Archives of announcements and decisions disappeared from Cypriot ministries’ websites — former minister

Former Cypriot Minister of Transport Yiannis Karousos stated on August 26 that archives containing materials of previous governments had been removed from the official websites of the Republic’s ministries. According to him, a significant part of information about previously adopted policies and initiatives is no longer available to the public.

Karousos noted that he examined a number of ministerial websites, as well as the Press and Information Office (PIO), responsible for publishing government press releases. He found that in many cases, published content begins only from April 2023, while records prior to that date are either fragmentary or completely missing. Thus, a number of important announcements and past decisions have been removed from public access.

The former minister emphasized that the absence of archives hinders transparency, undermines trust in state institutions, and complicates oversight of governmental continuity. At the same time, Karousos expressed hope that this was a technical error and not a deliberate deletion of data.

In letters to the director of the Press and Information Office and the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, he suggested restoring the online archives, which had previously been available on websites since 2006.

For Cypriot users, restricted access to archival information may complicate the search for official documents, references, and clarifications regarding past decisions — something particularly important for businesses, tender participation, and obtaining public services. A response from the responsible authorities is expected concerning the reasons for the disappearance of the archives and the timeline for their possible restoration.