Weak Lira caused shortage in skilled labour in TRNC

North Cyprus is facing a shortage of skilled workers as locals seek work in south Cyprus and foreign workers return home, driven away by the unprecedented devaluation of the Turkish lira.

According to the report by Yeniduzen, sector representatives who say that there is a shortage of ‘skilled personnel’, have warned that the country cannot function like this and that a solution must be found.

Representatives of various business sectors told Yeniduzen that North Cyprus is no longer attractive to investors and that very soon, this will create serious problems for the country.

Chairman of the Subcontractors’ Union Osman Amca, said that business volumes had declined due to the devaluation of the Turkish lira but that also, there were problems keeping workers on. Amca said “In order to keep the workers, we give them a raise at the expense of reducing the profit margin”.

General Coordinator of the Chamber of Tradesmen and Craftsmen Hürrem Tulga, underlined the fact that North Cyprus is no longer an attractive place for people and that people who cannot meet the cost of living inevitably look for employment elsewhere.

Meanwhile, President of the Construction Contractors Association Cafer Gürcafer, stated that it was not only locals or people from Turkey, but also other more recent arrivals, workers from countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh are leaving their jobs, because they cannot earn enough and their incomes make life in North Cyprus unsustainable.

The head of the Hoteliers Association Dimağ Caginer, said that although this is the quiet season, summer will bring great difficulties for the tourism sector. It was essential to train locals to fill vacancies in order not to rely on foreign workers, he said.

Yeniduzen, LGC News