The Finance Ministry has approved overtime work, where deemed necessary, to speed up the processing of student grant applications, while also reinforcing the department with staff drawn temporarily from other units, depending on service needs. The review of applications is expected to be completed within September.
This is stated in a reply from Finance Minister Makis Keravnos, dated 7 August, to a question submitted by Disy MP Prodromos Alambritis over delays in processing times and in the payment of amounts due.
The Finance Ministry clarifies that the submission period for applications for the 2025-2026 academic year opened later than usual, due to the legislative amendments pending in Parliament, which affected the time needed for preparation and implementation.
It also notes that repeated extensions to the submission deadline may have lengthened the time needed to complete the review process, but says these extensions were considered necessary and unavoidable, aimed at ensuring that no eligible student would be denied the right to apply for and claim the grant they are entitled to.
According to the ministry's reply, the review of applications began in late June, and 30% of submitted applications have already been examined. By 9 July, around 17,000 applications had been submitted, and according to the ministry, the review of applications from previous academic years has been completed, with no applications still pending.
The reply also states that digitalisation is a key priority and a necessary condition for modernising public administration and improving the services provided. In this context, it adds, the ministry is systematically promoting the digitalisation of procedures and services wherever this is feasible and operationally practical.
Source: CNA
