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President Christodoulides Announces 2025 Budget Surplus, Prioritises Economic Strength And Social Reforms

In a bold economic declaration, Cyprus’ President Nikos Christodoulides revealed a budget surplus forecast for 2025 during a recent Cabinet meeting. This announcement underscores the government’s strategic focus on fiscal responsibility, strong financial systems, and comprehensive reforms.

Strategic Fiscal Management

President Christodoulides emphasised the critical need for meticulous budget management across ministries. He called for a detailed review of each ministry’s budget to categorise non-negotiable operational costs alongside social and developmental expenses. The intent is to ensure every ministry aligns its priorities with the overarching budget ceilings, promoting efficient utilisation of resources.

Pillars of Economic Strength

The proposed surplus is built upon three foundational pillars: fiscal discipline, a robust financial system, and aggressive reforms. This approach aims to solidify Cyprus’ economic resilience, fostering a stable environment conducive to sustainable growth and development.

Social and Developmental Focus

Central to the budget are the “flagship policies” targeting digital transformation, climate change, and addressing infertility, reflecting a holistic approach to national development. The government’s commitment to a “social contract” with its citizens is evident, promising enhanced social spending and developmental initiatives.

Transparent and Inclusive Governance

In a bid to maintain transparency and public engagement, President Christodoulides has mandated that each ministry publicly present its budget and outline specific actions and reforms. This move is designed to ensure that the annual budget reflects both the President’s vision and the governance programme’s priorities.

Supporting the Middle Class

Government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis highlighted that the budget will particularly focus on supporting the middle class. The detailed presentations from the Ministries of Labour and Social Insurance, Energy, Trade and Industry, Foreign Affairs, and various Deputy Ministries reflect a comprehensive approach to policy implementation.

Abu Dhabi Unveils Dh13-Billion Plan To Lead as the World’s First Fully AI-native Government by 2027

Abu Dhabi is setting ambitious goals for the future, announcing a Dh13-billion strategy that aims to make its government operations entirely powered by artificial intelligence (AI) by 2027. With this move, the emirate aspires to become the world’s first fully “AI-native” government, with automated processes and complete adoption of cloud computing technologies.

The Abu Dhabi Government Digital Strategy 2025-2027, led by the Department of Government Enablement – Abu Dhabi (DGE), is a transformative initiative to enhance public service delivery, optimize government functions, and drive sustainable economic growth. Along with technological advances, the strategy will create over 5,000 jobs, boosting the local economy and contributing more than Dh24 billion to Abu Dhabi’s GDP.

The core objective of this initiative is to embed AI, cloud technologies, and data-driven insights into the very DNA of the government. “By incorporating these cutting-edge technologies, we will optimize our operations, improve public services, and ultimately support sustainable economic growth,” said Ahmed Hisham Al Kuttab, Chairman of DGE.

Key aspects of the strategy include the establishment of a unified digital enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform, which will improve government efficiency and streamline processes. As part of the “AI for All” program, the initiative will also focus on empowering citizens by training them in AI applications, ensuring a highly skilled workforce ready to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Moreover, the government is committed to implementing over 200 AI-driven solutions across various public services, ensuring that these innovations reach all facets of governmental operations. Alongside the technological advancements, comprehensive cybersecurity measures will be introduced, with new digital guidelines aimed at maintaining the highest standards of security.

This move is not only a strategic shift towards a fully digital government but also a bold step towards positioning Abu Dhabi as a global leader in the adoption of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies in the public sector.

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