President launches Exandas portal in a bid to enhance transparency

The implementation of 767 development projects, with a total cost of more than 2.7 bln euros, as well as the progress in implementing 321 government policies, reforms and national strategies are outlined in “Exandas”, the new internet portal launched on Friday by Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades.

President Anastasiades presented the portal, accessible under https://exandas.presidency.gov.cy/  during a press conference at the Presidential Palace. He noted that the initiative is part of an effort to enhance accountability and transparency, while providing citizens and institutions with the possibility to receive information about the implementation of government pledges.

He said that the information provided in the portal “holds the government and the executive power accountable” while highlighting possible omissions or giving the opportunity to monitor the implementation of actions and policies, in line with best practices of transparency and good governance.

There will be a flow of information, as all Ministries will update the program with information about the progress of projects and reforms that were announced by the government, he added.

The first section of “Exandas” concerns development projects in each district that have been either completed or are under construction. The President explained that this mainly concerns projects that were announced in 2015 and 2017.

The second section concerns government decisions based on pre-election pledges made in relation to reforms, policies and actions, as well as national strategies, the President concluded.

Petros Demetriou, Director of the President’s Office, said that a dedicated group has been created in every Ministry, in order to update the data every three months. “From today on, this information will be publicly available” in a bid to meet the need for transparency and accountability, he added.

The portal lists all development or utility projects, approved or funded by this administration, along with the projects that have been incorporated in the financial framework for 2020-2023, Demetriou said.

There are 767 projects with a cost of 2,702,743,214 euros and 90.17% of them is expected to be concluded by 2030, he added. Out of these, 551 projects, worth 1.332 bln euros, have been either completed or are under construction and are expected to be completed soon. At the same time, 33 projects worth 300 mln have stagnated, while another 183 projects are expected to be launched. The majority of projects are in Nicosia District (227), followed by Limassol (206), Larnaca (139), Paphos (117) and Famagusta (78).