The Management Committee of the Independent Social Support Body convened an extraordinary meeting on Monday, expressing regret over the decision of First Lady, Philippa Karsera Christodoulides, to step down as Chair.
In a released statement, the Committee said it called on Ms Karsera to reconsider, assessing that her resignation would negatively affect the Body’s work, which since 2015 has been supporting students from families facing serious socio-economic difficulties.
However, Ms Karsera reiterated that her decision to step down is “irrevocable”. She stressed the importance of ensuring that all eligible students who submitted applications for the academic year 2025/2026 will receive their scholarships. According to the Committee Secretary, there are currently 1,800 applications pending evaluation.
The Management Committee asked the Labour Minister to brief the Cabinet on the Body’s intentions: to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of the application process; that any reserve funds will continue to be allocated exclusively to students who meet the existing beneficiary criteria; and that none of the eligible students will be left without assistance or deprived of access to tertiary education.
While categorically refuting the “unfounded claims intended to undermine the work and credibility of the Body,” the Committee decided to submit proposals aimed at ensuring the Body’s important social work continues “in a manner that takes into account all views and concerns expressed to date”.
Temporary adoption of transparency measure
Pending the final decisions of Cabinet on the matter, the Accountant General of the Republic, in his capacity as Treasurer of the Body, recommended the immediate implementation of the proposal submitted by the Audit Office in December.
“The arrangement proposed by the Auditor General provides that for donations exceeding €20,000, the donor’s consent is required for the publication of their name and the amount; otherwise, the donation will not be accepted.”
Concluding, in reference to the “unfounded claims” as of late, the Committee stressed that all donations are made exclusively via bank transfers to the Central Bank. In addition, it notes that “the Auditor General conducted a thorough audit, having access to all donor details and all scholarships granted since 2015, and found no evidence of irregularity or illegality.”
The Committee pointed out that “the publication of donor names – whose logos, in most cases, appear on the Body’s website – has not taken place because it is not permitted by law, a position that has also been confirmed by a ruling of the Supreme Constitutional Court.”