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Cyprus Reviews Public Sector Reform And Working Conditions

by News Editor

August 4, 2026

The future of public sector reform, workplace conditions and the modernisation of government services were among the key issues discussed during a meeting on Tuesday between President Nikos Christodoulides, senior ministers and representatives of the civil servants’ union Pasydy.

The discussions brought together Finance Minister Makis Keravnos, Labour Minister Marinos Mousiouttas and Pasydy officials to review several outstanding issues affecting public sector employees and the operation of government services.

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Focus On Reform And Modernisation

Rather than seeking salary increases, Pasydy said its priority is improving the efficiency and quality of the public service. The union is calling for reforms that support digital transformation, clarify the status of permanent employees and create a more modern public administration for both citizens and businesses.

Pasydy General Secretary Stratis Mattheou described the meeting as constructive, adding that discussions with the Ministry of Finance will continue as work on the proposed reforms moves forward.

Concerns Over Public Infrastructure

The union also highlighted the condition of some government buildings, particularly those housing social welfare services, arguing that parts of the public sector continue to operate in facilities that fall well below acceptable standards. Mattheou described some workplaces as resembling “third world” conditions.

While plans already exist to gradually replace or upgrade government buildings, he acknowledged that implementation will depend on future state budgets and cannot happen immediately.

Next Steps

A joint working group comprising representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Public Service Commission and Pasydy is expected to submit its recommendations on public sector reform to the president by the end of September.

Other outstanding issues discussed during the meeting are expected to be addressed before the end of the year, as consultations between the government and the union continue.

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Mirendil Signs $100 Million Google Cloud Deal To Advance Self-Improving AI

by News Editor

August 6, 2026

AI startup Mirendil has signed a multi-year agreement worth more than $100 million with Google Cloud to secure computing infrastructure for its self-improving AI research.

The partnership reflects growing competition among AI companies to lock in access to high-performance computing, while cloud providers race to attract promising startups developing next-generation AI models.

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Backing The Next Stage Of AI Research

Mirendil plans to use Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), Nvidia GPUs and managed training infrastructure to develop AI systems capable of improving their own performance over time.

Known as recursive self-improvement, the concept focuses on building AI that can refine its knowledge and capabilities with minimal human intervention. The technology is attracting growing interest across the industry, with several startups and leading AI labs exploring similar approaches.

According to co-founder and Chief Executive Behnam Neyshabur, the long-term goal is to develop AI that can automate scientific research and accelerate discoveries in fields such as medicine, biology and materials science.

Compute Capacity Becomes A Strategic Asset

Training increasingly advanced AI models requires enormous computing resources, making long-term infrastructure agreements a critical competitive advantage.

Mirendil said Google’s combination of TPUs and GPUs allows workloads to be matched with the most suitable hardware, improving efficiency while reducing costs for customers.

For Google Cloud, the agreement strengthens its position in the race to provide infrastructure for frontier AI developers, while giving the company exposure to one of the industry’s emerging approaches to next-generation artificial intelligence.