costas fytiris — The newly-appointed Minister of Justice and Public Order, Costas Fytiris, has formally and permanently renounced his right to a ministerial pension and the accompanying lump-sum payment, as confirmed by a written declaration submitted to the Ministry of Finance and the House of Representatives.
- With this renunciation, Fytiris sets a precedent for other officials, reflecting a shift towards greater accountability and transparency in the government.
This decision, announced on Tuesday, positions Fytiris among the first high-ranking officials to take advantage of recent legislation that permits state appointees to voluntarily waive their pension entitlements. In a strongly worded statement, he articulated his reasoning, emphasising “institutional responsibility and ethical consistency.” Fytiris expressed his commitment to quelling “inaccurate comments” regarding his financial benefits.
The former Rear Admiral, who dedicated 40 years to the National Guard, clarified that he will retain only the pension rights accrued from his military service. He highlighted that the value of the ministerial benefits he is renouncing amounts to roughly five times what the state would have saved through a mere temporary suspension of his current payments.
Fytiris remarked, “To serve the country, I left the private sector—where my earnings were significantly higher—and have undertaken a very difficult task.” His focus is firmly on addressing public demands for safety across Cyprus, steering clear of what he described as “petty considerations.”
This significant move comes just as a 15-day deadline approaches for several new cabinet members, appointed during a reshuffle in December 2025, to make decisions regarding their pension status. The 1997 Pensions Law had previously allowed officials to collect multiple state pensions simultaneously. However, following substantial public outcry and subsequent legislative reforms, there has been intense pressure on the Christodoulides administration to tackle the issue of “multiple pensions.”
With this renunciation, Fytiris sets a precedent for other officials, reflecting a shift towards greater accountability and transparency in the government.
