Politis

Bill for Cyprus Stock Exchange Privatization Heads to Plenary, State Can Remain Shareholder

Published January 12, 2026, 13:21
Bill for Cyprus Stock Exchange Privatization Heads to Plenary, State Can Remain Shareholder

The bill for the privatization of the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) is moving to the Plenary Session of the Parliament, after passing through the Parliamentary Committee on Finance. The revised text places greater emphasis on qualitative criteria for evaluating potential investors, beyond financial aspects. The Ministry of Finance has assured that the state retains the option to remain a shareholder in the CSE, if it so chooses. The evaluation process has been revised following consultations between the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the State Aid Controller, and the CSE. The financial offer will carry a weight of 70%, while the business plan, which will outline intentions for the development of the stock market over the next five years, will have a weight of 30%. The business plan will be a binding annex to the sale agreement. Furthermore, the bill includes the possibility of excluding strategic investors from the process if there are reasons of public interest, as provided for by the law on the control of direct foreign investments. The Tax Department proposed extending the tax exemption for the state in the event of a future retention of shareholding. The Chairman of the CSE Board of Directors, Marinos Christodoulides, expressed his satisfaction with the changes and his hope for a swift passage of the bill. The State Aid Controller, Stella Michaelidou, agreed with the modification of the criteria, emphasizing the importance of transparency in the final evaluation.