Cyprus-Forum.com

[DT.]

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[YFred]

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You can't do chalenges like that old man! You lose/win, depending on your political view.

Nothing taboo about business benefits of reunification

IN AN interview published in Politis newspaper yesterday, Swedish parliamentarian Goran Lennmarker pointed out that the economic benefits of a settlement of the Cyprus problem would be great. “Everyone knows that the economy of the whole island would acquire a new dynamic after reunification,” he said.

Lennmarker admitted that he had said nothing new or original, but it is strange how it is usually foreign officials who use this argument. Finance Minister Charilaos Stavrakis also made this point once last year, talking about the big business opportunities that would open, but has not repeated it since. The only other person to have mentioned it was the general manager of the Employers and Industrialists Federation, ahead of a bi-communal business seminar a few weeks ago.

Yet the benefits of reunification for the economy should be the main argument for a solution, for the simple reason that everyone stands to gain. First, we would have a bigger market, there would be many opportunities for joint business ventures, the construction sector would be given big boost and we could reinvent Cyprus as a tourist destination; the stability would also attract foreign investment which would give a much-needed boost to our ailing economies.

In fact, under current conditions, a settlement is the only thing that could lift our economy out of the quagmire it is stuck in today. In the past it was kick-started by Lebanese and then Serbians fleeing civil war in their own countries; then there was the arrival of offshore businesses – and particularly Russian companies – making Cyprus their base; there was also a thriving tourism sector which is now in terminal decline.

Who will bail us out this time, in period of world recession? It is not going to be Iranian businessmen or the Qatari state, as the government seems to think.

Only a settlement could provide the confidence and dynamic needed to put the economy back on the growth path. Most importantly, a growing economy from which the members of both communities benefit would give everyone a stake in the new, unified state and encourage co-operation. And this is how a settlement should be sold to the people, all of whom are suffering from the effects of the economic slowdown.

Unfortunately, the obvious economic benefits of a settlement are rarely mentioned by the politicians or the media, all of whom trade in the negatives of a prospective agreement – predicting that it would not work, that it would be unfair and unjust, that it would not respect human rights and so forth. Nobody ever mentions the positive long term effects such as stability, security and economic progress.

Admittedly it is difficult to talk about the economic advantages of a solution when there are no practical examples of business co-operation at present to illustrate the point. Perhaps the two sides should try to encourage this by offering incentives for joint ventures, while the talks are in progress. If there is ever a deal between the leaders, the only way they would be able to sell it to the people is by putting a heavy emphasis on the economic benefits for everyone.



Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009

[DT.]

its started...

[YFred]

State to bypass tender process for LNG
By Charles Charalambous

THE GOVERNMENT is pushing ahead with its attempts to source liquefied natural gas (LNG) without a full public tender process, Solon Kasinis, the head of the Commerce Ministry’s Energy Department, told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.

Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority Vice Chairman Stelios Petridis had told deputies in February 2009 that the Cabinet had decided to pursue direct negotiations with Russia, Algeria and Egypt, in a bid to save time and find a company to supply the island with LNG as soon as possible.

When this decision came to light six weeks ago, opposition party DISY strongly criticised the government for lack of transparency, calling its actions “un-European”. In fact, under EU rules, a member state government has the right to opt for specific procedures in strategically sensitive policy areas such as energy.

Kasinis said yesterday that after initial discussions with the Russian authorities and a potential supplier, the matter did not go any further. On the other hand, the government is considering an expression of interest by Algeria.

During a visit to Cyprus on March 18 by representatives of state-owned oil and gas giant SONATRACH, the Algerians confirmed their interest in supplying Cyprus with LNG and investing in the planned onshore LNG terminal at Vasiliko. Meanwhile, President Demetris Christofias is expected to head a mission to Egypt next week to further explore the third option.

In the past, Cyprus was twice offered a deal by Egypt for the supply of compressed natural gas (CNG), which requires far less investment than LNG. The first offer was made in 2005 and was rejected by the Papadopoulos government. The second was made in December 2007 but not taken up by the current government, which has since decided to pursue the LNG option.

Next week’s mission to Egypt will be the second in less than two months. The outcome of the last visit was inconclusive, but appeared to hinge on Egyptian supplies of LNG becoming available some time in 2012.

There were reports this week that the government had received an expression of interest from Greece’s Public Gas Corporation S.A. (DEPA) for both supplying LNG and investing in the onshore LNG terminal. In this case, the gas supplied by DEPA to Cyprus would actually be part of its own supply under a long-term contract with SONATRACH.

Commenting on these reports, Kasinis said that, in his personal opinion, “Cyprus needs to fully explore the advantages of a government-level agreement before considering other commercial options”.

Any decision on the Cypriot side would need to be approved by the Public Natural Gas Company (DEFA), the only company legally entitled to buy LNG for the island’s needs. DEFA, set up in late 2007 and owned jointly by the state and the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC), is still lacking a Board of Directors.

The nine members of DEFA’s Board – five from the state and four from EAC – are to be appointed by the Council of Ministers.

Following a meeting last Friday of the three-man ministerial committee for natural gas (comprising the Ministers of Commerce, Interior and Finance), an announcement regarding the appointment of the DEFA board members is expected today.

Friday’s meeting also considered the draft text for the final decision on the LNG matter. The text is expected to be tabled for approval at the June meeting of the Council of Ministers.

Meanwhile, EAC was given the green light two months ago to find strategic partners for building and operating the planned onshore LNG terminal at Vasiliko, and is said to be ready to formally invite expressions of interest.



Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009

[insan]

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reverse engineering

[Tim Drayton]

State to bypass tender process for LNG
By Charles Charalambous

THE GOVERNMENT is pushing ahead with its attempts to source liquefied natural gas (LNG) without a full public tender process, Solon Kasinis, the head of the Commerce Ministry’s Energy Department, told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.

Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority Vice Chairman Stelios Petridis had told deputies in February 2009 that the Cabinet had decided to pursue direct negotiations with Russia, Algeria and Egypt, in a bid to save time and find a company to supply the island with LNG as soon as possible.

When this decision came to light six weeks ago, opposition party DISY strongly criticised the government for lack of transparency, calling its actions “un-European”. In fact, under EU rules, a member state government has the right to opt for specific procedures in strategically sensitive policy areas such as energy.

Kasinis said yesterday that after initial discussions with the Russian authorities and a potential supplier, the matter did not go any further. On the other hand, the government is considering an expression of interest by Algeria.

During a visit to Cyprus on March 18 by representatives of state-owned oil and gas giant SONATRACH, the Algerians confirmed their interest in supplying Cyprus with LNG and investing in the planned onshore LNG terminal at Vasiliko. Meanwhile, President Demetris Christofias is expected to head a mission to Egypt next week to further explore the third option.

In the past, Cyprus was twice offered a deal by Egypt for the supply of compressed natural gas (CNG), which requires far less investment than LNG. The first offer was made in 2005 and was rejected by the Papadopoulos government. The second was made in December 2007 but not taken up by the current government, which has since decided to pursue the LNG option.

Next week’s mission to Egypt will be the second in less than two months. The outcome of the last visit was inconclusive, but appeared to hinge on Egyptian supplies of LNG becoming available some time in 2012.

There were reports this week that the government had received an expression of interest from Greece’s Public Gas Corporation S.A. (DEPA) for both supplying LNG and investing in the onshore LNG terminal. In this case, the gas supplied by DEPA to Cyprus would actually be part of its own supply under a long-term contract with SONATRACH.

Commenting on these reports, Kasinis said that, in his personal opinion, “Cyprus needs to fully explore the advantages of a government-level agreement before considering other commercial options”.

Any decision on the Cypriot side would need to be approved by the Public Natural Gas Company (DEFA), the only company legally entitled to buy LNG for the island’s needs. DEFA, set up in late 2007 and owned jointly by the state and the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC), is still lacking a Board of Directors.

The nine members of DEFA’s Board – five from the state and four from EAC – are to be appointed by the Council of Ministers.

Following a meeting last Friday of the three-man ministerial committee for natural gas (comprising the Ministers of Commerce, Interior and Finance), an announcement regarding the appointment of the DEFA board members is expected today.

Friday’s meeting also considered the draft text for the final decision on the LNG matter. The text is expected to be tabled for approval at the June meeting of the Council of Ministers.

Meanwhile, EAC was given the green light two months ago to find strategic partners for building and operating the planned onshore LNG terminal at Vasiliko, and is said to be ready to formally invite expressions of interest.



Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009

Your irony was lost on him, I am afraid.

I sometimes wonder if there shouldn't be a separate section on this forum for articles which have been blindly copied and pasted from other sources, with the other sections reserved for posts in which the poster has something original to say.

[YFred]

State to bypass tender process for LNG
By Charles Charalambous

THE GOVERNMENT is pushing ahead with its attempts to source liquefied natural gas (LNG) without a full public tender process, Solon Kasinis, the head of the Commerce Ministry’s Energy Department, told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.

Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority Vice Chairman Stelios Petridis had told deputies in February 2009 that the Cabinet had decided to pursue direct negotiations with Russia, Algeria and Egypt, in a bid to save time and find a company to supply the island with LNG as soon as possible.

When this decision came to light six weeks ago, opposition party DISY strongly criticised the government for lack of transparency, calling its actions “un-European”. In fact, under EU rules, a member state government has the right to opt for specific procedures in strategically sensitive policy areas such as energy.

Kasinis said yesterday that after initial discussions with the Russian authorities and a potential supplier, the matter did not go any further. On the other hand, the government is considering an expression of interest by Algeria.

During a visit to Cyprus on March 18 by representatives of state-owned oil and gas giant SONATRACH, the Algerians confirmed their interest in supplying Cyprus with LNG and investing in the planned onshore LNG terminal at Vasiliko. Meanwhile, President Demetris Christofias is expected to head a mission to Egypt next week to further explore the third option.

In the past, Cyprus was twice offered a deal by Egypt for the supply of compressed natural gas (CNG), which requires far less investment than LNG. The first offer was made in 2005 and was rejected by the Papadopoulos government. The second was made in December 2007 but not taken up by the current government, which has since decided to pursue the LNG option.

Next week’s mission to Egypt will be the second in less than two months. The outcome of the last visit was inconclusive, but appeared to hinge on Egyptian supplies of LNG becoming available some time in 2012.

There were reports this week that the government had received an expression of interest from Greece’s Public Gas Corporation S.A. (DEPA) for both supplying LNG and investing in the onshore LNG terminal. In this case, the gas supplied by DEPA to Cyprus would actually be part of its own supply under a long-term contract with SONATRACH.

Commenting on these reports, Kasinis said that, in his personal opinion, “Cyprus needs to fully explore the advantages of a government-level agreement before considering other commercial options”.

Any decision on the Cypriot side would need to be approved by the Public Natural Gas Company (DEFA), the only company legally entitled to buy LNG for the island’s needs. DEFA, set up in late 2007 and owned jointly by the state and the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC), is still lacking a Board of Directors.

The nine members of DEFA’s Board – five from the state and four from EAC – are to be appointed by the Council of Ministers.

Following a meeting last Friday of the three-man ministerial committee for natural gas (comprising the Ministers of Commerce, Interior and Finance), an announcement regarding the appointment of the DEFA board members is expected today.

Friday’s meeting also considered the draft text for the final decision on the LNG matter. The text is expected to be tabled for approval at the June meeting of the Council of Ministers.

Meanwhile, EAC was given the green light two months ago to find strategic partners for building and operating the planned onshore LNG terminal at Vasiliko, and is said to be ready to formally invite expressions of interest.



Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009

Your irony was lost on him, I am afraid.

I sometimes wonder if there shouldn't be a separate section on this forum for articles which have been blindly copied and pasted from other sources, with the other sections reserved for posts in which the poster has something original to say.

Tim, why do we have to reinvent the wheel every time. As most of these people hate Cyprus Mail and would never read it, what's wrong with starting a thread with an article and then debate the issues it raises? It seems to me to be a perfectly good way of working.

[DT.]

State to bypass tender process for LNG
By Charles Charalambous

THE GOVERNMENT is pushing ahead with its attempts to source liquefied natural gas (LNG) without a full public tender process, Solon Kasinis, the head of the Commerce Ministry’s Energy Department, told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.

Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority Vice Chairman Stelios Petridis had told deputies in February 2009 that the Cabinet had decided to pursue direct negotiations with Russia, Algeria and Egypt, in a bid to save time and find a company to supply the island with LNG as soon as possible.

When this decision came to light six weeks ago, opposition party DISY strongly criticised the government for lack of transparency, calling its actions “un-European”. In fact, under EU rules, a member state government has the right to opt for specific procedures in strategically sensitive policy areas such as energy.

Kasinis said yesterday that after initial discussions with the Russian authorities and a potential supplier, the matter did not go any further. On the other hand, the government is considering an expression of interest by Algeria.

During a visit to Cyprus on March 18 by representatives of state-owned oil and gas giant SONATRACH, the Algerians confirmed their interest in supplying Cyprus with LNG and investing in the planned onshore LNG terminal at Vasiliko. Meanwhile, President Demetris Christofias is expected to head a mission to Egypt next week to further explore the third option.

In the past, Cyprus was twice offered a deal by Egypt for the supply of compressed natural gas (CNG), which requires far less investment than LNG. The first offer was made in 2005 and was rejected by the Papadopoulos government. The second was made in December 2007 but not taken up by the current government, which has since decided to pursue the LNG option.

Next week’s mission to Egypt will be the second in less than two months. The outcome of the last visit was inconclusive, but appeared to hinge on Egyptian supplies of LNG becoming available some time in 2012.

There were reports this week that the government had received an expression of interest from Greece’s Public Gas Corporation S.A. (DEPA) for both supplying LNG and investing in the onshore LNG terminal. In this case, the gas supplied by DEPA to Cyprus would actually be part of its own supply under a long-term contract with SONATRACH.

Commenting on these reports, Kasinis said that, in his personal opinion, “Cyprus needs to fully explore the advantages of a government-level agreement before considering other commercial options”.

Any decision on the Cypriot side would need to be approved by the Public Natural Gas Company (DEFA), the only company legally entitled to buy LNG for the island’s needs. DEFA, set up in late 2007 and owned jointly by the state and the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC), is still lacking a Board of Directors.

The nine members of DEFA’s Board – five from the state and four from EAC – are to be appointed by the Council of Ministers.

Following a meeting last Friday of the three-man ministerial committee for natural gas (comprising the Ministers of Commerce, Interior and Finance), an announcement regarding the appointment of the DEFA board members is expected today.

Friday’s meeting also considered the draft text for the final decision on the LNG matter. The text is expected to be tabled for approval at the June meeting of the Council of Ministers.

Meanwhile, EAC was given the green light two months ago to find strategic partners for building and operating the planned onshore LNG terminal at Vasiliko, and is said to be ready to formally invite expressions of interest.



Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009

Your irony was lost on him, I am afraid.

I sometimes wonder if there shouldn't be a separate section on this forum for articles which have been blindly copied and pasted from other sources, with the other sections reserved for posts in which the poster has something original to say.

woosh Tim.