Reforms that count, not just hot air

Opinion economypensionerspensionstax reform Reforms that count, not just hot air Syntaxiodotiko Relevant News Reforms that count, not just hot air 14 September 2026 ‘Black van’ case: Deputy AG’s conflict claim could not have been probed, AG says 14 September 2026 A new chapter, an old divide 14 September 2026 Marios Christodoulou 14 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber After the tax reform that kicked in on 1 January 2026, hiking the tax-free threshold to €22,000 and putting money back in people’s pockets straight away, the Republic of Cyprus is staring down its next big shake-up: pension reform. And here’s the bit that shouldn’t get lost in the party slogans and political point-scoring: for the first time in decades, we’re actually talking about a reform with a clear aim of putting real money into pensions. And here we go, cue the moaning. The social partners are half pleased at the prospect of better pensions, half hedging their bets. The parties, some more than others, are busy digging up gaps and shortfalls, true to their small-time, permanently-in-opposition mindset. “More could have been done.” More can always be done, of course, when you’re the one criticising someone else’s decisions and someone else is picking up the tab. Every party stripe has held power at some point over the last thirty-odd years. Right, centre, left, or some coalition of the three. And through all of it, the tax system stayed largely stuck in the past, while pensions were treated mainly as a public-finance headache rather than the major social reform it actually is: making sure pensioners can live with some dignity. Did anything change along the way? After the 2013 financial crisis, yes, the social insurance system saw some real intervention, but most of it was belt-tightening dressed up as reform. Frozen pensions. Tougher eligibility. Penalties for retiring early. The IMF itself logs the measures from 2013 to 2017, including tying the retirement age automatically to life expectancy. But all of that is a world away from a reform people actually feel in their pocket. A rise of €50, €100, €200, or more depending on the case, might look like small change to some when set against the country’s bigger economic problems. But for someone scraping by on a low pension, that’s a shot in the arm. And this is exactly where we need to be fair. You can’t blame the current government for not handing out everything everyone might want. Pension reform can’t be some free-for-all generosity contest with no bill attached. The increases have to fit within what the public finances and the system’s long-term sustainability can actually bear. What matters is that a start has been made, on a foundation that leaves room for better pensions down the line. And that’s something everyone should be applauding, no party games attached. Criticism is one thing. Small-time politicking is another. When I hear politicians making a big song and dance because the increases aren’t bigger, there’s one question I’d like them to answer first: when you were in government, how many extra euros a month did you actually put in a low-pensioner’s pocket through a proper, system-wide reform? And the same question goes for the social partners. Because it’s very easy to demand more when you’re not the one who has to find the money. Very easy to say “it’s not enough” when you don’t have to balance today’s needs against tomorrow’s obligations to the next generation of pensioners. The exact same logic applies to the tax reform. For decades we heard the same refrain: this needs to change. Change came in 2026. The tax-free threshold went up to €22,000, and with the extra deductions on top, the reform cut the tax burden and boosted take-home income for every household. So let’s park the party theatrics, put our hand on our heart and our wallet, and ask: how much is the monthly benefit from the tax reform for the average person? We’ve already seen it. How much will the monthly benefit be for pensioners from pension reform? That, we’re about to find out. Those are the numbers that actually matter to people. Not the party press releases. Because at the end of the day, nobody lives on political statements. People live on what’s actually left in their pay packet, and what actually lands in their pension account. And when a government, any government, any colour, manages to deliver something genuinely positive for its citizens where others spent decades talking and putting it off, credit should be given where it’s due. In this case, the current government has delivered one reform and got the second one moving. Two major reforms, and you can feel both of them in your pocket. 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