Goals and Policies of the 4th Five-Year Development Plan Announced

During the opening speeches of the TRNC 4th Five-Year Development Plan Meeting, Pembe Arifoğlu highlighted the primary aim of creating a stable and strong-growing, competitive, and value-added production capacity, focusing on livable spaces and a sustainable environment, quality and healthy individuals, a strong society, and enhanced national and international cooperation.

Arifoğlu emphasized five main pillars of the plan:

1. Stable and Strong Growth: aiming for balanced and stable growth, single-digit inflation, macroeconomic and financial stability, high per capita income, and combating the informal economy.

2. Enhancement of Competitive and High Value-Added Production Capacity: focusing on increased quality and efficiency in tourism and higher education, digital transformation, and green production processes in the industrial and agricultural sectors, energy efficiency, and the development of advanced infrastructure, ports, and transportation.

3. Livable Spaces and Sustainable Environment: goals include creating livable and planned cities, easy access to basic infrastructure services, disaster-resistant cities and urban renewal, high-quality rural living, and a clean and sustainable environment.

4. Qualified and Healthy Individuals, Strong Society: six targets include new educational institutions and improved education quality, new hospitals and health centers, low unemployment rates and high employment, preservation of rich cultural heritage, increased sports and cultural activities, and equal access to social services.

5. National and International Cooperation for Development: aims to increase foreign representations, strengthen relations with Turkey and the Organization of Turkic States, and provide an improved investment environment for Turkish Cypriots and foreigners living abroad.

Specific policies to achieve these targets include promoting the "North Cyprus" tourism brand, enhancing international standards in higher education, diversifying tourism and agricultural products and expanding markets, digital and green transformation, ensuring food safety, modern and good agricultural practices, certified production, as well as policies on R&D, technoparks, energy efficiency, and effective state aid.

Arifoğlu also highlighted priority development areas such as the construction and real estate sector, energy, information and communication technologies, science, technology and innovation (R&D), and technology development zones (technoparks).

The plan, said Arifoğlu, will shape the future of the TRNC with its long-term development vision, aiming to create a higher quality of life and a stronger, more competitive, and sustainable economy.