I INVITE OUR MINISTERS TO SHOPPING IN THE SOUTH
I have a suggestion for our ministers who claim that the economy is not shifting to the south. I suggest a journey to south Nicosia where they can also have closer contact with their constituents.
Let them make an attempt to cross the border via Kermiya Checkpoint with their cars. While feeling the torture that everyone is enduring, let them try to read the emotions of citizens by observing the angry and unhappy looks from neighbouring cars.
While passing through the buffer zone, they should take care not to come face to face with people, mostly the elderly, who walk to the supermarket near the checkpoint in the traffic that stops due to the small number of officials on duty in the south, so that they do not feel any shame!
I especially recommend them to go to the most expensive supermarket in Nicosia because they will see most of their constituents there. They can shop while overhearing the conversations of more voters between the shelves than the markets in the north.
While they observe that many of the products such as meat, cheese and coffee are cheaper than their equivalents in the north, they should not be surprised when they see that fairly more expensive kinds of vegetables are also picked. Due to the distrust in the system that they have created, the number of people who prefer vegetables and fruits from the south, even though they might be more expensive, are not few.
I also recommend them to buy nuts. They will realise how stale the ones sold in the north are when they taste them. They will be able to see how their citizens have to feed on bad products.
I suggest them to take a break from shopping and eat a burger. I guarantee that they will bump into quite a lot of acquaintances there. There is conducive environment for quality communication with their constituents. I would like to note that on one occasion alone, I observed 13 out of 16 vehicles in the car park, travelling to the north.
I have given some examples of food items. If they want to check out some shoes, electronic goods, kitchen appliances, it would be convenient to point out that the same situation applies.
I also need to give them some hints so that they will not be shocked. They will not feel like strangers when they visit big shopping malls. They will see their friends from the political party they are affiliated with, party council members, mayors and even deputies shopping. I see them every time, and I am never puzzled.
The purpose of this article is not to promote the south. Yet, when all the facts are obvious, I wanted to present some examples to those who try to deceive us with fabricated figures. I would like to accompany a minister who dares to go on such a journey.
A year ago, while the markets in the north were overflowing with Greek Cypriots, the burden of the cost of living in our country has become so heavy that now there has been a serious increase in the number of more accessible products in supermarkets in the south.
They should also know that they are no longer able to convince with empty statements, and that the economy cannot be managed by reaching into the pockets of citizens to save the day and create resources for the money exhausted in the Ministry of Finance. The sole aim should be to heighten the purchasing power of people…
This article was originally published on 14.01.2025