous driving, drunk driving, speeding or failure to wear a seat belt in a car or a helmet on a motorbike.

Police believe such a system would help cut the island's disastrous road death rate, the third highest in Europe.

The bill is expected to pass, especially as the communications committee - which considered the bill - is recommending to the plenum that certain offences be exempted from penalty points.

Committee chairman Nicos Pittokopitis said these "let off" clauses would concern driving without a belt or helmet in built-up areas and exceeding the speed limit by 25 per cent or less. Such offences would only be punished by fines.

Pittokopitis said his committee was also suggesting that points "expire" and be written off after three years.

During debate of the bill, the committee rejected a plea from the Professional Drivers' Association for their members to be subject to a more lenient points penalty system.

Thursday, April 6, 2000

[05] Exiled King of Greece in Cyprus on May 1

King Constantine is to be present in his capacity as president of the Federation.

The conference is being hosted by the Cyprus Sailing Federation, with the co-operation of the Cyprus Sports Organisation.

Speaking to the House Interior Committee yesterday, Dimos Georgiades, president of the Cyprus Sports Organisation, said that the government would not be involved in the exiled king’s visit.

"The government will have no involvement, except in adopting the normal security precautions given to any visitor to Cyprus who may require them. It is the policy of the police to protect every guest."

The Government will, however, extend an official welcome to the King of Norway and Princess Anne of Great Britain - also expected to attend the conference.

Georgiades was asked if the former king's presence would upset the people of Greece.

"The Greek Government and the Greek sports' authorities have been contacted. As far as I know, there aren't any problems", he said.

The convention will discuss matters relating to this year's Sydney Olympics and the 2004 Games - to be held in Athens.

The CSF expects representatives from 103 countries, including Greece to attend the conference, which will start on May 3 and last four days.

King Constantine's visit will be his second trip to the island in the last 23 years. His previous visit lasted only a few hours, when he attended the funeral of Archbishop Makarios.

Thursday, April 6, 2000

[06] How to lose your licence

THE POINTS system due before the House of Representatives for approval today would replace discretionary practice with a fixed cumulative scale of driving offences.

But though there is currently no rule to say repeat offenders should lose their licences, courts do have the power to disqualify drivers.

In fact, 21 drivers were stripped of their licences last week after being found guilty of various traffic offences.

And not only do the courts have the power to revoke driving licences, so does the Transport Ministry – powers it will retain whatever parliament decides today.

Lawyer Michalis Michael told the Cyprus Mail the penalty for traffic offences was at present up to the discretion of each individual judge. But judges take into account an offender’s driving record in deciding whether their licence should go.

Michael said that if somebody had three bookings for speeding, for example, then it could often mean loss of licence. If the new regulations are approved, anyone accumulating 12 points on their licence will automatic have it suspended.

Traffic Police Chief George Voutounos agreed that until a points system was introduced, it remained up to the courts to decide what penalty to hand down.

But he added that he and the director of the Transport Department were authorised by the Minister of Transport (who also has the same power) to revoke licences under certain circumstances.

"I can revoke a license if I have reason to believe something is wrong with the driver, without going to court," Voutounos said.

He added that if health reasons were involved, the driver was sent for examination to a medical council, which then decided if he or she should be allowed to drive again.

If for any reason someone is identified as a bad or reckless driver, then the authorities have the right to force them to retake their driving test.

Voutounos also told the Mail that anyone claiming exemption from national service on medical or psychological grounds could be deprived of the right to drive on the grounds that if they weren’t fit to serve, they weren’t fit to drive.

He did stress, however, that anyone stripped of their licence by the ministry could appeal to the Cabinet on the issue.

Thursday, April 6, 2000

[07] Investors turn to cheap stocks as market up

PENNY stocks continued to draw investor's attention on the stock market yesterday, coupled with a firmer performance put in by banking and tourism stocks, which pushed the all-share index up one per cent.

The CSE benchmark ended 4.80 points higher to 481.92 points after trading in a narrow range and some three points higher than its opening level. Advancers outpaced decliners 73 to 19 and 11 were unchanged on 103 securities traded.

There were 5,520 deals totalling £19 million from a traded value of £17 million on Tuesday.

Small cap stocks like Dodoni and Frindlays dominated trade. Dodoni was up one cent to 24.8 cents and Frindlays closed at 30.5 cents, climbing 3.1 cents.

Traders said investors were increasingly turning to cheaper stocks, perceiving them to have less risk and more potential for an upturn, rather than blue chip stocks for which they needed to dig deep in their pockets.

"We have got a lot of clients who are buying lower valued shares at the moment. If the share price is 25 cents they think it can easily reach 30 and make a profit," one investment analyst said.

Traders said the market was moving broadly horizontally, avoiding sudden lurches that would leave it vulnerable to sudden corrections either way.

"We want to see the market stabilising and I am happy with the way things have been going in the past week," said stockbroker Andreas Leonidou.

But he said he had urged investors not to listen to wild rumours that the market would start sliding again, and said that the rumours had been put out deliberately by high net-worth investors who wanted to grab shares on the cheap.

"If people don't listen to those trying to put pressure on the market then there are better days ahead," he said.

In individual sectors, tourism shares climbed three per cent, aided by a 50 cent jump on Cyprus Tourism Development shares to seven pounds, but on a very low turnover of 1,660 shares changing hands.

Banking stocks were up 0.4 per cent, continuing a steady ascent which started last Friday. Bank of Cyprus climbed three cents to £7.80 on a turnover of 390,563 shares, while Laiki were down one cent to £12.20.

Hellenic Bank rose two cents to £2.95 while Universal Savings Bank, a high gainer in recent sessions, climbed another 24 cents to 6.15.

Thursday, April 6, 2000

[08] Tycoon Stelios wants CSE listing for tanker firm

TANKER firm Stelmar Marine Holdings Ltd officially applied yesterday for listing on the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE).

The company, established in 1992 by Greek Cypriot entrepreneur Stelios Haji-Ioannou, owns and operates a fleet of 12 tankers with an average age of eight years.

The company is planning to raise $54.6 million through the Cyprus bourse for further expansion of the fleet.

The amount will be raised through the issue of 42 million new shares with a face value of $1 at the flotation price of $1.30, the company said.

Some 27 million shares will be placed with private investors and 15 million will be offered to the public.

The precise amount that will be offered to retail Cypriot investors will be determined next week by the Central Bank because of existing restrictions on the export of currency.

"The criteria which the Central Bank will set for currency outflows are pending and we are expecting that next week. We are optimistic, " said Haji-Ioannou after meeting bourse officials.

Earlier yesterday Haji- Ioannou met Central Bank Governor Afxentis Afxentiou.

Next week=s Central Bank decision is eagerly awaited by industry analysts keen to see whether it will set a new precedent for attracting Cypriot companies with overseas operations to the CSE.

The International Co-ordinator and Adviser of the offering will be Alpha Finance. Adviser and lead underwriter will be Sharelink Financial Services Ltd.

Company executives said Stelmar, which is now based in Athens and London but plans to open a small office in Cyprus, would use the additional liquidity to acquire six new tankers.

It posted a net profit of eight million dollars last year on a turnover of $70 million. The price to equity ratio, based on 1999 historical data, was 13 times.

Haji-Ioannou created the firm after leaving his shipping tycoon father's business.

Better known to some as the boss of no-frills low budget airline easyJet, Haji-Ioannou --"call me Stelios" -- said the carrier would expand into Cyprus as soon as air liberalisation takes effect.

"Absolutely," he said when asked if Cyprus was included in future easyJet plans. "It always has been and will continue to be as soon as there is a deregulation of air transport."

Scheduled flights are now restricted. EasyJet is seen as a potentially strong competitor to national carrier Cyprus Airways, especially on the busy Athens-Larnaca routes.

He answered with a deadpan "No" when asked if his relations with British Airways, with whom he locked horns over their launch of low budget &gt;Go=, had improved.

"But their boss is gone," he laughed as an afterthought, referring to Bob Ayling, who resigned after a boardroom battle last month.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 2000

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