Costas Fytiris is the Justice Minister in Cyprus. He made a big decision. He will not take a lifelong pension from his job as a minister. This is a large amount of money. He officially told the Ministry of Finance and Parliament on Tuesday. This happened after new laws for pensions.
Minister Fytiris said his choice is about "responsibility and being fair." He wants to avoid questions about his government salary. People in Cyprus are talking a lot about fair pensions for officials. They are also looking at people who get more than one pension.
Minister Fytiris worked for 40 years in the National Guard. He has pension rights from this service. He will keep these rights. His decision is only about the pension from being a minister. He is separating his military service from his minister job.
His decision is important financially. The money he gives up is about five times more than saving money from stopping his pension for two years. This shows his decision is a big sacrifice. It is a rare action for a senior official in Cyprus. He is choosing fairness over money.
The Minister also left a better-paying job in the private sector. He chose to work for the public. This shows he is committed to serving Cyprus. His action follows the new pension laws. It may affect how other politicians act in the future.
Giving up his pension shows his strong principles. People are watching political pensions very closely. Minister Fytiris wants to focus on public safety and security in Cyprus. His decision shows he wants to be honest and responsible in his important job.