APEDA Flags-off of Goli Pop Soda – India’s Iconic Goli Soda for Global Markets Revival of Goli Soda marks a major step in promoting India’s homegrown beverages globally
Goli Pop Soda successfully enters USA, UK, Europe, and Gulf markets with strong consumer response
Posted On: 23 MAR 2025 11:26AM by PIB Delhi
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, proudly announced the global resurgence of the traditional Indian Goli Soda, rebranded as Goli Pop Soda. This iconic beverage, once a household staple, is making a remarkable comeback on the global stage, driven by its innovative reinvention and strategic international expansion.
The product has already made strong inroads in global markets, with successful trial shipments to the USA, UK, Europe, and Gulf countries. A strategic partnership with Fair Exports India has ensured steady deliveries to Lulu Hypermarket, one of the largest retail chains in the Gulf region. Thousands of bottles have been stocked across Lulu outlets, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response.
In the UK, Goli Pop Soda has swiftly evolved into a cultural phenomenon, appealing to consumers who embrace the fusion of traditional Indian flavors with a modern twist. This development represents a significant step in showcasing India’s rich beverage heritage on the global stage.
To commemorate this milestone, APEDA supported the flag-off ceremony organized by ABNN on 4th February 2025, marking the official global launch of Goli Pop Soda. The event reaffirmed India’s commitment to promoting authentic, high-quality products and reinforcing its presence in the international beverage market.
The revival of Goli Soda, which had nearly disappeared due to the dominance of multinational beverage companies, marks a significant milestone in India’s efforts to promote and export authentic, homegrown food and beverage products. By blending nostalgia with modern packaging, Goli Pop Soda has successfully reintroduced the essence of this beloved drink to contemporary consumers worldwide.
What sets Goli Pop Soda apart is its innovative packaging, featuring a unique pop opener that recreates the nostalgic fizzy burst Indian consumers fondly remember. This thoughtful rebranding has captivated international markets, positioning the drink as an exciting and trendy product.
Additionally, APEDA facilitated and featured Goli Pop Soda at the International Food & Drink Event (IFE) London 2025, held from 17th-19th March 2025. The event provided Indian entrepreneurs and exporters a valuable platform to connect with international buyers, explore new business collaborations, and promote India’s diverse agricultural and processed food products globally.
With the resurgence of Goli Soda, Goli Pop Soda is not just a drink—it is a testament to India’s rich culinary heritage and vibrant beverage industry. The product’s growing success in global markets proves that homegrown Indian flavors can compete with international giants, opening new avenues for Indian exports and further solidifying India’s leadership in the global food and beverage sector.
The Government of India has withdrawn 20% duty on onion export, effective from 1st April, 2025. A notification to this effect was issued by the Department of Revenue today on the communication of Department of Consumer Affairs.
To ensure domestic availability, the government had taken measures to check export by means of duty, minimum export price (MEP) and even to the extent of export prohibition for almost five months, from 8th December, 2023 till 3rd May, 2024. The export duty of 20% which now stands removed has been in place from 13th September, 2024.
Despite export restriction, the total onion export during FY 2023-24 was 17.17 LMT and FY 2024-25 (till 18th March) was 11.65 LMT. Monthly onion export quantity had picked up from 0.72 LMT in September, 2024 to 1.85 LMT in January, 2025.
The decision stands as another testament to the government’s commitment to ensuring remunerative prices to farmers while maintaining affordability of onion to the consumers at this crucial juncture when both mandi and retail prices have soften following expected arrival of rabi crops in good quantities. Even though, the current mandi prices are above the level during corresponding period of previous years, a decline of 39% is observed in the all-India weighted average modal prices. Similarly, all-India average retail prices recorded declined of 10% over the past one month.
Graph-1: Onion mandi and retail price trends
Onion arrival in benchmark markets Lasalgoan and Pimpalgaon have increased from this month which drive prices downward. The modal prices in Lasalgaon and Pimpalgoan on 21st March, 2025 were Rs.1330/qtl and Rs.1325/qtl, respectively.
Graph-2: Arrivals and prices in Lasalgaon Mandi
Graph-3: Arrivals and prices in Pimpalgaon Mandi
As per the estimates of Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, rabi production this year at 227 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) is over 18% higher than 192 LMT last year. The rabi onion which accounted for 70-75% of India’s total onion production is crucial for overall availability and stability in prices till the arrival of kharif crop from October/November onward. The estimated higher production this season is expected to further ease the market prices in coming months.
The emerging production and prices scenario came as welcome breather for the country which had to grapple with the twin issues of lower domestic production and high international prices from August, 2023.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Chinese vice premier encourages multinational companies to expand investment in China
BEIJING, March 23 — China will continue to open up at a higher level, and welcomes multinational companies to expand investment in China to deepen mutual benefit and win-win results, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said on Sunday.
He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a meeting in Beijing with business executives of leading global multinational companies, as they exchanged views on the global and Chinese economic situation, China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation, and expanding investment in China.
Noting that China’s economy has strong resilience, vast potential and ample vitality, He said China is committed to promoting high-quality development, expanding high-standard opening up, and continuously improving the business environment, while welcoming increased investment by multinational companies in China to share in the country’s development opportunities.
Business executives from multinational companies present at this meeting said they attached importance to the Chinese market and were optimistic about China’s economic prospects, and also expressed their willingness to commit to long-term cooperation with China.
More than 900 thousand superannuitants and almost five thousand veterans are among the New Zealanders set to receive a significant financial boost from next week, an uplift Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says will help support them through cost-of-living challenges.
“I am pleased to confirm that from 1 April, most MSD payment rates will increase through the Annual General Adjustment (AGA),” Louise Upston says.
“Overall this year’s AGA means around 1.5 million New Zealanders will get an increase to reflect the cost-of-living, ranging from just over 2 per cent to around 3 per cent.
“MSD has already begun communicating about specific increases, and from next Tuesday, that means pensioners, parents, students, and people on main benefits will all get a little extra, helping hundreds of thousands of Kiwis:
· 933,200 superannuitants and 4,900 veterans will get a boost to New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension
· 409,300 main beneficiaries will get a higher payment
· 47,400 students will see an increase in their allowance
· 70,000 non-beneficiaries getting supplementary assistance are expected to be better off.
“Since 2024, benefit rates have kept pace with the Consumers Price Index (a measure for the cost of living). For the year ending December 2024, the Consumers Price Index was 2.22 per cent.
“Pensioners will notice an extra boost to their New Zealand Superannuation or Veteran’s Pension this year, with their total increase around 3 per cent. This is because of the relationship to the net average wage, which forms part of the rate calculation.
“We know the cost-of-living crisis the previous government left us with has been particularly difficult for beneficiaries, and the coming uplift will help many with household budgeting.
“This is in addition to other initiatives to support Kiwis over the past 16 months. As at March 19, we have also supported just over 51,000 households with the cost of early childhood education, through FamilyBoost. This has put $31.8m into the pockets of low and middle income families,” Louise Upston says.
“Indexing main benefits to inflation has been used responsibly in 32 of the past 36 years, by governments across the political divide.
“It is something our Government supports as a sensible way to maintain the income support system,” Louise Upston says.
First-ever export of Anthurium Flowers from Mizoram to Singapore, a fillip to India’s Floriculture Potential APEDA facilitates landmark export, strengthening North Eastern Region’s role in India’s floriculture exports
Posted On: 22 MAR 2025 12:14PM by PIB Delhi
In a significant step towards enhancing India’s floriculture export potential, particularly from the North Eastern Region (NER), the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), in collaboration with the Department of Horticulture, Government of Mizoram, successfully facilitated the flagging off of the first consignment of Anthurium flowers from Aizawl, Mizoram, to Singapore. The event, held in a hybrid (phygital) format, took place on February 26, 2025.
Chairman of APEDA, Shri Abhishek Dev, and Special Secretary, Department of Horticulture, Govt. of Mizoram, Smt. Ramdinliani, flagged off the first consignment of Anthurium flowers from Mizoram to Singapore. Officials from APEDA, the Department of Horticulture, Govt. of Mizoram, Zo Anthurium Growers Cooperative Society, IVC Agrovet Pvt. Ltd., and Veg Pro Singapore Pte. Ltd. participated in the ceremonial flag-off.
The consignment, comprising 1,024 Anthurium cut flowers (weighing 70 kg) packed in 50 corrugated boxes, was exported by IVC Agrovet Pvt. Ltd. from Aizawl, Mizoram, to Singapore via Kolkata. The flowers were sourced from the Zo Anthurium Growers Cooperative Society, Aizawl, Mizoram, and imported by Veg Pro Singapore Pte. Ltd., marking a milestone in the region’s floriculture export journey.
Anthurium is one of the most important flowers cultivated in Mizoram, playing a vital role in driving local economic activity, particularly benefiting farmers, including women. The flower’s cultivation has been a source of livelihood and empowerment for local communities. Mizoram also organizes the annual “Anthurium Festival,” which promotes tourism and highlights the flower’s beauty and ornamental value.
The first-ever export of Anthurium flowers from Mizoram to Singapore follows the success of the International Conclave cum Buyer-Seller Meet (IBSM) organized by APEDA in collaboration with the Government of Mizoram on December 6, 2024, in Aizawl. The IBSM witnessed participation from nine international buyers from countries such as Singapore, UAE, Nepal, Jordan, Oman, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Ethiopia, along with 24 domestic exporters. The event established important trade connections and market opportunities for Mizoram’s floriculture products.
India’s floriculture exports reached USD 86.62 million in FY 2023-2024. This first consignment of Anthurium flowers from Mizoram to Singapore marks a significant step toward expanding floriculture exports, particularly from the North Eastern Region. NER holds immense potential for the export of horticultural and floricultural products. APEDA remains committed to supporting this potential through export promotional activities and collaborations with various stakeholders in the region.
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. APEDA’s mission is to develop, facilitate, and promote the exports of agricultural and processed food products from India, strengthening the nation’s footprint in the global food and beverage industry.
When the United States starts a trade war with your country, how do you fight back? For individuals, one option is to wage a personal trade war and boycott products from the US.
So far, political leaders have responded differently. Canada, Mexico and the European Union have imposed reciprocal tariffs on the US, while Australia has indicated it will not retaliate.
Some governments are even encouraging consumer boycotts. The Canadian government, for example, has urged citizens to “fight back against the unjustified US tariffs” by purchasing Canadian products and holidaying in Canada.
This rise in calls for boycotts of American brands and companies is unsurprising in the Trump 2.0 era, where the lines between government and corporate America have become increasingly blurred.
Political change by proxy
When people want to protest a government policy, but have no political leverage because they’re not citizens of that country, boycotting corporations or brands gives them a voice. These actions are sometimes called “surrogate” or “proxy” boycotts.
This form of “political consumerism”, where individuals align their consumption choices with their values, is now one of the most common forms of political participation in western liberal democracies.
When France opposed the war in Iraq in 2003, US supporters of the war aimed boycotts at French imports. Consumers in the US, United Kingdom and elsewhere have boycotted Russian goods over the invasion of Ukraine, and targeted Israel over its military action and policies in Gaza and the West Bank.
The current boycotts are not just protesting Trump’s trade war, of course. They are also about the role of unelected leaders from the corporate world, such as Musk and the heads of the Big Tech and social media companies, and their perceived self-interest and influence.
Trump has responded angrily to consumer boycotts, calling the actions against Tesla “illegal”, which they are not. Indeed, political leaders like Trump often argue that consumer action, rather than government regulation, should be relied on to ensure corporations conform to social expectations.
Ukrainians demonstrate in front of the Lukoil headquarters in Belgium over European imports of Russian fossil fuels, 2022. Getty Images
How to wage a personal trade war
Consumer boycotts do create change under certain conditions – typically when there is a contained problem that the targeted corporation has the power to solve.
For example, consumer boycotts against Nestlé in the 1970s over false and dangerous marketing of powdered milk for infants led to changes in the firm’s marketing approaches. Boycotts of Nike products over sweatshop conditions for workers had a direct impact on the company’s bottom line and led to improvements.
Things may still need to improve at Nestlé and Nike, but these boycotts show consumer pressure can catalyse corporate action. However, it is much harder – though not impossible – for boycott campaigns to succeed when the target is a government.
Consumers boycotting American products can amplify the impact of their protest by also lobbying retailers. For example, if enough consumers stop buying a bottle of soft drink from the US, major supermarkets like Woolworths and Foodstuffs will stop buying thousands of bottles.
There are also other ways to “vote with your wallet”. People can engage in “political investorism” by using their power as a shareholder, bank customer or pension-fund member to express their political views.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, for example, investors sought to divest from Russian companies, and superannuation funds were pressured by their members to do the same.
As consumers and investors, individuals can wage a personal trade war, sending a clear message. Trump may not be willing to listen to the leaders of allied nations, but if consumer and investor pressure is sustained and spreads globally, he may yet hear the voice of corporate America.
Erin O’Brien receives funding from the Australian Research Council to examine consumer and investor activism for social change. She is affiliated with the Australian Political Studies Association.
Justine Coneybeer receives funding from the Australian Research Council to investigate ethical investment.
The Albanese Government is building on its recent $1 billion investment to protect the corridor for the South West Sydney Rail Extension by investing $32.5 million to map out other road and rail corridors across the city.
We’re investing $20 million to plan for three future programs:
A preliminary business case for the New Cumberland Line
A preliminary business case for T8 Airport & South and T2 Leppington & Inner West line upgrades
Outer South West Housing Enablement Development Program
Building on the current Cumberland Line on the Sydney rail network, the New Cumberland Line would provide an enhanced north west-south west rail connection, better linking Western Sydney’s major population centres.
The preliminary business case will provide Government with a road map for future investments in transformative north-south rail links to improve public transport between Greater Parramatta, Fairfield, Bradfield and Liverpool.
Upgrades to the T8 Airport & South and T2 Leppington & Inner West rail lines will also be explored, to better connect Sydney’s south west to Parramatta and the harbour CBD.
The Preliminary Business Case will consider investments to upgrade existing rail networks and expand fast, frequent and reliable rail services into Sydney’s Outer South West.
To support this, we’re investing in the Outer South West Housing Enablement Development Program component will support project development on future infrastructure initiatives that enable new housing and improve transport links in outer South West Sydney.
An additional $12.5 million will also be invested to develop Final Business Cases for both the Devonshire Link Road and Bradfield Metro Link Road, critical connections in the Western Sydney International Airport Precinct Road Network. Investing in these business cases delivers on a high priority recommendation of the 2023 Western Sydney Transport Infrastructure Panel Independent Report.
When built, the Bradfield Metro Link Road will link Fifteenth Avenue, Badgerys Creek Road and the Eastern Ring Road. The Australian and NSW governments recently announced a $1 billion joint investment to upgrade Fifteenth Avenue.
Subject to finalisation of the scope, the 3 kilometre long, 45 metre wide road is expected to feature two traffic lanes and two dedicated bus lanes, as well as walking and cycling shared paths on both sides.
The Devonshire Road Link Project is a critical junction that completes the network of road projects, including Mamre Road, Elizabeth Drive, and the M12 Motorway. This vital link will also connect the Mamre Road Precinct, which hosts the Western Sydney Employment Area and the future freight intermodal, to the M12 and the Elizabeth Drive, reducing travel times and improving freight access and connectivity.
Quotes attributable to Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:
“Sydney’s incredible growth has to be matched by an ambitious and well-considered infrastructure pipeline.
“Our final business cases will bed down the future roads the Western Sydney Airport precinct needs to keep people moving.
“We also know a city’s public transport network always needs to evolve to keep pace with how people travel and where they want to go. Our new preliminary business cases on a New Cumberland Line and capacity upgrades on the existing network will provide a roadmap for future rail connections across the city.
“In the early 2010s, when Anthony Albanese was Infrastructure Minister, he was commissioning comprehensive studies on Sydney’s second airport. Today, that airport is nearing completion with freight flights due to start next year, with passenger flights not long after.
“City building takes time, but we know that careful, detailed planning leads to excellent results.”
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG, in Beijing on Saturday, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Commerce.
During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on topics including the German carmaker’s cooperation with China and the European Union (EU)’s anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles (EVs).
Wang pointed out that the unilateral and protectionist actions of certain countries have brought significant uncertainty to the global economy. He emphasized that China hopes to work with the European side to become a pillar of the multilateral trading system, injecting certainty and stability into the world.
The Chinese market remains committed to opening-up, and China’s policies are consistent, Wang said, noting that the Chinese government will advance high-level opening-up and optimize the business environment.
Wang said that properly resolving the EU’s anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese EVs is of significant importance, as it will send a clear and positive signal to the world.
China is committed to resolving differences through dialogue, he said, expressing hope that the German carmaker would continue to play an active role in promoting the European side to demonstrate political will and work with China to find mutually acceptable solutions at an early date.
Zipse emphasized that Europe’s green transformation cannot be achieved without cooperation with China. The company remains optimistic about China’s economic prospects and is confident in its development in the market, he said.
The company is committed to expanding its investment in China and accelerating the localization of production as well as research and development, Zipse added.
He also noted that there are only losers and no winners in a tariff war. The company firmly opposes the EU imposing additional tariffs on Chinese EVs and hopes that both the EU and China can properly resolve their differences, he said.
Source: Australia’s climate in 2024: 2nd warmest and 8th wettest year on record
Today I announce the appointment of Dr Scott Watkins as Chair of the Australia-Korea Foundation (AKF), as well as new board members to support the Foundation’s work.
The AKF works to strengthen economic, strategic and personal links between Australia and the Republic of Korea (ROK).
Dr Watkins has been a Board Member since 2022 and is active in forging networks between Australian and South Korean youth. He is the Chief Sustainability Officer at KISCO, a South Korean chemicals and inks manufacturer, and previously worked for CSIRO.
I am pleased to announce the appointment of three new board members who each bring extensive experience to support the objectives of the AKF:
Professor Gordon Flake, founding CEO of the Perth USAsia Centre
Ms Julianne Lee, Vice President of Voice of Korean Australian Businesses and Director a Rosecello Pty Ltd
Mr Sung Ho Lee, Partner at Johnson Partners.
I have reappointed Ms Robyn Bryant, from Bryant Family Grazing in Southern Queensland, for a second three-year term from March 2025.
I greatly appreciate the efforts of outgoing Chair Peter Coleman and Board Member Ms Karen Halbert for their substantial contribution the Australia-ROK relationship and thank them for their work supporting the AKF.
Today I am also delighted to announce that grants have been awarded to 22 recipients in the 2024-25 AKF Grant Round. These are listed on the AKF website and include:
The Australia-Korea Academic Maritime Security Dialogue in South Korea, convened by La Trobe University and the University of Western Australia, to promote discussions on maritime-related issues in our region.
An Australia-Korea Business Council initiative to connect female leaders in Australia and South Korea through networking and panel discussions, to promote leadership skills, cross-cultural exchanges and mentorships.
Supporting 10 Australian scientists to attend the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists’ Young Scientist Program in South Korea, to enhance bilateral scientific ties.
Applications are now open for the 2025-26 Grant Round. For more information visit the Australia-Korea Foundation.
The Government of Canada has made regulations that cease the application of the federal fuel charge, effective April 1, 2025, and is also removing requirements for provinces and territories to have a consumer-facing carbon price as of that date.
The Government of Canada has made regulations that cease the application of the federal fuel charge, effective April 1, 2025, and is also removing requirements for provinces and territories to have a consumer-facing carbon price as of that date. These actions refocus federal carbon pollution pricing standards on ensuring carbon pricing systems are in place across Canada on a broad range of greenhouse gas emissions from industry. A price on pollution for large emitters will continue to be a pillar of Canada’s plan to build a strong economy and greener future. It is a system that is fair and effective. Industrial carbon pricing is one of the most important greenhouse gas emission reduction policies in the government’s comprehensive Emissions Reduction Plan to bend the curve and meet Canada’s 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target. Carbon pricing systems for industry are also designed to keep costs low to protect against competitiveness risks.
This backgrounder provides details on how removing the consumer carbon price will work and on how the proceeds return mechanisms (including the Canada Carbon Rebate) will be wound down.
Ceasing the Application of the Federal Fuel Charge
The federal fuel charge currently applies in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nunavut and Yukon (referred to as listed provinces). Under the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, the fuel charge generally applies to 21 fossil fuels and combustible waste upon delivery, importation or use in listed provinces.
The federal government removed the fuel charge, effective April 1, 2025, via regulations. It will also be considering broader amendments to the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, including proposed amendments to complete the orderly wind-down of the fuel charge.
After March 31, 2025, the applicable fuel charge rates for all types of fuel and for combustible waste will be set to zero. Therefore, beginning on April 1, 2025, the fuel charge ceases to apply.
The regulations will also cease the application of certain administrative requirements that are no longer necessary. Specifically:
After March 31, 2025, requirements for registered emitters subject to a provincial output-based performance standards system to provide certain information in respect of changes to their facilities to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change will cease to apply. After September 30, 2025, all residual requirements in respect of those registered emitters will cease to apply.
After March 31, 2025, no persons will be required to newly register in respect of any category or any type of fuel. All existing registrations will be cancelled on November 1, 2025.
For reporting periods beginning after March 31, 2025, there will be no requirement to file a return if no positive amount of fuel charge is payable.
The regulations do not affect obligations for reporting periods prior to April 1, 2025. Fuel charge payers are still required to pay amounts owed, continue to be able to claim rebates to which they are entitled, and are subject to assessments and re-assessments in respect of past reporting periods.
Canada Carbon Rebate
The Canada Carbon Rebate was introduced to return direct proceeds from the federal fuel charge to residents of provinces where it applied. With the removal of the federal fuel charge effective April 1, 2025, eligible Canadians will receive a final Canada Carbon Rebate payment, starting April 22.
In provinces where the federal fuel charge currently applies, a family of four will receive up to $456 under the base Canada Carbon Rebate for April 2025 (see table below for specified amounts by province). In addition to the base rebate amounts, a rural top-up of 20 per cent is provided for individuals residing in small and rural communities.
To receive their Canada Carbon Rebate for April 2025, Canadians need to file their 2024 tax return. For Canadians who are registered for direct deposit with the Canada Revenue Agency, the Canada Carbon Rebate will be deposited directly into their bank account; otherwise, the Canada Carbon Rebate will be delivered via cheque. For those who have a spouse or common-law partner, the person who files their tax return first will receive the Canada Carbon Rebate amount for all members of the household, including children.
Table 1 April 2025 Canada Carbon Rebate Amounts, as specified by the Minister of Finance ($)
NL
PEI*
NS
NB
ON
MB
SK
AB
First Adult
149
110
110
165
151
150
206
228
Second Adult
74.50
55
55
82.50
75.50
75
103
114
Each Child
37.25
27.50
27.50
41.25
37.75
37.50
51.50
57
Family of Four
298
220
220
330
302
300
412
456
*As all residents in PEI are considered to be living in a small or rural community, the rural supplement is already included in the base amounts for that province. The amounts for other provinces do not include the rural supplement; those eligible for the supplement will receive 20 per cent more.
Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses
In provinces where the fuel charge currently applies, a portion of fuel charge proceeds from the price on pollution is returned to eligible small- and medium-sized businesses via the Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses, an automatic, refundable tax credit provided directly to eligible businesses.
With the removal of the federal fuel charge effective April 1, 2025, the Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses payment in respect of the 2024-25 fuel charge year will be the final payment to eligible businesses.
The Minister of Finance will specify payment rates to return the previously specified $623.1 million in proceeds for the 2024-25 fuel charge year once sufficient information is available from the 2024 taxation year.
Fuel Charge Proceeds Fund for Indigenous Governments
In provinces where the fuel charge was in place prior to April 1, 2025, a portion of fuel charge proceeds from the price on pollution is being returned to eligible federally recognized Indigenous governments by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) through grant agreements delivered by the Fuel Charge Proceeds Fund for Indigenous Governments (FCPFIG). The FCPFIG offers maximum flexibility for eligible First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments to manage and use their share of fuel charge proceeds towards self-determined priorities.
Following the removal of the federal fuel charge effective April 1, 2025, ECCC will continue to work with eligible recipients to return $531.5 million in proceeds for the 2020-21 to 2024-25 period, consistent with the amounts previously specified by the Minister of Finance. The Government of Canada is committed to establishing the necessary grant agreements and issuing payments through the FCPFIG to eligible Indigenous governments as soon as possible.
Return of Fuel Charge Proceeds to Farmers Tax Credit
Recognizing that many farmers use natural gas and propane in their operations, the federal government provides a refundable tax credit to return fuel charge proceeds to farming businesses that operate in provinces where the federal fuel charge currently applies.
The Minister of Finance has the authority under the Income Tax Act to specify payment rates for eligible farming expenses that are incurred in the 2025 calendar year, which would have corresponded to returns of fuel charge proceeds for the 2025-26 fuel charge year, and the designated provinces in which these payment rates will apply. Those provinces are Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
With the removal of the federal fuel charge effective April 1, 2025, the Return of Fuel Charge Proceeds to Farmers Tax Credit in respect of the 2024-25 fuel charge year will be the final credit available to eligible farming businesses. Consequently, the Minister of Finance has specified the payment rate per $1,000 in eligible farming expenses that are incurred in the 2025 calendar year (in respect of the 2025-26 fuel charge year), in the designated provinces, to be nil.
This nil payment rate replaces the payment rate for the same calendar year (and fuel charge year) that was previously announced on January 10, 2025.
Strengthening Industrial Carbon Pricing
Canada’s Emissions Reduction Plan contains a comprehensive suite of mitigation measures, strategies, and investments, including policies that complement carbon pricing. A price on pollution for large emitters will continue to be a pillar of Canada’s plan to build a prosperous net-zero economy and make progress on climate targets. According to independent estimates, industrial carbon pricing is the climate policy with the single largest contribution to achieving our climate targets, all while helping us transform and grow our economy. The government intends to refocus federal carbon pollution pricing requirements on ensuring carbon pricing systems are in place across Canada on a broad range of greenhouse gas emissions from industry. The government intends to strengthen Canada’s approach to carbon pricing for industry to ensure its continued effectiveness.
The federal government intends to engage with provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples, and stakeholders on changes to the minimum national stringency standards for carbon pollution pricing, known as the federal ‘benchmark’ criteria.
Changes would focus the benchmark on ensuring industrial pricing systems continue to maximize emissions reductions and encourage the transition to low carbon technologies, while protecting industry against competitiveness and carbon leakage impacts. Improving the emissions performance of Canadian industry makes it more efficient and can support its competitiveness as Canada works to diversify its trading relationships and deepen market access, especially in jurisdictions that increasingly value lower emitting goods, such as the European Union.
The goal of the benchmark criteria would continue to be that systems are similarly stringent, fair and effective. The benchmark review will consider opportunities to strengthen industrial carbon markets so that they deliver the incentives needed for major decarbonization projects across industry, while creating jobs and driving investment in the technologies that will shape the clean economies of the future.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Canberrans love their festive lights.
In brief:
Festive light displays are very popular in Canberra.
Being safe and respectful makes things more fun for everyone.
This article includes tips for those who want to enjoy the displays this year.
For many Canberrans, the festive period is their time to shine.
From northside to south, the city hosts many spectacular festive light displays each year. These can bring delight and unify the community.
Enjoying them safely and respectfully makes the experience more fun for everybody.
Here are some top tips for Canberrans keen to enjoy the displays this year. Read on, whether you’re planning your own display or following the lights throughout the ACT.
Tips for organising a festive light display
If you’re planning a significant light display, tell your neighbours ahead of time. Let them know how you will manage any light or noise concerns.
Direct any spotlights or bright lights away from your neighbours’. Be sure to turn off your display at a reasonable time.
If your display makes noise, keep the volume below 45 decibels. If it can be heard at your neighbour’s house, it’s too loud.
Most displays do not need any ACT Government involvement. However, it may be considered a ‘special event’ if:
you’re hosting a big display
encouraging large numbers of visitors
selling food, drink or merchandise.
Think your festive light display may be considered a ‘special event’? Call the Access Canberra Event Coordination and Business Assist team on (02) 6205 4400 or email ACEvents@act.gov.au. You can also visit the Access Canberra website.
Tips for visiting a festive light display
If you’re driving, take care when parking. Parking laws apply in residential areas. Do not park on people’s properties or nature strips. Take care not to block access to neighbouring driveways.
Be aware of fellow motorists, and pedestrians including children and dogs.
Follow the road rules and don’t cause traffic congestion.
Consider using public transport to reach your location. You could also cycle, walk or use a scooter.
Remember, littering of any kind, including cigarette butts, is illegal.
Bringing your dog? Pick up after it and be sure to keep it on-lead except in designated off-leash areas.
Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Additional outdoor dining opportunities will allow more Canberrans to enjoy the warm weather over summer.
The ACT Government is making it even easier for businesses to provide outdoor dining by offering a one-day turnaround on simple applications this summer.
Outdoor dining permits will now allow food businesses to use public space adjacent to their premises, subject to certain conditions being met, while applications for ongoing use are being considered.
The current process has a turnaround of approximately 10 business days, depending on the complexity of the application.
The fast-track permits will provide timely and streamlined processes for applicants, making it easier for existing restaurants, cafés, and other food-based businesses to expand their trading spaces outdoors.
The new scheme forms part of the ACT Government’s broader reform program to improve regulation, making it even easier for businesses to activate public spaces and grow their business.
In addition, more outdoor dining opportunities will allow more Canberrans to enjoy the warm weather over summer.
Outdoor dining permit approval will depend upon availability of public unleased land adjacent to the premise.
Any furniture that is not fixed to the ground will need to be removed outside of operating times.
Access Canberra’s Event Coordination and Business Assist Team is available to help businesses thrive by assisting them to develop and expand their business opportunities as well as to provide a direct contact point to understand current opportunities and flexibility under ACT legislation.
It also provides an initial contact point in government to help navigate business and regulatory requirements.
Businesses or event coordinators can contact the Event Coordination and Business Assist Team directly at ACBusinessTeam@act.gov.au or alternatively by calling 02 6205 4400 between 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Further information and scenarios have been added to the Access Canberra website to inform businesses what is allowed under liquor licensing.
License holders and food businesses will be contacted about opportunities available this summer.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Dr Debbie Saunders, second from right, is the founder and CEO of Wildlife Drones.
Drones and wildlife may seem like an odd coupling, but for conservation ecologist Dr Debbie Saunders, it has proven to be a real winner.
Debbie is the founder and CEO of Wildlife Drones, a local Canberra company established in 2016 that is doing something no one else in the world is doing – tracking wildlife with drone technology.
Her efforts to improve conservation management practices around the world has earnt her a number of accolades, the latest being 2023 Canberra Businesswoman of the Year at the recent Canberra Women in Business Awards.
“Winning this award is pretty amazing, a real highpoint in my career. It’s nice to be recognised,” she said.
But for Debbie, it wasn’t always easy.
“There were a lot of naysayers over the years. People who didn’t really believe in what I was doing. But you can’t worry about that,” she said.
“I have amazing mentors, and a support network in Canberra. You just need to surround yourself with people who lift you up and believe in you.”
Wildlife Drones came about after a struggle to track the humble swift parrot.
“It’s a small animal that moves dynamically across massive landscapes – it’s also critically endangered,” Debbie said.
“My colleagues had tried to track them before. They would catch them, which is a feat in of itself, put a tag on them but when they released them, they never found them again. All of that effort, and they would just fly away.
“So if we wanted to track them, we really needed to find a different way.”
Debbie received an ICON grant to help develop her product (which enabled her to buy her first drone), and took advantage of the many programs and events offered by the Canberra Innovation Network.
Now, Wildlife Drones is the only company in the world providing this kind of technology, and it’s all manufactured in Canberra.
Governments, not-for-profits, zoos, environmental consultants and researchers are using Wildlife Drones’ technology to track everything from giant hornets and Burmese pythons in the US, to koalas and bilbies in Australia.
Debbie says Canberra has been a great place to start up and grow a business, with a supportive innovation ecosystem that has helped her attract investment.
“Being from wildlife background, I wasn’t sure how to do some things, like a business pitch,” she said.
“But it’s amazing how many synergies there are between business and research. And that was the moment it clicked for me – I do this all the time, applying for grants is exactly the same thing.
“I now have an amazing team and work on amazing things. That has been the real game changer, surrounding myself with smart and creative people who are up for the challenge.”
So, what’s next for Wildlife Drones?
“So many things,” laughs Debbie.
“We’re developing a new product and it’s got nothing to do with drones.
“With the new Global Biodiversity Framework that was signed off, and a lot of countries signed up to, businesses are now required to be accountable in terms of biodiversity. There’s an immense amount of data out there that can be used to help businesses and corporations better understand biodiversity and how to monitor and track over time.
“We are developing software to help make use of all that data.
“It’s great to be in a time when biodiversity is front and centre.”
For more information about the Canberra Innovation Network go to the CBRIN website.
Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
GymAware has been awarded 2023 ACT Exporter of the Year at the Chief Minister’s Export Awards. Image: Canberra Airport.
A Canberra business success story that developed a product now used in gyms around the world has been recognised as the ACT Exporter of the Year.
Each year the ACT Chief Minister’s Export Awards celebrate the best and brightest in Canberra’s export industry and showcase the success of local businesses in global markets.
Kinetic Performance Technology (GymAware) was awarded the 2023 ACT Exporter of the Year for their work as a global leader in velocity-based training solutions. A staggering 89 per cent of its sales are exports, with 80 per cent of these to the USA, 10 per cent to the United Kingdom and 6 per cent to France and China.
The company’s RS and FLEX products are designed to help coaches and athletes of all levels measure and track strength training activities in the weight room. This technology has been a part of weight training for professional athletes across a range of sports, helping hundreds of teams and individuals prepare for their career-defining moments on the field.
The company’s systems are used in weight rooms across 65 per cent of all professional sporting teams in the USA, all teams in elite Australian leagues like the NRL and Super Rugby, as well as respected international teams, such as the New Zealand All Blacks.
“I am honoured that GymAware has been recognised as the 2023 ACT Exporter of the Year at the ACT Chief Minister’s Export Awards,” GymAware founder Evan Lawton said.
“GymAware has been a labour of love, and it’s rewarding to see our commitment to excellence being acknowledged in such a meaningful way by our own community in Canberra.”
The ACT Exporter of the Year awards showcased several of emerging and established exporting companies. Category winners included:
Emerging Exporter – Infinity Avionics Pty Ltd
Resources and Energy – Ardexa Pty Limited
Sustainability and Green Economy – The Mullion Group (FLINTpro)
ACT Promising Exporter – Catch the Sun Communications
ACT Promising Exporter – Science Skincare International Pty Ltd
“It was inspiring to see so many businesses with a clear plan for identifying and pursuing valuable export markets – ultimately all Canberrans benefit when local businesses achieve export success,” CEA Technology and ACT Export Awards judge Michael Burton said.
Businesses who are ready to export have access to support through the TradeStart program. Learn more about exporting and the assistance available on the ACT Business website: act.gov.au/business
Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:
PORTLAND, Ore.—Two brothers from Sedona, Arizona, pleaded guilty for conspiring with one another and others to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) out of nearly $109 million in loans intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eric Karnezis, 43, pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring to commit wire fraud. Today, in a separate but related case, Anthony Karnezis, 43, also pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud.
According to court documents, from January 2021 until at least March 2022, Eric Karnezis carried out a scheme whereby he conspired to gather false and fraudulent business information from customers and used the information to submit at least 350 fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications through Blueacorn, a lender service provider, to Capital Plus Financial, a lender participating in the PPP. To facilitate the scheme, Eric Karnezis and his co-conspirators created fictious documents to support the fraudulent loan applications, including false payroll information and tax documents.
In total, Eric Karnezis submitted or caused to be submitted at least 1,300 PPP applications, which together attempted to obtain at least $178 million from Capital Plus Financial, of which approximately $105 million in loans were funded in response to the fraudulent applications. Additionally, Eric Karnezis required applicants to pay a fee for his role in the conspiracy and he received approximately $3 million for submitting the fraudulent applications.
Anthony Karnezis carried out a related scheme through at least March 2022, whereby he conspired with his brother, among others, to gather fraudulent business information from customers and used the information to submit at least 140 fraudulent PPP loan applications, through Blueacorn, to Capital Plus Financial. Based on the false and misrepresented information, more than $3.9 million in loans were funded in response to these fraudulent applications. Anthony Karnezis also required applicants to pay a fee for his role in the conspiracy and he received more than $957,000 for submitting the fraudulent applications.
On August 21, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 23-count indictment charging Eric Karnezis and other defendants with conspiring to commit and committing wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering.
On February 19, 2025, Anthony Karnezis was charged by criminal information with conspiring to commit wire fraud.
Each faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years of supervised release and will both be sentenced on June 20, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut.
As part of their plea agreements, Eric Karnezis agreed to pay between $25 million and $65 million in restitution to their victims, and Anthony Karnezis agreed to pay between $3.5 million and $9.5 million in restitution to their victims. They have also agreed to forfeit any criminally-derived proceeds and property.
This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). It is being prosecuted by Meredith Bateman and Robert Trisotto, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon. Forfeiture proceedings are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Jarett, also of the District of Oregon.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Californians have the right to direct the company to delete their genetic data
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a consumer alert to customers of 23andMe, a genetic testing and information company. The California-based company has publicly reported that it is in financial distress and stated in securities filings that there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue, which is a growing concern. Due to the trove of sensitive consumer data 23andMe has amassed, Attorney General Bonta reminds Californians of their right to direct the deletion of their genetic data under the Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA) and California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA). Californians who want to invoke these rights can do so by going to 23andMe’s website.
“California has robust privacy laws that allow consumers to take control and request that a company delete their genetic data,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Given 23andMe’s reported financial distress, I remind Californians to consider invoking their rights and directing 23andMe to delete their data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company.”
To Delete Genetic Data from 23andMe:
Consumers can delete their account and personal information by taking the following steps:
Log into your 23andMe account on their website.
Go to the “Settings” section of your profile.
Scroll to a section labeled “23andMe Data” at the bottom of the page.
Click “View” next to “23andMe Data”
Download your data: If you want a copy of your genetic data for personal storage, choose the option to download it to your device before proceeding.
Scroll to the “Delete Data” section.
Click “Permanently Delete Data.”
Confirm your request: You’ll receive an email from 23andMe; follow the link in the email to confirm your deletion request.
To Destroy Your 23andMe Test Sample:
If you previously opted to have your saliva sample and DNA stored by 23andMe, but want to change that preference, you can do so from your account settings page, under “Preferences.”
To Revoke Permission for Your Genetic Data to be Used for Research:
If you previously consented to 23andMe and third-party researchers to use your genetic data and sample for research, you may withdraw consent from the account settings page, under “Research and Product Consents.”
Under GIPA, California consumers can delete their account and genetic data and have their biological sample destroyed. In addition, GIPA permits California consumers to revoke consent that they provided a genetic testing company to collect, use, and disclose genetic data and to store biological samples after the initial testing has been completed. The CCPA also vests California consumers with the right to delete personal information, which includes genetic data, from businesses that collect personal information from the consumer.
Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced legislation to help provide stable energy rates and a reliable electric grid to states in the Southwestern Power Administration (SWPA), including Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.
The Southwestern Power Administration Fund Establishment Act would give SWPA the authority to operate on a self-funding, revolving Treasury fund to help provide the administration with a long-term, reliable financing source. This would give SWPA more stable funding in order to lower customer rates, which can be highly volatile due to market demand and weather. Furthermore, this legislation would provide SWPA more clarity to help plan long-term infrastructure improvements and power replacement and allow SWPA to avoid drastic and unnecessary spikes in power rates charged to its wholesale customers in an extreme or multi-year regional drought situation.
“It is critical that Kansans have access to reliable electricity at stable rates, especially during extreme and dangerous weather,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation will provide funding stability that will allow energy providers to make needed infrastructure improvements and prevent Kansans from suffering mass power outages.”
“Kansans – especially our farmers and ranchers – need reliable and affordable power,” said Sen. Marshall. “Consumers have suffered from high energy costs for too long, and this bill will help deliver stable and affordable power while improving our power grid infrastructure. I am proud to stand with Senators Jerry Moran and Josh Hawley in supporting this important legislation.”
“After the devastating tornadoes last weekend that left victims without power for days, Missourians deserve consistent and affordable energy,” said Sen. Hawley. “This legislation will ensure that every Missourian has access to power they can rely on.”
“Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. and its member co-ops have strongly supported the Southwestern Power Fund Establishment Act for its ability to provide appropriated dollars that will improve grid reliability while helping to stabilize rates,” said Lee Tafanelli, CEO, Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. “We thank our home state Sens. Moran and Marshall for bringing forward legislation that will have a positive impact on our rural electric cooperatives and their consumer-members.”
“Federal hydropower is a reliably renewable generation resource,” said Nicki Fuller, Executive Director, Southwestern Power Resources Association. “This legislation recognizes the value of protecting that resource throughout the six-state region, making sure that these important assets are maintained. This legislation would go a long way toward ensuring grid reliability and affordably throughout the region for millions of homes, farms and small businesses. I thank Sens. Moran and Marshall for introducing this important bill that represents good business sense.”
“NRECA supports the Southwestern Power Administration Fund Establishment Act. The self-financed revolving loan fund authorized by this bill would allow the Southwestern Power Administration to better manage infrastructure needs while being more responsive to market conditions and electric demands created by extreme weather events.” – National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
“The American Public Power Association applauds the introduction of the Southwestern Power Fund Establishment Act. Since 1943, not-for-profit public power utilities and rural electric cooperatives have successfully partnered with the Southwestern Power Administration (SWPA) to bring reliable hydropower produced at Army Corps dams to millions of customers in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. While SWPA customers pay all costs of generating and transmitting the electricity in their power rates, a complicated funding process has increasingly failed to provide the financial certainty necessary to steady power rates to customers during drought and extreme weather events. The Southwestern Power Fund Establishment Act would streamline this process in a manner that would help avoid rate spikes and economic hardship for communities served by public power utilities and rural electric cooperatives while continuing to ensure that SWPA customers pay all costs associated with generating and transmitting hydropower produced at Corps dams. It is a win-win for the federal government and communities served by not-for-profit electric utilities.” – American Public Power Association
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) wrote a letter to Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins urging the Trump administration to reverse their decision cancelling the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS), vital programs that support Virginia’s food banks, schools, and other food providers in purchasing food directly from local farms, ranchers and producers.
Across the country, LFPA and LFS boost local economies by allowing states to procure local food and distribute to providers. With USDA’s decision, Virginia alone will lose out on nearly $21 million in federal funding that would directly support the Commonwealth’s farmers, ranchers and other food producers. Already in Virginia, the impact of these abrupt cancellations are felt, with local food banks struggling to make ends meet following the sudden loss of funding.
“LFPA and LFS allow Virginia to procure local food and distribute to providers such as food banks and schools, benefitting producers, those experiencing food insecurity, and local economies,” the senators wrote. “In Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), Virginia was eligible to receive nearly $21 million through LFPA and LFS – including $10.1 million for schools and $3.4 million for childcare facilities – to support 183 farmers in providing fresh produce and other healthy foods to food-insecure households across the Commonwealth. With USDA’s decision to cancel these funds, Virginia farmers are deprived of a crucial market for this season and low-income communities face even greater barriers to access fresh, healthy foods.”
They continued, “Cancelling LFPA and LFS, with the ~$21 million Virginia was to receive in FY25, hurts Virginia farmers, food providers, families, and those working tirelessly to support them.”
A copy of letter is available here and text is below.
Dear Secretary Rollins:
We write to share our serious concerns regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to cancel the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS), both vital programs intended to support Virginia’s food systems by expanding purchases from local producers and distributing that fresh food to underserved communities. We strongly urge you to reverse this decision and continue these programs of great importance to Virginia’s local communities.
LFPA and LFS allow Virginia to procure local food and distribute to providers such as food banks and schools, benefitting producers, those experiencing food insecurity, and local economies. In Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), Virginia was eligible to receive nearly $21 million through LFPA and LFS – including $10.1 million for schools and $3.4 million for childcare facilities – to support 183 farmers in providing fresh produce and other healthy foods to food-insecure households across the Commonwealth. With USDA’s decision to cancel these funds, Virginia farmers are deprived of a crucial market for this season and low-income communities face even greater barriers to access fresh, healthy foods.
Communities across the Commonwealth work with USDA and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to ensure LFPA and LFS funding has the maximum impact among families, farmers, and local economies. In the first year of LFPA, for example, over 100 local producers were supported, providing over 100,000 Virginians with fresh, healthy food. This is fresh, nutritious produce for food-insecure families that often cannot afford healthy food, all while providing local farmers a dependable market for their products. Cancelling LFPA and LFS, with the ~$21 million Virginia was to receive in FY25, hurts Virginia farmers, food providers, families, and those working tirelessly to support them.
Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.
Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced three appointments to the Missouri Sentencing Advisory Council and the appointment of a new Atchison County Treasurer.
Roye Cole, of Rogersville, was appointed to the MissouriSentencing Advisory Commission.
Mr. Cole has served as Sheriff of Webster County since 2008 and has been a certified police officer since 2003. He previously worked as a deputy juvenile officer for the State of Missouri and as a security guard at Drury University. Cole holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Criminology and a Master of Business Administration from Drury University, with expertise in leadership, management, and economics.
Amanda Grellner, of Linn, was appointed to the MissouriSentencing Advisory Commission.
Ms. Grellner has served as the prosecuting attorney for Osage County since 2002. In addition to her prosecutorial work, Grellner has held leadership roles in various organizations such as the Community Health Center of Central Missouri, Missouri Association of Treatment Court Professionals, Rape and Abuse Crisis Service, and the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri School of Law.
Kurt D. Marquart, of Lee’s Summit, was appointed to the MissouriSentencing Advisory Commission.
Mr. Marquart is a retired attorney, and has operated a private law practice since 1991. Before practicing law, he served as a Missouri State Highway Patrolman. Marquart is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Missouri Bar Association, and the Knights of Columbus. He also serves as a director for the Missouri Association of State Troopers Emergency Relief Society (MASTERS). He earned his Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement from Southeast Missouri State University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.
Tasha Zach, of Rock Port, was appointed as the Atchison County Treasurer.
Ms. Zach is currently filling the vacant county treasurer position, having been appointed by the county commission in December of 2024. She previously served as an accounts payable deputy and the election deputy in the Atchison County clerk’s office for over nine years. Ms. Zach holds an Office Information Systems Technology certificate from Iowa Western Community College.
Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, along with 26 of their Senate colleagues, recently called on President Trump to reverse the illegal firing of Commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
“This action contradicts long standing Supreme Court precedent, undermines Congress’s constitutional authority to create bipartisan, independent commissions, and upends more than 110 years of work at the FTC to protect consumers from deceptive practices and monopoly power,” the senators wrote.
“We urge you to rescind these dismissals so the FTC can get back to the people’s work.”
On Tuesday, the Trump administration fired two Democratic FTC commissioners, violating the independence of the agency, which was established in 1914 to enforce consumer protection and antitrust laws. In 2024 alone, the FTC returned $337.3 million to consumers.
The FTC consists of five commissioners, each nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Historically, no more than three commissioners can be from the same political party. Longstanding Supreme Court precedent protects FTC commissioners from being fired by the president over policy disagreements.
Hickenlooper serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy, which oversees the FTC.
Hickenlooper recently condemned the firings on Twitter/X saying:
“Firing two FTC commissioners without cause is illegal and threatens consumers. It puts the FTC’s independence and ability to protect Americans at risk. This sets a dangerous precedent that could raise costs for consumers.”
Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:
Dear President Trump,
On March 18, 2025 you announced your intention to fire Commissioner Slaughter and Commissioner Bedoya from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This action contradicts long standing Supreme Court precedent, undermines Congress’s constitutional authority to create bipartisan, independent commissions, and upends more than 110 years of work at the FTC to protect consumers from deceptive practices and monopoly power. We urge you to rescind these dismissals so the FTC can get back to the people’s work.
Congress established the FTC in 1914 as an independent agency made up of bipartisan, multi-member, expert commissioners who are tasked with protecting consumers. In 2024 alone, the FTC used this authority to return more than $330 million to consumers, while simultaneously blocking anticompetitive mergers and challenging monopoly power that can result in higher prices, fewer choices, and less opportunity for American consumers, workers, and small businesses. The FTC has consistently carried out this mandate as a bipartisan commission under Republican and Democratic administrations.
When establishing the FTC, Congress lawfully exercised its power to establish a bipartisan, multi-member, expert commission and to shield that commission from political pressure by allowing commissioners to serve 7-year terms and limiting the President’s power to remove commissioners only “for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.” Under the law, as you are aware, the President retains the sole authority to nominate new commissioners and to appoint the Chair of the Commission. The President may also appoint a new Chair among the sitting commissioners at any time.
Ninety years ago, the Supreme Court held that Congress’s authority to create bipartisan, multi-member, expert commissions—and specifically the FTC—“cannot well be doubted” because “it is quite evident that one who holds his office only during the pleasure of another cannot be depended upon to maintain an attitude of independence. . . .” In a 2020 decision involving whether Congress could insulate the single director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) from at-will removal by the President, the Supreme Court declined to revisit this precedent, finding important differences between the CFPB and the FTC, including that the FTC has multiple expert members to ensure the Commission retains relevant expertise at all times, that each President can influence the makeup of the Commission by nominating new members and appointing the Chair (as you have already done), and that the Commission is funded through the traditional appropriations process that the President may influence.
As such, the structure of the FTC does not undermine executive authority and is well within Congress’s power to establish independent agencies tasked with protecting Americans from harmful business practices, fraud, and outright corruption. As Commissioners duly appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, Commissioners Slaughter and Bedoya must be allowed to continue their work at the Commission.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Thor Diesendorf, founder and owner of Thor’s Hammer which makes use of recycled timber.
The ACT Government is providing a plan to create new jobs and develop innovative sustainable businesses by delivering Canberra’s first Circular Economy Strategy and action plan.
The new circular economy strategy recognises benefits of supporting businesses that reduce waste, while supporting solutions to product development and investment.
Through the strategy and plan, the Government wants to give businesses the tools they need to support more sustainable jobs, create stronger supply chains that reduce waste, and make the most of materials.
The strategy and action plan aims to achieve this across a broad range of industries, from technology and hardware, right through to food waste and building products.
It also addresses land use for businesses that might need to process materials that support resource recovery or to help design waste out of our systems in the first place.
The strategy identifies six areas of the economy to lead first efforts:
Food and garden organics
The built environment
Emerging and problematic waste streams
Consumer goods
A circular economy innovation precinct
Procurement, skills, and governance.
Importantly this strategy is backed by a series of individual action plans, which outline specific objectives of Government, industry, business and our community.
Major reforms have already started to improve resource recovery outcomes for the region.
This includes the bulky waste pick-up service, building a new materials recycling facility, a food organics collection service pilot and the ACT container deposit scheme.
Canberrans are also demonstrating leadership in growing the circular economy, with some great initiatives such as repair cafes, Community Toolbox Canberra, Lids for Kids and thriving second-hand markets.
Once the strategy is in place across a broad range of industries, the ACT Government aims to make further changes to supply chains and education, and help make jobs and businesses more innovative, sustainable, equitable, fair, and profitable.
Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Downer Community Centre recently received a rebate to replace gas heating with efficient reverse cycle heating.
ACT small businesses can now access rebates of up to $10,000 to help transition their workplaces and work practices away from fossil-fuel gas to efficient electric appliances.
The rebates will support businesses to be more sustainable, in reducing both their emissions and operating costs.
Small to medium business can take advantage of the rebate, to upgrade to efficient electric appliances.
The rebates can pay for up to half the upfront cost of upgrading.
The ACT Government’s Sustainable Business Program complements the new rebate. The program provides expert advice at no cost, helping businesses identify areas of their business they can improve and act in the smartest, most cost-effective way.
The Downer Community Centre is using the new rebate to switch from gas heating to efficient reverse cycle heating. This change will help them save $1900 per year in bills and two tonnes per year of CO2 emissions.
ACT businesses with fewer than 20 employees are eligible for up to $10,000 in support through energy efficiency rebates.
The maximum rebate for electric-to-electric upgrades is $5,000 (incl GST), while fossil-fuel gas-to-electric upgrade rebates are capped at $10,000 (including GST).
Source: United States Small Business Administration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Wyoming of the April 21, 2025, deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the drought beginning Aug. 19, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the counties of Albany, Goshen, Laramie and Platte in Wyoming, as well as Larimer and Weld counties in Colorado, and Banner and Kimball counties in Nebraska.
Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs impacted by financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than April 21.
###
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Iowa of the April 21, 2025, deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the severe storms and tornadoes occurring April 26-27, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the counties of Clarke, Crawford, Harrison, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Shelby and Union.
Under the declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to PNPs providing non-critical services of a governmental nature impacted by financial losses directly related to the disaster. Examples of eligible non-critical PNPs include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“SBA loans help eligible small businesses cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 3.25% and terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than April 21.
###
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
I am delighted to participate in this year’s Annual Conference of the RBI Ombudsmen. The Reserve Bank has been organising this conference on or around the World Consumer Rights Day, that is, 15th March. World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated every year with the aim of raising global awareness about consumer rights and needs. We organise this conference to reflect on our achievements with regard to consumer services and to deliberate on how to improve services and reduce grievances. We need to improve consumer services, not only because it is our duty to do so, but because it is in our selfish interest to do so. In this age of competition, we would not survive long if we do not provide quality service to our consumers.
2. We have made tremendous strides in improving consumer services over the years. We have enabled internet banking and mobile banking. Most of the banking services, be it opening a deposit account, or taking a small loan have been digitised, adding to the convenience and speed. We are making record number of digital transactions through UPI and other means of digital payments. Many among the younger generation may have never visited a bank branch. We have even enabled opening of accounts using video KYC.
3. While we have enhanced customer experience over the years, the high number of customer grievances continues to be a matter of serious concern. I am told that last year (2023-24), the 95 Scheduled Commercial Banks alone received over 10 million complaints from their customers. If we take into account the complaints received at other RBI-regulated entities (REs), the number would be even higher. One may argue that this amounts to only four complaints per thousand accounts per year as there are about 2.5 billion bank accounts. But, for us, even one complaint is a cause of concern. We have 10 million complaints and with the rapidly growing customer base and expanding suite of products, this may grow, if we do not get our act together.
Customer satisfaction – a cornerstone for banking and other financial services
4. Excellent customer service, in fact excellent customer experience is a sine qua non in any service industry. Our effort should be to enhance the total customer experience. The experience should be such that there is no cause for a grievance that requires a redress. Let me state a fundamental truth: every complaint is a test of trust. When a consumer files a grievance – whether for a disputed transaction, a lapse in service, inappropriate pricing or charges or an unfair practice – it is a signal that our system has fallen short. Left unresolved, such issues can erode consumer confidence and tarnish the entire ecosystem.
5. I am reminded of a real story about customer service. Some of you, especially the management graduates, may have heard it but it is so appropriate for today’s theme that it is worth being retold. In the winter of 1975, in a town in Alaska, a man walked into a store and complained to the salesman present that the snow tyres that he bought some time ago were not holding. The salesman was a little puzzled. He said that he could not replace them but will check what he could do and went to the back of the store. Those of you, who have visited departmental stores in the USA, would know that refunds are processed at the back of the store. The salesman came back after some time and handed over some cash as refund and the customer left satisfied. Can anyone guess why this was unique, as no questions asked policy for refunds is fairly common in the USA? It is because the company in question is Nordstrom which does not even sell tyres. It sells apparel and shoes. But, for Nordstrom, customer comes first. Trusting him and winning his trust is more important than anything else.
6. Some say that this is not a true story. How is this possible? How could a company offer refund for a product which it never sold? Nordstrom, however, insists that this incident did take place. Nordstrom had acquired three stores from another company that sold miscellaneous articles including tyres. The customer did not realise that the store had changed and walked in with his complaint. The key message is that Nordstrom saw itself being in the business of customer service, and not just selling goods. We too need to realise that we are in the business of providing unalloyed customer service and not just selling banking and other financial services.
Top management to accord priority to customer service
7. I am sure you will all agree that we are indeed in the business of customer service. However, I suspect that we are not spending enough time on customer service and grievance redressal as a result of which not only are there a large number of complaints being received by banks and NBFCs but in the absence of satisfactory resolution, a large number of them are getting escalated to RBI Ombudsmen.
8. Let me give you some perspective. The number of complaints received under RBI’s Integrated Ombudsman Scheme increased at a compounded average growth rate of almost 50 per cent per year over last two years to 9.34 lakh in 2023-24. The number of complaints processed at the Office of RBI Ombudsman increased by 25 per cent from about 2,35,000 in 2022-23 to almost 2,94,000 in 2023-24. Not only are large number of complaints getting escalated, a large proportion of them – nearly 57 per cent of the maintainable complaints last year – required mediation or formal intervention by the RBI Ombudsmen. You would all agree that this is a highly unsatisfactory situation and needs our urgent attention.
9. I would, therefore, strongly urge all the MD&CEOs, Zonal and Regional Managers and the Branch Managers to spend some time every week, if not every day on grievance redressal. This is a must. All great CEOs find time to do it. We too must keep some time in our diary for improving customer service and grievance redressal.
Improving customer service systems
10. Customer complaints aren’t a nuisance – they are in fact opportunities to improve, innovate, and build trust. Handling them well can define your success. Each unresolved grievance is a missed opportunity for regulated entities to reaffirm customer trust and loyalty. It is also a warning signal as repeat complaints are often signs of systemic flaws. Today, complaints often surface on social media even before reaching official channels, highlighting the need for proactive measures.
11. The effort thus should be to not only resolve the complaints but also to ensure that the same type of complaint does not arise again. Many of the complaints like digital transaction disputes, unauthorized charges, or miscommunication frequently recur. These are clearcut symptoms of underlying issues in the overall customer service framework of the regulated entities. A thorough root cause analysis should be performed for each complaint so as to enable remedial action and avoid repetition of same type of complaint.
12. In fact, I would go a step further. Best service is not one in which there is no occasion for grievance redressal but one in which there is no occasion for the customer service department to step in. Systems should work seamlessly and conveniently so that customers do not have to call the branch or the customer service centre or talk to anyone in the Bank or NBFC. Systems have to be so user-friendly that customers can rely on self-service rather than being dependent on anyone else.
Improving internal grievance redressal systems
13. While improving systems to reduce grievances is important, setting up a robust grievance redressal system is equally important for all regulated entities. I would urge you all to review the same. While the regulations do not make any prescription for the organisational structure for grievance redressal, my experience suggests that there should be at least two levels for grievance redressal in large REs, with unresolved grievances getting escalated from the lower to the higher level. The highest level should be at a fairly high rank. This to ensure that requests do not get rejected without having been examined by a senior functionary who is empowered to take decisions in consumer interest. This will help reduce grievances getting escalated to the Ombudsman. It must also be ensured that there are sufficient number of grievance redress officers at all levels including in the Internal Ombudsman office.
14. I would also like to draw your attention to the misclassification of complaints as requests, queries, and disputes by the regulated entities. This results in the complainants’ grievances remaining unaddressed. Moreover, this is also a gross regulatory violation.
Major areas of service improvement
15. Let me now briefly allude to some of the major areas where we need to improve. These relate to KYC, digital frauds, mis-selling, and aggressive recovery practices.
16. As for KYC, we need to ensure that once a customer has submitted documents to a financial institution, we do not insist on obtaining the same documents again. Once the customer has updated his details, for example, his residential address, with one regulated entity of any financial sector regulator, it gets updated in CKYCR and other REs are notified of the updation. PML Rules made by the Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance and RBI’s Master Directions on KYC mandate regulated entities to check the CKYCR system before seeking KYC documents for opening an account. However, most banks and NBFCs have not enabled the same in their branches/business outlets, causing avoidable inconvenience to customers. This may be facilitated early. This will be in the interest of all.
17. Another important issue connected to customer protection is rising digital frauds. It is a matter of great concern that innocent customers continue to fall prey to scamsters. While this could be attributed to rise in digital transactions and innovative methods adopted by fraudsters, lack of customer awareness is also a major reason for the same. To mitigate this menace, REs not only need to put in place robust internal controls but also enhance digital financial literacy.
18. The issues of mis-selling and aggressive recovery practices have been highlighted earlier too. In this context too, I would request you to keep consumer interest supreme.
Embracing technology – the AI way
19. Let me now come to the theme of this year’s conference: AI’s potential to revolutionize grievance redressal. We are entering an exciting era where technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), can drive remarkable improvements in speed, accuracy, and fairness of complaint resolution.
20. AI can help categorize incoming complaints by urgency, complexity, or subject area, ensuring minimal delay in reaching the right people or the right team. AI can also help in optimising complaint routing. Further, it can assist in decision-making and reducing processing time.
21. Secondly, AI can be used to pinpoint systemic gaps by analysing both structured and unstructured data such as emails, chat logs, and call transcripts. This will aid in identifying training needs and guiding necessary process reforms. Using data from millions of consumer branch visits, call centre logs, mobile apps, and social media, a unified, AI-driven view of all these interactions can help identify common pain points more efficiently. Leveraging data analytics, sentiment analysis, and predictive models, AI can be used to analyse large volumes of data to detect spikes in issues – such as ATM failures or erroneous charges – and alert REs pre-emptively.
22. Lastly, in a linguistically diverse country like India, AI-driven chatbots and voice recognition tools can eliminate language barriers by operating in local languages. Moreover, the implementation of conversational AI in chatbots, voicebots, and advanced IVR systems can handle routine queries round the clock, thereby freeing people to focus on cases that require empathy and complex problem-solving.
23. In short, integrating AI at every stage – from complaint lodging to closure – can result in a seamless, efficient, and data-driven grievance redressal system. Such a framework not only reduces processing times and addresses repetitive complaints but also fosters equitable outcomes by mitigating human biases. It is time that the banking industry explores and pioneers the integration of technology – including AI – to strengthen the grievance resolution mechanisms and make it best in class across the globe.
Challenges and guardrails in AI driven grievance redressal system
24. While AI presents unparalleled opportunities, we need to be cognizant of the challenges and risks that its adoption poses. There are concerns on data privacy, algorithmic bias and complexity in AI-driven models. As we embrace AI in grievance redressal or any other process, we must also remain mindful of ethical considerations. Human oversight, bias mitigation and data privacy must be integrated into the AI Systems to ensure transparent and consistent outcomes.
Investing in human resources
25. While technology in all its forms is a powerful enabler, I would like to emphasise that it is no substitute for integrity, empathy, and human judgment. In a world increasingly driven by data, algorithms, and automation, it is all too easy to lose sight of the human element. Every transaction represents not just a number in a ledger, but the hard-earned savings of a family, the dreams of a small entrepreneur, or the lifelong savings of a senior citizen. It is, therefore, critical that REs continue to invest in human resources dedicated for customer service and grievance redressal. It is essential to invest in training of staff, especially in behavioural aspects of customer service. Moreover, the staff needs to be empowered to take decisions based on their judgement to redress consumer grievances, enhance customer satisfaction and win consumer trust.
RBI as a facilitator
26. In the end, I would like to assure you that, while we exhort you to provide services efficiently to customers, we in the Reserve Bank shall also provide various services, approvals, clarifications, etc. to the regulated entities in a timely manner. We already have a citizen’s charter. We are in the process of reviewing the charter. We will make the charter comprehensive to include all services that we offer either to the REs or directly to citizens. Moreover, we are reviewing the timelines for each service. It will be our endeavour to provide all approvals, etc. within the timelines. We are also making mandatory the use of PRAVAAH, which is RBI’s secure and centralised web-based portal for any individual or entity to seek authorisation, license or regulatory approval on any reference made to the Reserve Bank in a timely manner. This will help us in expediting the disposal of applications received by the Reserve Bank.
Conclusion
27. We stand at a pivotal juncture as India looks to realise its dream of a more resilient and inclusive Viksit Bharat. With the financial sector touching the lives of almost the entire population, we have a critical role. To succeed in this role, we must continue to enhance customer service and customer protection.
What is your technology, what is innovative about it, and how will it change the world? These are the initial questions the innovation management team at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) asks researchers when they have new inventions with commercialization potential.
Researchers submit their innovative ideas as records of invention (ROI) or software records, thus initiating a collaborative review and discussion with members of NREL’s Technology Transfer Office and Office of General Counsel. Technologies that pass muster and show potential for measurable market impacts may move on to the multiyear process with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to secure the patent rights necessary to bring yesterday’s ideas into today’s practical use.
In Fiscal Year 2024, researchers at NREL submitted a record-breaking 294 innovations, representing potentially patentable inventions or copyrightable software. This remarkable level of innovation productivity resulted in 46 awarded U.S. patents and 12 NREL-enabled startup companies—an unprecedented amount of growth for this DOE laboratory focused on integrated energy solutions for an affordable and secure energy future.
To Eric Payne, licensing executive lead for the tech transfer office, NREL’s record year signals that researchers are more engaged than ever before in the commercialization process as a means for their research to have impact.
“NREL scientists are among the most inventive in the national lab system, and this record year reflects their continued dedication to having commercial impacts in the U.S. energy economy,” Payne said.
A subtle, yet crucial, distinction about patents, Payne explained, is that they are “a snapshot back in time” of the research NREL was conducting three to five years ago.
“Patent issuances are actually a lagging indicator of innovation, because if you think about the timeline, a researcher will first file an ROI. We typically file a patent application about six to 12 months after that, and then the patent application is pending within the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for at least two to five years,” Payne said.
The process can sometimes take even longer, partly due to the volume of applications received at the U.S. Patent Office and partly due to the complexity of the technology itself. The more complicated the technology, the more time it takes for a patent application to be examined, with NREL’s team of patent attorneys expertly navigating the prosecution process. Because research at the laboratory is often early stage, researchers will typically use this waiting period to continue developing their technologies toward market readiness.
In the case of FY 2024, the “oldest” awarded patent originated from an ROI submitted in 2014, though most patents were initiated in 2019 or later.
So, what was cutting edge at NREL five years ago? In short: NREL’s origins as a solar research institute still shine, accompanied by advances in wind, hydropower, geothermal, and bioenergy fields. The patents overwhelmingly represent improvements in the efficiency of energy systems and manufacturing processes to make technology easier to scale and cheaper to use. New materials and advanced composites were introduced, and methods that reduce the amount of energy needed to power everyday lives were proposed.
Protecting Power Grids From Cyberattacks
With the rise of new technologies, power grids are becoming more vulnerable to advanced malware capable of infiltrating a utility company and toggling the on/off switch of electricity for millions of customers at once, remotely.
Joshua Rivera and Vivek Kumar Singh, two researchers at NREL’s Cybersecurity Research Center, aim to get ahead of these threats by exploring how modern cybersecurity concepts—like cloud-based programs, process automation, and even artificial intelligence—can be applied to the energy grid to make it more resilient.
This thought led to the Cybersecurity Research Center’s first patent, issued in February 2024, titled “Network visualization, intrusion detection, and network healing.” Rivera and Kumar Singh are coinventors along with NREL’s Adarsh Hasandka and Joshua Van Natta.
The patent proposes a system that detects, visualizes, and mitigates anomalies in power grids automatically. The system’s rapid response lies in the rule-based, model-based, and AI-driven methods it was developed with. By comparing incoming data to preestablished models, plotted by the team, the system can immediately trigger corrective actions when disruptions are found.
Vivek Kumar Singh (presenting) describes the NREL-patented tool for protecting power grids. Photo from Vivek Kumar Singh, NREL
The team’s ROI for the technology was initiated in 2019, “at the right place and the right time,” according to Rivera and Kumar Singh.
“In 2019, we were trying to capture the moment; we were forecasting that people were really going to care about AI,” Rivera added. “Terms like virtualization, software-defined networking, automation, and orchestration are common in IT and cloud security for ensuring resilience. So, we set out to adapt those philosophies with these new detection methodologies and apply them specifically to power systems. By combining them, we realized we could create something truly novel at the time.”
As electrical grids become more connected and vulnerable to online threats, cybersecurity is now a core component of energy systems rather than an afterthought. To refine and bring technologies like this patent to market, the team said that partnerships and collaborations will be essential.
“This patent required a diverse team of people with different domain expertise and different capabilities,” Rivera said. “The more collaboration and involvement we get from others, the more likely we can build something that will be successful.”
Matereal’s NIPU Foam Replaces Traditional Polyurethane
For retired NREL researcher Phil Pienkos, his renewable, nontoxic polyurethane product, trademarked as Polaris, came closer to commercialization in FY 2024 with a new patent for the technology.
Developed with Tao Dong and Lieve Laurens of NREL, Pienkos’ non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) foam can be made from readily available oils, such as linseed or soybean oil, as well as oils derived from algae or food waste. It is synthesized without petroleum-based chemicals and isocyanates: hazardous chemicals that are known to cause irritation, asthma, and severe lung issues. And its end product offers both recyclable and biodegradable options for polyurethane used in everything from textiles, automotive interiors, mattress cushioning, and more.
Phil Pienkos (right) holds a prototype of his non-isocyanate polyurethane material, while Eric Payne (left) holds the patent license agreement that helped Pienkos form his company, Matereal. Photo from Eric Payne, NREL
This latest patent, “Non-isocyanate polyurethane products and methods of making the same,” specifically addresses the method of making NIPU foam. By increasing the reaction speed between amines and cyclic carbonates, the building blocks of the material, researchers have made NIPU foam synthesis more comparable to conventional polyurethane production, which is crucial for uptake by industry partners.
“It’s got regulation push. It’s got market pull,” Pienkos said of the opportunities for commercialization. “It’s got everything.”
As of summer 2024, Pienkos’ startup company, Matereal, had completed a round of seed funding, raising $4.5 million to continue Polaris’ development after early partnerships with brands like Patagonia, the outdoor company, and Tempur Sealy, the mattress company.
Ocean Wave Energy Converters Make a Splash
Two patents issued in the last fiscal year centered on marine energy and the conversion of the ocean’s waves into “something more useful,” said Blake Boren, a senior engineer on NREL’s water power research and development team—be it electricity or desalinating seawater into drinkable fresh water.
Boren was a lead researcher on the patent titled “Flexible wave energy converter,” also known as a flexWEC, a device that can bend, flex, and/or stretch to generate electricity from ocean waves. Where traditional wave energy converters are typically rigid and move within one degree of freedom, a flexWEC is innately able to move in several degrees of freedom and can therefore interact with a broader range of ocean wave periods and frequencies than what would otherwise be directly possible. With many small energy transducers embedded across the device, instead of concentrated at central point, the flexWEC can better adapt to changing wave environments and continue operating even if some transducers fail.
A prototype of the inflatable pump Jenne built in his garage. Photo by Scott Jenne, NREL
“If a couple of the smaller energy transducers fail, it’s not ideal, but the overall energy conversion structure should largely still operate as intended, and in that way, flexible wave energy converters could be more robust than a more conventional WEC,” Boren said.
The flexWEC is an ocean wave energy converter based on distributed embedded energy converter technologies (DEEC-Tec), a new type of marine energy innovation that was patented in September 2022 by Boren and Jochem Weber, chief engineer for NREL’s water power program, also named on the new patent.
Dale “Scott” Jenne’s FY 2024 patent, “Inflatable pressure absorption wave actuated pump,” also described a wave energy converter, though based on a different mechanism than the flexWEC. After six years of working on desalination technologies, Jenne—a multidisciplinary research engineer on the water power team—noticed a common theme.
“Almost every wave energy converter that I had worked with or analyzed was, in some way, pumping a fluid. And a lot of companies earlier on were using what we call hydraulic systems: a piston that is pushing up and down, then that motion runs a motor, which can then run a generator,” Jenne said.
But hydraulic systems are expensive, prone to leaks, and rely on rigid parts like gearboxes that could break over time, leading Jenne to question, “How do you simplify that process and make a system that pumps water with the simplest mechanism possible?”
The result, a prototype Jenne built in his garage with $150 of supplies, is a modified version of a diaphragm pump that relies on the kinetic energy of a moving wave to pressurize a bag. Squeezing the bag then forces air through a column to generate electricity. The inflatable pump has no moving parts and reduces the complexity of mechanical systems with hydraulic seals. And the prototype’s low-cost build implies the technology could be scaled inexpensively.
NREL researchers Blake Boren and Stephen Chamot (from left to right), with Isabel Hess, a Ph.D. student from the University of Florida, do final checks to the distributed embedded energy conversion technology (DEEC-Tec) equipment before testing it in the Wave Tank at the NREL Flatirons Campus. Photo by Gregory Cooper, NREL
In December 2024, Jenne’s team applied for a Technology Commercialization Fund grant from DOE to advance the inflatable pump for high-pressure scenarios, like those needed for desalination.
In both cases, the flexWEC and the inflatable pump hold promise for generating energy from the harsh environment of ocean waves, particularly in areas affected by hurricanes or in remote coastal areas that lack reliable infrastructure. Ocean wave energy has unique advantages in niche applications like those, filling in gaps where wind and solar renewables are less effective. Demonstrating that WECs can succeed in smaller-scale systems—such as powering oceanographic sensors for data collection, desalinating seawater, or supplying energy to microgrids in island communities—could build momentum for larger-scale applications of marine renewable energy technologies in the future.
Solar Panels, Minus the Lengthy Setup
Innovations in solar energy technologies represented a majority of the patents NREL acquired in FY 2024, mirroring the growing role solar plays in the global electricity market at-large. As the most abundant renewable resource, solar is predicted to account for 40% of the U.S. electricity supply by 2035 and 45% by 2050.
One standout solar technology comes from researchers Bryon Larson and Obadiah Reid of NREL’s chemistry and nanoscience program. Their patent, “Microwave photoconductance spectrometer and methods of using the same,” describes a technique to analyze materials used in photovoltaics (PV) quickly and efficiently, without needing to build a full solar panel device first.
The device could help solar panel manufacturers implement real-time quality control monitoring on production lines and facilitate more efficient research on PV materials beyond silicon. Where traditional silicon solar panels have established metrics for quality, new materials, such as perovskites, are less well characterized and require more meticulous processing to achieve optimal performance.
Reid and Larson’s spectrometer works by aiming microwaves at a film of semiconducting material. When the waves bounce back, they are carrying information about the material’s quality at high speed, allowing manufacturers to adjust factors to improve the material’s conductivity in real-time. The spectrometer is built to incorporate into a future where solar panels are manufactured on a roll-to-roll press akin to a newspaper printing press.
“The technique is contactless, so you are essentially pointing a probe at a running web of material that is moving very rapidly,” Larson said. “The faster you run the printing press, the higher the yields in solar panel production—per hour, day, or year. That’s important because, in a manufacturing setting, the less downtime you have, the more likely you’ll be profitable.”
After the ROI was filed in 2018, DOE selected Reid and Larson’s spectrometer for its Small Business Innovation Research grants where industry competed to advance the technology. Oregon-based Tau Science Corporation adapted the team’s research tool into a commercial prototype, and along the way, Reid and Larson made the technology even better. Though their original spectrometer is 1,000 times more sensitive than traditional methods, today’s version is even more precise, enabling research into higher-quality perovskites, cadmium telluride, and other trending semiconducting materials.
Chemistry researchers Bryon Larson (left) and Obadiah Reid demonstrate a commercial prototype of their microwave spectrometer. Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL
Reid predicts that as the solar industry adopts roll-to-rolling printing—projected to be a $50 billion annual market in the next two decades—the microwave spectrometer will naturally transition to industrial applications.
“I have pretty high hopes that it will be adopted by research laboratories because it is super useful as a way of characterizing the material you’re making before going all the way to a full device,” Reid said. “If that happens, if the people developing the materials are trained with this particular technique, they’re going to want that same feedback in their systems when they join industry.”
These and NREL’s remainingpatents from FY 2024 have been added to an ever-expanding portfolio of technologies that Payne’s office is managing, including 750 patented technologies and 700 commercial and open-source software records. Each invention isavailable for licensingthrough NREL’s Technology Transfer Office.
The latest trends in global supply chains will be the focus of a three day event hosted by the University of Aberdeen Business School this summer.
From exploring the use of AI and Blockchain, understanding supply vessel logistics and establishing new supply chains in emerging markets; through to raising awareness of the environmental, social and governance requirements in value chain planning, the event is part a new MBA Residential series.
Supported by the Development Trust Student Experience Fund, it will bring together MBA students from Aberdeen, Qatar and those studying online for a comprehensive programme of lectures and on-site industry visits.
In addition to visiting the National Decommissioning Centre, ANM Group and Peterhead Port Authority, delegates will hear from speakers including Rex Gu, Global Head of Finance, Contract Logistics and E-Commerce Logistics at A.P. Moller – Maersk; Alan Buhamba, Executive Assistant to the Minister of Energy in the Government of Uganda; Cyril Bruce-Cathline, New Business Management for Europe and Africa at Fugro; and Yingli Wu, Managing Director (China) at Wrist Ship Supply. They will also be joined by Russell Borthwick, Chief Executive of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce.
This event provides a unique opportunity for students across the MBA cohort to network, engage and enhance their understanding of supply chain resilience directly from industry.” John Storm, Director of MBA Programmes at the Business School
“In today’s interconnected world, supply chain resilience is not just a strategic advantage but a necessity,” said John Storm, Director of MBA Programmes at the Business School and event moderator.
“The challenges of geopolitical instability, resource scarcity and technological integration demand agile and adaptable networks. Yet, these very challenges also present opportunities for innovation, sustainability, and enhanced collaboration, paving the way for more resilient and efficient global supply chains.
“This event provides a unique opportunity for students across the MBA cohort to network, engage and enhance their understanding of supply chain resilience directly from industry.”
Supply Chain Resilience in the Age of ESG takes place at the University of Aberdeen’s King’s College campus from 4-6 June 2025. Free to attend, register to express your interest here.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, pursuant to EO 14210, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced its plans for an agency-wide reorganization. To return to its founding mission of empowering small businesses, and to restore accountability to taxpayers, the agency will reduce its workforce by 43% – ending the expansive social policy agenda of the prior Administration, eliminating non-essential roles, and returning to pre-pandemic staffing levels.
The strategic reorganization will begin a turnaround for the agency by restoring the efficiency of the first Trump Administration, as well as its focus on promoting small businesses. Core services to the public, including the agency’s loan guarantee and disaster assistance programs, as well as its field and veteran operations, will not be impacted.
The SBA’s reorganization will enable the agency to become a dynamic and efficient force for small businesses, manufacturing, and job creation in support of President Trump’s economic agenda. SBA will refocus its resources on the core missions of supplying capital, fostering innovation, supporting veteran small business owners, providing field support, and delivering timely disaster relief.
Key features of SBA’s reorganization include:
Promoting business formation and growth by shifting resources to expand capital formation functions and personnel, removing the emphasis from partisan programs of the past.
Prioritizing risk management and fraud prevention by centralizing these functions within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, in the effort to restore integrity to agency programs, audits, and financial statements.
Expanding disaster response support by transferring disaster loan servicing functions and additional personnel into the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience. Additionally, the agency will cross-train field office personnel to support disaster recovery efforts.
Eliminating redundant pandemic-era positions associated exclusively with processing pandemic-era loans within the Office of Capital Access.
Ensuring that 30% of the agency is located in the field, by decentralizing services and working to better serve Main Streets across America.
Promoting veteran businesses and American manufacturing by preserving existing staffing levels within the Office of Veterans Business Development and the Office of Manufacturing and Trade.
Exempting key accountability offices from reductions at this timeincluding the Office of Advocacy and the Office of the Inspector General.
Much of the reorganization is targeted to reverse the broad and costly expansion of the SBA under the Biden Administration. Since the pandemic, the agency has nearly doubled in size, in part to support a suite of new progressive programs like the Green Lender Initiative, the Community Navigator Pilot Program, and DEI activities. This partisan agenda, promoted at the expense of America’s small businesses, predictably led to the deterioration of SBA’s services and financial performance. An estimated $200 billion in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Covid Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) fraud was ignored for four years. Meanwhile, irresponsible Biden-era changes to the 7(a) loan program generated rising defaults and delinquencies, as well as negative cash flow for the first time in over a decade – which will have future, multi-year consequences for the program.
“The SBA was created to be a launchpad for America’s small businesses by offering access to capital, which in turn drives job creation, innovation, and a thriving Main Street. But in the last four years, the agency has veered off track – doubling in size and turning into a sprawling leviathan plagued by mission creep, financial mismanagement, and waste. Instead of serving small businesses, the SBA served a partisan political agenda – expanding in size, scope, and spending,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler.
“Just like the small business owners we support, we must do more with less. We have therefore submitted plans to pursue a strategic restructuring that will realign the agency and its resources with our founding mission. By eliminating non-mission-critical positions and consolidating functions, we will revert to the staffing levels of the last Trump Administration, which supported a historic economic boom. We will return our focus to driving private sector growth and delivering disaster relief with accountability, efficiency, and results.”
Under the reorganization plan, the agency will eliminate approximately 2,700 active positions out of a total active workforce of nearly 6,500 through voluntary resignations, the expiration of COVID-era and other term appointments, and a limited number of reductions in force (RIFs).
The average salary of an SBA employee is over $132,000 – more than double the national average wage. The reduction in workforce will save taxpayers more than $435 million annually by FY26.
SBA’s reorganization plan will provide for the preservation of public services through a strategic transfer of duties. It will be actioned in the coming weeks.
###
About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
The Prime Minister has appointed 6 new Trustees to the V&A
The Prime Minister has appointed Mariella Frostrup, Andrew Keith, Akshata Murty, Nigel Newton, Vick Hope and Pedro Pina as trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum; their four year terms started on 10 March 2025.
Mariella Frostrup
Mariella is a journalist, broadcaster, author, and cultural commentator; in particular covering the worlds of arts, culture and societal issues. She promotes the intrinsic value of arts and culture to wider society and the importance that they connect with and are accessible to all. Mariella has presented the UK’s leading book programmes, cultural shows and judged its literary and arts awards, such as the Booker Prize, BAFTA Awards, RIBA and Turner Prize.
She was the first non-elected member of the Royal Academy’s Council, and more recently she became a Trustee of the British Council. She was awarded a Doctor of Arts from Nottingham University in 2009 for her work and achievement in arts and culture. She’s a Royal Society of Literature fellow and a BAFTA member.
Mariella co-founded the annual Women in Work Summit. She is the Government’s Menopause Employment Ambassador, Chairs the advocacy group Menopause Mandate, and is a Save the Children Ambassador.
Andrew Keith
Andrew is a luxury retail executive with over three decades of experience leading prominent international brands.
Andrew spent 19 years with Lane Crawford Joyce Group, holding a number of key positions including President of Joyce and Lane Crawford. Under his leadership, the group greatly expanded its footprint, introducing innovative retail formats and establishing a significant presence in Greater China. He oversaw the opening of flagship stores and launched the group’s online platform. He then spent three years with Selfridges as Managing Director and later CEO, Andrew led Selfridges through the complexities of reopening post-COVID-19, implementing strategies to adapt to the new retail landscape. In early 2025, he took on the role of leading the transformation of Edinburgh’s historic Jenners building. This multi-million-pound project aims to revitalise the iconic site into a premier destination, blending retail and hospitality elements.
Andrew has served as a co-opted Member of the V&A’s Commerce Committee, contributing his commercial expertise to enhance the museum’s engagement strategies.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, to Scottish parents, Andrew studied Fashion Design at Kingston University and maintains a deep connection to his Scottish heritage, often spending time at his home in the Highlands, reflecting his appreciation for nature and the environment.
Akshata Murty
Akshata is passionate about education and the power of creativity to have positive effects on young people. During her time living in Downing Street, she launched ‘Lessons at 10’. This initiative provided children from across the United Kingdom with a unique opportunity to go behind the famous black door of Number 10 to be inspired and discover their passions.
With her husband, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Akshata is a co-founder of The Richmond Project, a charity focused on enabling social mobility by breaking down barriers to numeracy. She is also a keen supporter of the UK’s veteran community.
Akshata spent over a decade investing in early-stage consumer-focused British companies, providing funding and strategic advice. Previously, Akshata founded a fashion line that was inspired by Indian craftsmanship.
Originally from Bangalore, Akshata obtained a B.A in Economics and French from Claremont McKenna College, an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business as well as an Associate degree from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Los Angeles. She is on the board of Claremont McKenna College. Akshata is also a Trustee of the Murty Trust in India and a supporter of the Murty Classical Library of India.
Nigel Newton CBE
Nigel is the founder and Chief Executive of Bloomsbury Publishing. He was born and raised in San Francisco. He read English at Selwyn College, Cambridge and after working at Macmillan Publishers, he joined Sidgwick & Jackson. He left Sidgwick in 1986 to start Bloomsbury Publishing. He was appointed as President of the Publishers Association in April 2022.
He serves as a Member of the Advisory Committee of Cambridge University Library and President of Book Aid International. In 2020, he was awarded The London Book Fair (LBF) Lifetime Achievement Award and became an Honorary Fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge. He has previously served as a member of the Booker Prize Advisory Committee, Chairman of the Charleston Trust, Chair of World Book Day, Board member of the US-UK Fulbright Commission, member of the Publishers Association Council, Trustee of the International Institute for Strategic Studies and Chair of the British Library Trust.
In 2021 he was awarded a CBE for his services to the publishing industry.
Vick Hope
Vick is an award-winning TV and radio presenter, journalist and author. She hosts BBC Radio One’s show Going Home, and was recently named the newest presenter of Countryfile. She also presents The One Show, Channel 4’s Paralympic Games coverage, CBBC’s Britain’s Best Young Artist, Glastonbury, and ITV’s Vick Hope’s Breakfast Show.
Vick served on the Women’s Prize for Fiction (WPFF) judging panel in 2021 and curates their Young Adults’ Reading List. She hosts the WPFF podcast, Bookshelfie, interviewing female artists, writers, politicians, musicians, actors and sportspeople about the books by women that have shaped them. She is also the author of two children’s books which promote creativity in young children.
In 2020, Vick became an official Ambassador for Amnesty International. She volunteers at local charities Literacy Pirates and Just For Girls, which support children from disadvantaged backgrounds in her community. With the Duke Of Edinburgh Award, she mentors young people and delivers annual speeches at Buckingham Palace. Vick leads The Brit Awards’ campaign to tackle accessibility issues in the creative industries, and is Marks and Spencer’s Plan A Fashion Sustainability Ambassador. Vick was a judge on the ArtFund Museum Of The Year panel in 2024, which was awarded to Young V&A.
Vick graduated from Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge in 2011, having read Modern Languages (French, Spanish and Portuguese).
Pedro Pina
Pedro is a senior executive with over three decades of experience in media, brand management, advertising, and all areas of the digital space. Pina has been at Google for over 12 years and currently serves as Head of YouTube, overseeing the platform’s business and strategic development within Europe, Middle East and Africa. His career includes roles at Google, McCann Worldgroup, PepsiCo, and Procter & Gamble having lived in the US, Brazil, Spain and Portugal. London has been home for Pedro and his family for more than 15 years.
Pina holds an MBA from INSEAD, Paris and previously served on the V&A Corporate Advisory Committee. His expertise includes digital transformation, audience engagement, and strategic partnerships. He serves on the Board of OutRight International and is an Ambassador of Stonewall as well as other organisations that advocate for LGBTQ+ human rights globally and in the UK.
Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Mariella Frostrup, Andrew Keith, Nigel Newton CBE, Victoria Nwosu-Hope and Pedro Pina have not declared any significant political activity. Akshata Murty has declared she has spoken on behalf of the Conservative Party, and their candidates and canvassed on behalf of the Conservative Party and helped at elections.
DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including Arts Council England, Theatres Trust, the National Gallery, UK Sport and the Gambling Commission. We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. To find out more about Public Appointments or to apply to be a Trustee of a National Museum or Gallery visit the HM Government Public Appointments Website.