Tax on South aid to Maronites lifted

AID sent from South Cyprus to Greek Cypriots and Maronites living in North Cyprus via the United Nations will no longer be subjected to customs duties, it was confirmed on Tuesday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay said the Cabinet had approved an announcement he had made late last month on the issue, reversing a controversial policy introduced by his predecessor Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu last October.

Mr Ertuğruloğlu had said the measure was necessary after claiming that the produce was being sold on the black market.

Under the latest changes, the composition and quantity of the goods will be checked by Turkish Cypriot officials at the border and labelled with warnings that the buying and selling of the aid items in North Cyprus is illegal. Leaflets will also be produced to “inform and warn” people about the rules.

Dr Özersay had previously said Greek Cypriots and Maronites in the TRNC were not “enclaved” and could come and go as they pleased and be visited by their families. He had called on the Greek Cypriot leadership to stop using them for “political” purposes.

A United Nations spokesman on the island, Aleem Siddique, was quoted as saying: “We welcome the announcement to revoke the previous decision to impose taxes and fees on humanitarian aid. We are in touch with both sides to facilitate the resumption of deliveries.”

A senior Greek Cypriot government official, Photis Photiou, was quoted by South Cyprus media as saying he was “waiting to be officially informed” by the UN peacekeeping force on the new process for delivering aid.

“Our services are ready to begin dispatching humanitarian aid, after the lifting of this unacceptable measure,” he said. It was not clear exactly when the changes would take effect.