Breaking news

Cyprus Budget Deficit Rises To €1.79 Billion In 2025

Overview Of The Fiscal Report

Cyprus recorded a state budget deficit of €1.79 billion in 2025, according to the latest fiscal report from the Treasury. The report compares planned and actual revenues and expenditures and is submitted annually by the Accountant General within three months of the financial year’s end.

Fiscal Report Insights And Approval Process

The report was prepared by Accountant General Andreas Antoniades and submitted to Finance Minister Makis Keravnos on March 12, 2026. It was approved by the Cabinet on March 16 and later submitted to the House of Representatives on March 23. An audit by the Auditor General is also included, supporting the accuracy of the financial data.

Revenue And Expenditure Trends

Revenues, excluding loan-related inflows, reached €10.05 billion in 2025, up from €9.57 billion in 2024, while expenditures rose to €10.15 billion from €9.89 billion. This resulted in a pre-borrowing deficit of €0.10 billion, compared to €0.32 billion the previous year.

Impact Of Loan Activities On The Fiscal Position

Once loan activity is included, the overall deficit widens. Loan drawdowns and repayments fell to €0.16 billion in 2025, down from €1.24 billion in 2024. At the same time, spending related to loan repayments and issuances declined to €1.85 billion from €2.53 billion. As a result, the total budget deficit increased to €1.79 billion, compared to €1.61 billion a year earlier.

The Central Role Of Taxation

Tax revenue remained the main source of state income, reaching €8.6 billion in 2025, up from €8 billion in 2024. This accounts for around 86% of total revenues. The structure remained broadly unchanged, with 44% coming from indirect taxes and 42% from direct taxes.

Key Expenditure Categories And Public Debt Overview

Spending on public sector wages, pensions and gratuities totalled €3.52 billion. Social benefits reached €2.02 billion, including a €0.82 billion state contribution to the General Healthcare System. Grants and contributions to public entities and international organisations amounted to €1.67 billion.

Total government debt, excluding intra-government borrowing, declined to €19.24 billion at the end of 2025, from €20.92 billion a year earlier. At the same time, intra-government borrowing increased to €13.21 billion from €12.03 billion.

Conclusion

The report shows a narrowing deficit before borrowing, alongside a higher overall deficit once loan activity is included. At the same time, tax revenues continue to support public finances, while government debt remains on a downward path.

payabl. Launches Click To Pay With Visa To Help Merchants Improve Checkout Conversion And Reduce Fraud

payabl. has launched Click to Pay with Visa, a new card payment experience designed to help merchants reduce checkout friction, improve authorisation rates, and deliver a faster, more secure online payment journey.

WhatsApp Image 2026 04 16 at 10.37.46

Click to Pay replaces manual card number entry with a token-based checkout experience. Once a customer’s card is enrolled, they can complete purchases in just a few clicks, without re-entering card details. The result is a faster checkout that mirrors the ease of contactless payments in-store, while maintaining strong security standards.

For merchants, the impact is measurable. According to Visa, Click to Pay can deliver up to a 11% uplift in authorisation rates compared to manual card entry, alongside significant fraud reduction through network tokenisation. Faster checkout also helps reduce cart abandonment, particularly on mobile, where typing card details remains a major source of friction.

“With online checkout, every extra step costs conversion,” said Breno Oliveira, Chief Product Officer at payabl. “Visa Click to Pay removes one of the biggest points of friction at the moment of purchase. It helps merchants approve more legitimate transactions, reduce fraud exposure, and give customers the experience they already expect.” 

Visa Click to Pay is available through payabl. checkout, enabling merchants to activate the service without additional integration complexity. The solution works across devices and supports existing security flows, including 3D Secure where required.

“Consumers have come to expect a highly personalised, intuitive, and seamless payment experience, whether they’re buying a coffee, shopping online, or applying for a loan. Visa Click to Pay aims to meet these expectations by removing the need to manually enter card details, thus enhancing both security and the consumer experience in online card payments. With the support of network tokens, Visa Click to Pay enabled a more secure and smoother transaction process, available in many countries around the world. According to European VisaNet data, Visa Click to Pay may allow a 4.5% uplift in merchant sales, meaning a possible annual increase of €51 bn in SMB eCommerce sales in the UK and EU,” said Michael Ioannides, Country Manager, Visa Cyprus.

The launch forms part of payabl.’s broader focus on checkout optimisation, helping merchants improve conversion, approvals, and payment reliability at scale. Click to Pay with Visa is now live for eligible merchants across Europe. 

Checkout expectations are rising across Europe 

Insights from payabl.’s State of European Checkouts report underline why frictionless checkout experiences are becoming a commercial priority. The research found that consumers cite speed (46%), convenience (44%), and security (41%) as the top reasons for choosing a payment method. More than half of consumers (53%) are open to switching to newer payment methods and nearly half (48%) are open to one-click checkouts, provided the solution is backed by a trusted brand such as Visa.

“Checkout is no longer just the final step of a transaction,” said Oliveira. “It is a critical part of the overall customer experience. Our research shows that 43% of European consumers will not return to a site after a poor checkout experience. For merchants across the UK and Europe, that translates directly into lost customers and lost revenue.”

The launch forms part of payabl.’s broader focus on checkout optimisation, helping merchants improve conversion, approvals, and payment reliability at scale. Click to Pay with Visa is now live for eligible merchants across Europe.

Uol
eCredo
Aretilaw firm
The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties

Become a Speaker

Become a Speaker

Become a Partner

Subscribe for our weekly newsletter