Its weekend; family time. As my colleagues say "Christmas mode" has officially entered our lives since we are already through the first week of December. Living in Larnaca a small city we love as a family to walk on the seaside. Walking down the street from the medieval castle to the small fishing port its time to clear our minds. A lot of criticism has taken place the last month for the way Cyprus Authorities issue passports to wealthy individuals. Feeling the beautiful cooling breeze of the sea I ask myself; why to choose Cyprus?
The answer is there. We as Cypriot residents do not appreciate the small beautiful things that others may seek. The island of the four seasons as they say. The island whose old neighborhoods and narrow streets have their own stories to tell and still to make. The island whose people as you move around the cities speak Italian, Spanish, Russian, Lebanese, English, Turkish and the mother language Greek. The island whose families have kept the simple beautiful moments alive; grandfathers teaching their grandchildren the first steps of fishing; grandmothers cooking the traditional delicious meals; families walking down the seaside together.
But are the above reasons enough for a wealthy individual to ask for a Cypriot citizenship? Is the Sun and food enough to make you stay in a Country? Indeed it's not. In real essence if Sun is what you seek you can come for 2 months every year in the summer and enjoy the sea and activities of Summer time. Wealthy individuals seek more, with a demanding checklist in their hands.
For sure their list includes excellent infrastructure facilities, high level medical services, superior education for their children, easy to understand and follow legal system, low tax rates for them and their businesses, high level professional services. The foresaid areas in real essence are areas where Cyprus has achieved to mark high scores and develop in such way that this small "bug" as I call the island of Cyprus has arisen through thousands of countries to become what we see today; a well-developed country offering all the necessary facilities to its inhabitants for a high standard of living.
Around the globe wealthy individuals may find various citizenship schemes; The Cyprus Citizenship by investment program has been structured in such a way where its minor flows become its own advantages. Wealthy individuals by investing in real estate properties or in financial assets of Cypriot Companies listed by Cysec or in Cypriot Companies by purchase/ participation or combination of foresaid can obtain a Cypriot citizenship as long all criteria are met.
Let's be honest; Cyprus is already home to thousands of individuals of various nationalities. It's an island whose mixture of cultures throughout the years does not need to prove itself. The "bug" has transformed itself as the living example of multi-culturalism and coexistence. Do we want to fight this model or in the far end to promote it?
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