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Cyprus Enacts Robust Tax Reform to Boost Foreign Investment And Business Growth

Parliament Endorses Landmark Tax Reform

Cyprus’ legislature has approved a comprehensive tax reform that marks a pivotal chapter in the nation’s economic evolution. According to Invest Cyprus, this decisive action both preserves and enhances the country’s reputation as a premier destination for business and foreign capital.

Enhancing Competitiveness Through Strategic Tax Adjustments

The new framework introduces several targeted reforms for legal entities. Key measures include the elimination of the deemed distribution of dividends, along with a reduction in the withholding tax on actual dividend distributions from 17% to 5%. Additional adjustments such as the abolition of stamp duty, broadened exemptions for capital gains tax, and more favourable stock option treatments, collectively underpin a reassured investment environment. A modest corporate tax increase from 12.5% to 15% further aligns the system with evolving economic needs.

Investor Confidence And Long-Term Policy Vision

In a recent interview with InBusinessNews, Invest Cyprus chief executive Marios Tannousis emphasized that the reform fortifies the stability, predictability, and clarity indispensable to foreign investors. He noted that such a refined tax framework is foundational for Cyprus’ sustained economic appeal, extending the country’s competitive edge well into 2026 and beyond.

Collaborative Efforts Driving Economic Resurgence

Expressing appreciation for the role of both public bodies and private sector stakeholders, Tannousis commended the government, the Finance Ministry, and parliament for their collaborative efforts. This reform not only resolves a long-standing issue but also ushers in a renewed era poised to significantly bolster foreign investment and entrepreneurial growth in Cyprus.

Google Cloud Outage Disrupts Banking And Digital Services Across The UK

A power outage at a Google Cloud data centre near London disrupted services across the UK on Tuesday, affecting banks, businesses and other digital platforms. Google said the incident was caused by a power event at its cloud operations, with full recovery expected by around 1300 GMT.

The disruption began at 0608 GMT and affected Google Cloud services in the europe-west2 region, which is hosted in London. In an initial update, the company reported elevated error rates and intermittent network failures across multiple services as engineers worked to restore operations.

Banking Services Hit By The Disruption

Revolut was among the most visibly affected companies, with customers reporting problems with ATM withdrawals, bank transfers and card top-ups. A source close to the matter linked the issues to the Google Cloud outage.

Traditional banks also reported disruptions. Lloyds said some customers were experiencing problems with its app and online banking, while HSBC confirmed difficulties accessing its services. HSBC added that it was monitoring the situation and noted that other organisations were affected as well.

Disruption Spreads Beyond Finance

Downdetector, which tracks online service disruptions, recorded hundreds of reports involving other businesses, including property website Rightmove and the Royal Mail postal service. The reports suggested that the outage was affecting multiple parts of the UK’s digital economy.

The incident highlights the risks facing businesses that depend on shared cloud infrastructure. Even a temporary failure at a single provider can disrupt services across several sectors, from banking and payments to logistics and consumer platforms.

Companies Reassure Customers

Revolut said it had been working to resolve the issue since it was identified and apologised to affected customers. The company also confirmed that customers’ money and data remained safe.

As cloud platforms underpin an increasing share of digital commerce, the outage illustrates how disruptions to critical infrastructure can spread far beyond the provider itself, affecting businesses and customers across the economy.

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