NewzIntel.com

Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI China: One year into free-trade zone, Xinjiang embraces further opening up

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    URUMQI, Nov. 2 — Edil Mohammed, who commutes daily for about an hour by bus from Yarkent, Kazakhstan, to Horgos, China, has adapted to the lifestyle of cross-border work.

    As the head of a branch of Kazakhstan’s Bank CenterCredit, which is located in the China-Kazakhstan International Border Cooperation Center in Horgos, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, he is part of a pioneering group of foreign banks that entered Xinjiang following the establishment of the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in November 2023.

    The Xinjiang pilot FTZ, which encompasses three iconic areas — Urumqi, Kashgar and Horgos — stands as the first FTZ in China’s northwestern border regions and the 22nd nationwide. As it embraces its first anniversary, the zone has shown promising results.

    As the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) continues to forge ahead, Xinjiang has committed to building itself into an important corridor linking Asia and Europe and to serving as a gateway for China’s opening-up efforts in the west.

    “Global investors are seizing opportunities in the pilot FTZ, and many jobseekers have found satisfying positions, such as in cross-border e-commerce, international live-streaming, translation and diverse agents,” said Mohammed, adding that the growth of new business models and expanding trade will attract even more international financial institutions and enterprises.

    SUPPORTIVE POLICIES

    Qin Xiaoyu, a customs declarer at a foreign-trade enterprise specializing in the import and export of daily consumer goods to five Central Asian countries, has benefited from enhanced services following the establishment of a dedicated market procurement window at the FTZ’s Urumqi area.

    “The consultation and whole process only take a few minutes,” said Qin. “The dedicated service window can save both time and costs. Enterprises benefit from policies such as value-added tax exemptions, simplified declaration processes and flexible foreign exchange collection, all of which improve export efficiency.”

    The service window is part of a broader set of measures rolled out by the Xinjiang pilot FTZ to boost foreign trade, providing a low-cost, high-efficiency export channel for small and micro enterprises, as well as individual businesses, according to Ju Ning, an official at the Urumqi Economic & Technological Development Zone.

    “The ‘green channel’ for the rapid customs clearance of agricultural products at the border ports between China-Kazakhstan, China-Tajikistan and China-Kyrgyzstan has been fully implemented, cutting the customs declaration time for agricultural exports from five days to just one day,” said He Yadong, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce.

    Statistics show that from January to August, Xinjiang’s import and export volume increased by 30.9 percent to 285.32 billion yuan (about 40.11 billion U.S. dollars).

    “The pilot FTZ prioritizes institutional innovation, actively exploring reforms in government functions, management models, and the facilitation of trade and investment. It effectively plays a leading role in deepening reform and expanding opening up,” said Buvejer Abula, a researcher of economic and social development with the Xinjiang Agricultural University.

    RISING INDUSTRIAL CLUSTERS

    In the FTZ’s Horgos area, refrigerated trucks loaded with fruit and vegetables pass through a fast-track customs clearance “green channel” destined for Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia and beyond.

    Yu Chengzhong’s trade company exports over 500 tonnes of fruit and more than 300 tonnes of vegetables daily. This fresh produce can reach markets in Almaty in Kazakhstan within just a few hours.

    “The establishment of the FTZ has given our company a unique opportunity for growth,” said Yu, adding that the company has established sales networks in the five Central Asian countries, and this year, the company built a 66-hectare warehouse in Kazakhstan to further penetrate local markets.

    In the production workshop of a lithium battery enterprise called Shengyuehengchang, two automated production lines, each capable of producing 200,000 Ah lithium batteries per day, are running smoothly, fulfilling orders for its clients in Kyrgyzstan.

    The company normally manufactures small-capacity batteries but is now transitioning towards high-rate energy storage and power battery production. These batteries are primarily sold to the Central Asian market and are widely used in products such as electric motorcycles, drones, power tools and solar-energy products.

    “Leveraging the FTZ’s geographical advantages and favorable opening up policies, local companies are increasingly eyeing overseas markets for diverse development paths,” said Bo Yinjiang, an official with the Kashgar Economic Development Zone.

    The zone has already attracted 28 enterprises related to lithium batteries, covering the areas of lithium battery materials, manufacturing and supply chains. The annual output value of the enterprises is expected to exceed 10 billion yuan upon full operation, forming a burgeoning lithium battery industry cluster.

    “Since the pilot FTZ’s inception, a number of business associations and companies have visited Xinjiang to seek market opportunities and collaboration. There is also a rise in foreign-invested enterprises,” said Li Xuan, from the regional commerce department.

    “The pilot FTZ offers a significant historical opportunity for pursuing high-level opening up and high-quality development in Xinjiang. It must actively align with high-standard international trade and economic rules, integrate into the dual circulation of domestic and international markets, and support the development of the core region of the BRI,” Li added.

    The Ministry of Commerce will promote the industrial exchange and cooperation between the Xinjiang pilot FTZ and the central and eastern regions of the country, and support the FTZ in prioritizing key industries and fostering integrated innovation throughout the entire value chain, according to He, the ministry spokesperson.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Stands Ready to Assist New Mexico Businesses and Residents Affected by the Severe Storm and Flooding

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    “As communities across the Southeast continue to recover and rebuild after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the SBA remains focused on its mission to provide support to small businesses to help stabilize local economies, even in the face of diminished disaster funding,” saidAdministrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. “If your business has sustained physical damage, or you’ve lost inventory, equipment or revenues, the SBA will help you navigate the resources available and work with you at our recovery centers or with our customer service specialists in person and online so you can fully submit your disaster loan application and be ready to receive financial relief as soon as funds are replenished.”

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Low-interest federal disaster loans are now available to New Mexico businesses and residents as a result of President Biden’s major disaster declaration, U.S. Small Business Administration’s Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzmanannounced.

    The declaration covers Chaves County as a result of the severe storm and flooding that occurred Oct. 19-20.

    Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets.

    For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic injury assistance is available to businesses regardless of any property damage.

    “SBA’s disaster loan program offers an important advantage–the chance to incorporate measures that can reduce the risk of future damage,” said Francisco Sánchez, Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. “Work with contractors and mitigation professionals to strengthen your property and take advantage of the opportunity to request additional SBA disaster loan funds for these proactive improvements.”

    Disaster loans up to $500,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property, including personal vehicles.

    Interest rates can be as low as 4 percent for businesses, 3.25 percent for private nonprofit organizations and 2.813 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    Interest does not begin to accrue until 12 months from the date of the first disaster loan disbursement. SBA disaster loan repayment begins 12 months from the date of the first disbursement.

    On October 15, 2024, it was announced that funds for the Disaster Loan Program have been fully expended. While no new loans can be issued until Congress appropriates additional funding, we remain committed to supporting disaster survivors. Applications will continue to be accepted and processed to ensure individuals and businesses are prepared to receive assistance once funding becomes available.

    Applicants are encouraged to submit their loan applications promptly for review in anticipation of future funding.

    As soon as Federal-State Disaster Recovery Centers open throughout the affected area, SBA will provide one-on-one assistance to disaster loan applicants. Additional information and details on the location of disaster recovery centers is available by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955.

    ###

    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.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Stands Ready to Assist Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Businesses and Residents Affected by the Severe Storm, Straight-line Winds and Flooding

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    “As communities across the Southeast continue to recover and rebuild after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the SBA remains focused on its mission to provide support to small businesses to help stabilize local economies, even in the face of diminished disaster funding,” saidAdministrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. “If your business has sustained physical damage, or you’ve lost inventory, equipment or revenues, the SBA will help you navigate the resources available and work with you at our recovery centers or with our customer service specialists in person and online so you can fully submit your disaster loan application and be ready to receive financial relief as soon as funds are replenished.”

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Low-interest federal disaster loans are now available to Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe businesses and residents as a result of President Biden’s major disaster declaration, U.S. Small Business Administration’s Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzmanannounced.

    The declaration covers the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe as a result of the severe storm, straight‑line winds and flooding that occurred July 13–14.

    Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets.

    For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic injury assistance is available to businesses regardless of any property damage.

    “SBA’s disaster loan program offers an important advantage–the chance to incorporate measures that can reduce the risk of future damage,” said Francisco Sánchez, Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. “Work with contractors and mitigation professionals to strengthen your property and take advantage of the opportunity to request additional SBA disaster loan funds for these proactive improvements.”

    Disaster loans up to $500,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property, including personal vehicles.

    Interest rates can be as low as 4 percent for businesses, 3.25 percent for private nonprofit organizations and 2.688 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    Interest does not begin to accrue until 12 months from the date of the first disaster loan disbursement. SBA disaster loan repayment begins 12 months from the date of the first disbursement.

    On October 15, 2024, it was announced that funds for the Disaster Loan Program have been fully expended. While no new loans can be issued until Congress appropriates additional funding, we remain committed to supporting disaster survivors. Applications will continue to be accepted and processed to ensure individuals and businesses are prepared to receive assistance once funding becomes available.

    Applicants are encouraged to submit their loan applications promptly for review in anticipation of future funding.

    As soon as Federal-State Disaster Recovery Centers open throughout the affected area, SBA will provide one-on-one assistance to disaster loan applicants. Additional information and details on the location of disaster recovery centers is available by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955.

    ###

    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.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Transcript – Sky Sunday Agenda

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    ANDREW CLENNELL: Well, joining me live now from Adelaide, where Anthony Albanese is giving that speech, is the Education Minister, Jason Clare. Jason Clare, thanks for joining me. Let’s start with today’s announcement. Why have you decided to cut the debt that these students would have expected to pay by 20%?

    JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: G’day, mate. This is massive help for 3 million Australians right across the country with a student debt. People have got a university degree, or a TAFE qualification and it’ll cut their debt by 20 per cent. 

    The average debt at the moment is about $27,000, so that will cut their debt by more than $5,000. 

    For somebody that’s got a student debt of about $50,000, and there’s plenty of people like that out there, then this will cut their debt by $10,000. 

    When you and I were at university, back last century, university was a lot cheaper than it is today. Even in the early 2000s, it was cheaper. Back then, students contributed, on average, about 30 per cent to the cost of the degree, and taxpayers, the Government, contributed the other 70 per cent. 

    Now it’s more like a bit over 40 per cent that on average students contribute and the taxpayer, or the Government, contributes about 60 per cent. This fixes that. It fixes that for this generation of Australians, 3 million Australians who’ve got uni and TAFE qualifications over the last decade or so.

    CLENNELL: Someone has to pay for this, and I assume it’s taxpayers.

    CLARE: This is the thing, whether it’s TAFE or whether it’s university, the individual benefits and the country benefits as well. That’s why it’s always been the case that we both chip in. It’s why we’ve rolled out about half a million fee free TAFE places. Free TAFE places for Australians. But it’s also why Australian taxpayers and the Government contributes to investing in our universities as well. 

    The bottom line here is a lot of young Australians are doing it tough at the moment. They’re just starting out, they’ve just finished their uni degree or just finished their TAFE qualifications, just leaving home, starting to pay rent, paying the bills, they’ve got to pay this bill, too. This will cut the cost of that bill and what we announced yesterday will make it easier to pay that off as well.

    CLENNELL: Indeed. But if this is such a great initiative, why not? I mean, Parliament sits this week. Why not introduce the legislation now? Jason Clare, why say it’s contingent on an election win? I mean, it effectively looks like an electoral bribe to younger people.

    CLARE: We’ve got legislation in the Parliament right now that cuts student debt by $3 billion for 3 million Australians. That fixes the indexation formula. Everyone watching will remember that when inflation spiked last year, so did student debt. We’re fixing that and wiping out what happened last year, making sure that it doesn’t happen again. So, that legislation is in the Parliament right now. We want to see that done and finished and fixed by the end of the year. 

    That bill also includes other big reforms like paid prac. So, for the first time ever, we’re going to provide financial support for teaching students and nursing students and social work students while they do their practical training. That bill also includes something else that’s important. Massively expanding the free courses that are effectively bridging courses for students between school and starting a university degree…

    CLENNELL: Okay, but why save this for the election? Why tie this to an election?

    CLARE: Just important to make the point that we’re making changes to student debt in the Parliament right now. What Anthony will say today is that if we are re-elected, this will be the first piece of legislation that we introduce to the Parliament after the election. And it’ll make a massive difference for a lot of young Australians right across the country. Not just young Australians, though. Everybody that has a student debt cut by 20 per cent.

    CLENNELL: All right, a lot of young Australians would just like to see HECS fees cut, full stop. So, this obviously affects those who’ve accumulated the debt, who’ve graduated or are graduating. You spoke about when we went to university, my HECS debt was $9,500. Now, an arts degree can cost you 50 grand. Medicine or law degree can cost you 80 grand. Why not just cut those fees?

    CLARE: There’s more to do here as well, mate, that’s the truth. As I said, there’s legislation in the Parliament to help students at university right now with that paid prac that financial support while they do their training and those free courses. 

    But what we’ve also said we would do is create an Australian Tertiary Education Commission to help us set those fees, fix the funding model for universities, and also provide universities with extra funding for students who are more likely to drop out to help them complete their degrees. And I hope to be in a position later this year to provide more detail on all of that.

    CLENNELL: And lifting the threshold for paying it back from $54,000 a year to $67,000. What difference will that make? Because ultimately it means it takes longer to pay your debt back, doesn’t it?

    CLARE: Not necessarily. It always depends on the individual. And remember, this is the minimum that you have to pay if you want to pay more off you can. The bottom line with this reform, and this is a reform recommended by the Universities Accord Panel, recommended in fact by Bruce Chapman, who’s the architect of HECS back in the 80s, is that it’s designed to make sure that you start to pay off your university degree when university starts to pay off for you.

    For a lot of young people, they’re straight out of uni, they’re on a low income, they’re paying the rent, paying the bills, trying to save for a mortgage, trying to start a family, and they already have to start paying off their HECS bill. This gets them a little bit of relief, takes the pressure off, means that they don’t have to start paying back that debt until they’re earning $67,000 a year, which is about three quarters of the average graduate salary. And it means for somebody that might be on say $80,000 a year, that they’re paying about $850 less a year than they have to at the moment. So, that’s more money in their pocket rather than being in the Government’s pocket to help them pay the rent and pay the bills.

    CLENNELL: Well, just on that, is this policy a sign of how expensive housing and rents are that you’ve had to do this? And are you trying to take votes back or off the Greens here by appealing to younger people?

    CLARE: I think it’s just a simple fact that a lot of young people are doing it tough, doing it tougher than many other Australians. If they’re straight out of uni and they’re into the workforce and they’ve moved out and they’ve got to pay the rent and they’ve got this bill as well, then cutting that debt by 20 per cent and making it easier to pay off is going to help them. But it’s also part of a bigger plan that we’ve got to build Australia’s future. 

    Back when Hawke and Keating were running the country, we saw a jump in the number of young people finishing high school from 40 per cent to almost 80 per cent. And that was nation changing stuff. It’s made us smarter and stronger and wealthier as a country. And this Universities Accord report tells us that by the middle of this century, it’s not going to be just 80 per cent of people that finish school. We’re going to need a workforce where 80 per cent of people have finished school and then gone to TAFE or gone to university. And if we’re going to build that workforce, then we’ve got to reform our education system, make it better and make it fairer. That’s what the reforms in the Parliament are about. And this will help as well.

    CLENNELL: Whose idea is 20 per cent? A 20 per cent cut? Is it yours? Is it the Prime Minister’s? Did you look at 30 per cent? Did you look at 40 per cent? Did you look at 10 per cent?

    CLARE: We looked at a range of different options, but they’re decisions that are made by Cabinet, made by the ERC, and I’m not going to go into that detail.

    CLENNELL: Did you want a greater cut? Did you want a bigger cut as Education Minister?

    CLARE: No. Very, very simple here. I’m the education minister. I put this recommendation to my colleagues, and they’ve backed it, and I’m glad they have.

    CLENNELL: All right, We’ve revealed Labor’s slogan to be announced today is ‘Building Australia’s future’. In 2022 it was ‘A better future’. Has Australia seen a better future between 2022 and 2024, particularly in light of 12 interest rate increases?

    CLARE: We’ve made real progress on a number of important fronts. We’ve created a million new jobs in just over two years. That’s more than any government ever has. We’ve cut inflation in half. When we came to office, inflation was high and going up. Now it’s low and coming down back into the band that we’ve delivered two surpluses in a row, something the Liberal Party could only have ever dreamed of. And now we’re starting to see real wages grow again. So, that’s real progress, but it’s just the start. 

    What we’ll be talking about today is what we want to do if we’re privileged enough to win a second term, and that’s building Australia’s future. A big part of that is building the workforce, building the skills that we’re going to need to build the next generation of Australians, to build Australia for the years ahead.

    CLENNELL: Let me ask you about this issue of flight upgrades. I looked through your register. You declared a $15 bottle of wine and a phone charger at one stage. Jason Clare. But you did also declare – And do you really have to declare…

    CLARE: …a pineapple I think.

    CLENNELL: Okay. All right. But you did also declare an upgrade with Qantas in 2019 on a flight from Sydney to Singapore. Was that personal travel and how did that happen?

    CLARE:  Yeah, good pickup, mate. That was a personal trip. And that was a situation where I had just got out of hospital, I had surgery on my leg and I asked for upgrade and I was assisted by Qantas.

    CLENNELL: So, who do you ask in that scenario? 

    CLARE: I remember picking up the phone and asking for a bit of assistance there, but I can’t remember all of the details.

    CLENNELL: Was it a government relations person or…?

    CLARE: Probably. I don’t want to mislead you, but I definitely asked for that, just to help me after the surgery.

    CLENNELL: What do you make of this? Just on this. I don’t want to labour too much time on this. Was your family on that trip with you? Did they also get an upgrade?

    CLARE: No.

    CLENNELL: Okay. It was a personal trip. Okay. By yourself? Or were they on another section of the flight? Were they with you?

    CLARE: No, I had to go into hospital. You might remember that. I had a melanoma on my leg. I had to get it cut out. My family were overseas, I caught up with them as soon as I was allowed to. 

    CLENNELL: Sure, ok. What do you make of this Joe Aston claim that Anthony Albanese got the upgrades from Alan Joyce? Obviously, a claim that the Prime Minister disputes.

    CLARE: He said that that’s not right. The bottom line here is declare it. And you’ve just gone through my declarations. If you get an upgrade or you’re given anything else, you declare it, you fill out a form, you whack it on the internet and it’s there for everybody to see.

    CLENNELL: Why do you think it took the PM so long to shut this issue down? He could have easily come out that first press conference to say, no. I never contacted Alan Joyce about this. I mean, has it been a bad distraction for the government?

    CLARE: He’s gone out of his way to check and make sure that all of the questions that he answers are correct here, over more than a decade, to do the due diligence that you’re supposed to do to make sure that you answer the questions correctly. You just asked me a question I didn’t know the answer to. You’ve got the choice there that you make it up or you check. And that’s what Anthony has done. It’s a bit of a difference to what Peter Dutton did this week, when he was asked whether he’d asked Gina Rinehart to use the private plane, he said no, and then a couple of days later had to say that in fact, he had.

    CLENNELL: And finally, Jason Clare what do you expect to happen in the US election this week? What would a Donald Trump win mean to Australia? Because on things like climate change, the US would be running in a whole separate direction, perhaps on Ukraine as well.

    CLARE: This is a decision for the American people. If the polls are right, it’s likely to be a very close result. Whatever happens would be good if it’s a clear result for the United States. Whoever wins, though, it doesn’t change the relationship between Australia and the United States. The United States is our closest ally, and that is a matter of bipartisan support. I’m sure Simon will tell you the exact same thing in a couple of minutes time. Whether it’s a Labor government or a Liberal government in Australia or a Republican government or a Democratic government in the United States, we are the best of friends and closest of allies and that will continue.

    CLENNELL: Education Minister Jason Clare, thanks so much for your time.

    CLARE: Thanks, mate.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Growth at the heart of Foreign Secretary’s visit to Nigeria and South Africa

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy visits Nigeria and South Africa.

    • Economic growth to underpin work in both Nigeria and South Africa, as Foreign Secretary agrees to develop a new UK-South Africa Growth Plan and a new Strategic Partnership with Nigeria.
    • Climate continues to top the agenda of Foreign Secretary’s engagement as he visits Earthshot+ event in Cape Town.
    • Foreign Secretary sets out “Growth is the core mission of this government and will underpin our relationships in Nigeria, South Africa and beyond.”

    David Lammy will begin a visit to Nigeria and South Africa today (3rd November), his first trip to the African continent as Foreign Secretary and the first to visit South Africa since 2013.

    Committing to a fresh approach to Africa that works productively from Morocco to Madagascar, the Foreign Secretary will announce the start of a five-month consultation process, to ensure African voices inform and sit at the very heart of the UK’s new approach to the continent. Accommodating the diverse needs and ambitions of 54 countries, the consultation will guarantee the UK’s relationships across Africa are based on mutual respect and partnership.

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

    Africa has huge growth potential, with the continent on track to make up 25% of the world’s population by 2050.  

    Our new approach will deliver respectful partnerships that listen rather than tell, deliver long term growth rather than short term solutions and build a freer, safer, more prosperous continent. I want to hear what our African partners need and foster relationships so that the UK and our friends and partners in Africa can grow together. 

    Growth is the core mission of this government and will underpin our relationships in Nigeria, South Africa and beyond.

    This will mean more jobs, more prosperity and more opportunities for Brits and Africans alike.

    In Nigeria, the Foreign Secretary will sign a modern and progressive Strategic Partnership – the first of its kind between the UK and Nigeria. This new dialogue will cover the breadth of the UK-Nigeria areas of shared cooperation from growth and jobs to national security, tackling the climate and nature crisis to strengthening our people-to-people ties. 

    Nigeria will be the world’s fifth largest economy by 2075 – the Foreign Secretary will advocate for further collaboration on mutual growth via the UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership, signed earlier this year. This partnership is the key vehicle for driving trade and market access between the UK and Nigeria and plays a vital role in the UK’s growth mission.

    The Foreign Secretary will advocate for further trade and climate collaboration between Nigeria and the UK in high level meetings with President Tinubu, Foreign Minister Tuggar and Lagos Governor Sanwo-Olu. 

    Building on President Tinubu’s macro-economic reforms, the Foreign Secretary will announce a diverse Technical Assistance package to the Nigerian Ministry of Finance, offering British expertise from the Bank of England, HMRC and others to help continue to modernise and diversify the Nigerian economy. Catalysing reform across Nigeria will create further opportunities within the flourishing Nigerian economy for British businesses – generating growth, jobs and incomes for Brits and Nigerians.  

    Travelling on to South Africa, David Lammy will agree to develop a new UK-South Africa Growth Plan. South Africa is our largest trading partner on the continent and this plan will allow trade to flourish even more through collaboration on market access, a new UK Trade Partnership programme to boost South Africa exports, and a new programme to increase the number of agricultural jobs in rural South Africa. This will simultaneously boost trade for Brits whilst bolstering opportunities within South Africa.

    At the biennial UK-South Africa bilateral forum the Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister Lamola will refresh the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to 2030 – raising joint ambition on climate, nature, trade and security and committing to UK-SA cooperation for the next two years on trade and investment, energy transition, and security. 

    South African exports to the UK supported over 137,000 jobs in 2020 – the Foreign Secretary will boost this with the renewal of a risk-sharing partnership between British International Investment and Standard Chartered to provide trade finance for SMEs and corporates operating across Africa and Asia.

    No growth can be truly inclusive nor effective unless it is green. In both Nigeria and South Africa, the Foreign Secretary will build on the momentum from his Kew Lecture to encourage green growth and climate cooperation. In South Africa the Foreign Secretary will celebrate climate innovation at the Earthshot+ thought leadership conference. Founded by Prince William, The Earthshot Prize is a global environmental prize and platform designed to discover, accelerate and scale ground-breaking solutions to repair and regenerate the planet. The Foreign Secretary will speak with these innovators to understand how the UK can support and help channel finance to where biodiversity, climate risk and energy needs are greatest. He will announce a further Biodiversity Challenge Fund to help tackle the illegal wildlife trade and technical assistance to support South Africa’s energy transition.

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Rosen Announce Funding to Increase Women’s Access to Skilled Trades Apprenticeship Programs in Southern Nevada

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    LAS VEGAS, NV – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced more than $700,000 in federal grant funding to increase women’s access to skills training in Southern Nevada to enhance their participation in construction apprenticeship programs. The funding, awarded to the Southern Nevada Building Trades Union, will help recruit, train, and retain more women in their construction training programs. The funding comes from the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations grant program, which supports programs that train women for union jobs and nontraditional occupations.
    “Apprenticeships are a great way for hardworking Nevadans of all walks of life to build opportunity and access good-paying, union jobs,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This grant will allow Southern Nevada Building Trades to expand their apprenticeship programs, and will help more women, especially women of color, build union careers and provide for their families. I’ll always fight to make sure Nevada’s workers have everything they need to build the infrastructure of the future.”
    “Skills training programs and apprenticeships open the door to good-paying jobs without having to get a four-year college degree, and I’m working to make these opportunities available to more Nevadans,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to announce hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding are being awarded to the Southern Nevada Building Trades Union to expand access for more women in their apprenticeships programs. I’ll keep working to support Nevada’s workforce and economy.”
    “We are proud to be awarded the first federal grant in the history of the Southern Nevada Building Trades through the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) program,” said Vince Saavedra, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Southern Nevada Building Trades.“This $710,000 award will help us launch stipend programs for childcare, transportation, and create other critical support services, removing barriers for women to join and thrive in the union trades. With major projects like Brightline West, the Athletics Stadium, and others on the horizon, growing our skilled workforce is more important than ever. This grant is just the beginning as we continue to work to expand access to union apprenticeships and build a stronger future for all.”
    Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen have been working to support Nevada’s workers and ensure they have access to the training they need. Earlier this year, both senators announced that they secured nearly $16 million in federal funding for community projects to bolster workforce development in critical sectors throughout the state, including mental health care, nursing, and education. They also announced the delivery of federal funding they secured for workforce development to fill in-demand jobs in Southern Nevada. Senator Rosen recently announced $4 million to support registered apprenticeships and skilled workforce development in Northern Nevada and introduced legislation to bolster the housing construction workforce and a bill to provide Nevadans skills training in high demand fields like manufacturing, construction, and IT.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Senior Chinese official vows to further ties with Italy

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, meets with Italy’s Senate President Ignazio La Russa in Rome, Italy, Oct. 31, 2024. Li led a CPC delegation on official goodwill visit to Italy from Wednesday to Saturday at the invitation of the Italian Senate. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

    Chinese senior official Li Xi met with Italian leaders this week to deepen strategic ties, marking the 20th anniversary of the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership and advancing cooperation in areas like green energy and digital technology.

    Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, met with Italy’s Senate President Ignazio La Russa, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Rome during his visit from Wednesday to Saturday at the invitation of the Italian Senate.

    During the meetings, Li highlighted the enduring ties between China and Italy, and called on the two sides to advance the consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in July.

    Li emphasized cooperation through the “China-Italy Action Plan,” which aimed at enhancing political trust and collaboration in existing and emerging sectors like green energy, the digital economy, and artificial intelligence. He also highlighted the importance of enhancing people-to-people exchanges and multilateral coordination in multilateral arenas such as the United Nations and Group of 20 (G20) to elevate China-Italy relations.

    China and Europe share extensive common interests in upholding multilateralism, addressing climate change, and promoting global economic recovery, Li said, noting that China advocates for resolving relevant economic and trade issues through consultation based on pragmatic and balanced principles.

    He urged the Italian side to view China-Europe economic and trade relations “with an open attitude and a long-term perspective,” and play a constructive role in China-Europe consultations and negotiations.

    China is willing to work together with Italy and other European countries to promote the healthy and stable development of China-Europe relations, he noted.

    Li also hailed the successes of China’s anti-corruption campaign, which has bolstered public trust in the Party. China will continue to pursue a unique approach to anti-corruption, leveraging institutional and legal strengths to create a system where officials “do not dare, cannot, and do not want to engage in corruption,” achieving both preventive and comprehensive governance, he said.

    China is committed to sharing governance insights and enhancing anti-corruption cooperation with other countries, including Italy, Li noted.

    La Russa spoke highly of the historic friendship between Italy and China, praising the CPC’s achievements in Party-building and China’s modernization, affirming Italy’s readiness to enhance exchanges between legislative bodies and political parties.

    Tajani emphasized China’s role as a vital economic partner, noting that Italy hopes to strengthen economic and trade exchanges with China, fostering a balanced and mutually beneficial relationship. He reiterated Italy’s commitment to open economic policies and to actively working towards resolving trade frictions between Europe and China through negotiations.

    Italy also seeks to work with China to promote global peace and stability amid today’s challenges, he noted.

    During his visit, Li also traveled to Venice to attend a cultural exchange event titled “Be a Contemporary Marco Polo, Build a New Bridge of Friendship,” commemorating the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo’s passing. 

    Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, meets with Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Rome, Italy, Oct. 31, 2024. Li led a CPC delegation on official goodwill visit to Italy from Wednesday to Saturday at the invitation of the Italian Senate. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SFST to visit Switzerland

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, will depart for a visit to Switzerland tonight (November 3).
     
         During the visit, Mr Hui will attend and speak at the 41st session of the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva.
     
         Mr Hui will meet with top figures of international organisations, as well as financial and business sectors, to introduce the advantages of Hong Kong’s financial industries and how Hong Kong is well equipped with the relevant strengths to meet the challenges of an increasingly sustainability-driven world. He will also meet with financial officials of the Swiss government.
     
         Mr Hui will return to Hong Kong on November 8. During Mr Hui’s visit, the Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan, will act as the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government goes further and faster on planning reform in bid for growth

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Chancellor continues bold reform of the planning system to deliver on the Plan for Change for working people.

    • Chancellor reveals new plans for more houses near commuter train stations to kick start economic growth, as government continues its bold reform of the planning system to deliver on the Plan for Change for working people.
    • Sweeping reforms under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will take an axe to red tape that slows down approval of infrastructure projects and the government will work with Parliamentarians to ensure a smooth and speedy delivery.
    • Chancellor highlights in its first six months the government has already taken 13 planning decisions and approved 9 nationally significant infrastructure projects spanning airports, data centres, energy farms, and major housing developments.

    Untapped land near commuter transport hubs will be unlocked to build new housing for working people, as part of bold new steps to reform the planning system and unlock growth to deliver win-win outcomes for the country and the economy. The bold reforms will create secure, high-paying jobs and deliver major infrastructure faster to bolster public services and lower bills.

    Ahead of the Chancellor’s speech next week on economic growth, the government has today announced how it will go further and faster to deliver our Plan for Change milestones of 1.5 million new homes over five years and 150 decisions on major infrastructure projects by the end of the Parliament. It follows the ambitious reforms unveiled by the Chancellor in July and delivered by the Deputy Prime Minister at the end of last year through publication of the overhauled National Planning Policy Framework.

    The government’s next steps on planning reform include streamlining a set of national policies for decision making to guide planning decisions taken by local authorities and promote housebuilding in key areas.

    In a major new growth push, the government will ensure that when developers submit an application for acceptable types of schemes in key areas – such as in high potential locations near commuter transport hubs – that the default answer to development is ‘yes’. This will unlock more housing at a greater density in areas central to local communities, boosting the government’s number one mission to grow the economy. These measures will transform communities, with more shops and homes nearer to the transport hubs that working people rely on day in day out.

    As part of these measures, the government will streamline decisions on critical infrastructure projects by slashing red tape in the planning system which is holding up projects. That means looking again at the input from expert bodies who developers are required to consult – and replacing the current systems of environmental assessment to deliver a more effective and streamlined system that reduces costs and delays for developers, whilst still protecting the environment.

    The Chancellor also revealed today that she is championing a regeneration project around Old Trafford in Manchester that will see new housing, commercial and public space as a shining example of the bold pro-development model that will drive growth across the region, with authorities exploring setting up a mayoral development corporation body to redevelop the area. 

    The government is also working with Greater Manchester to release growth-generating land around transport hubs through local development orders, such as around Castleton Station, with the potential for this innovative use of existing powers to kickstart building in these sites to be a blueprint for the rest of the country so that every corner of the UK benefits from growth.

    The new proposals tackle the dire inheritance head on. Last year homebuilding fell below 200k and permissions reached their lowest for over a decade, which is why the government is taking radical action necessary to reverse this trend and deliver the homes necessary to reach 1.5 million homes over this Parliament.

    This government is turning the page on the decline and decay of the past and choosing growth with a significant number of planning decisions already made by Ministers since July. This includes 13 planning decisions taken by Ministers over 90% of which within the target timeframe, and 9 nationally significant infrastructure projects approved, collectively spanning airports, data centres, solar farms and major housing developments such as the Expansion of London City Airport, a data centre in Buckinghamshire and a new M&S store in Oxford Street, London.  

    The government has committed to making 150 decisions on these major economic infrastructure applications over this Parliament, more than doubling the decisions made in the previous Parliament and more than 130 made since 2011.

    This will unlock the growth necessary to deliver win-win outcomes for the country and the economy – creating stable and high-paying jobs, building more affordable homes, and delivering critical infrastructure faster to bolster public services and lower bills – while improving the environment where it matters most.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:

    I am fighting every single day in our mission to kick start the economy, deliver on our Plan for Change, and make working people better off. That includes avenues that others have shied away from.  

    Too often the answer to new development has been “no”. But that is the attitude that has stunted economic growth and left working people worse off. We need to do things differently and that journey began as soon as I started at the Treasury in July. These are our next steps and I can say for certain, there is more to come.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner said:

    From day one I have been clear that bold action is needed to remove the blockers who put a chokehold on growth. That’s why we are putting growth at the heart of our planning system.

    Growth means higher wages, better living standards, families raising their children in safer homes, and the next generation taking their first steps onto the housing ladder.

    This year we will go even further to make the dream of homeownership a reality for millions and fix the housing crisis we inherited for good – getting more shovels in the ground to build the homes and vital infrastructure that our communities so desperately need.

    Growth is the number one mission of this Government’s Plan for Change, so we can put more money in people’s pocket. Today the Chancellor is setting out further action on the government’s growth mission by announcing the following: 

    Planning 

    The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will provide the powers to accelerate the infrastructure and homes needed to deliver on the government’s ambitions – and fast track critical infrastructure such as windfarms, power plants, and major road and rail projects. Today the government is confirming for the first time that the Bill will be introduced in Spring and we will work with Parliamentarians to ensure a smooth and speedy delivery.

    Further detail on the Bill is being published today in a working paper on streamlining decisions on nationally significant infrastructure projects, including reducing the burden on developers by making consultation requirements more proportionate, strengthening statutory guidance to ensure they are clear over what is and is not required when submitting planning applications, and ensuring that National Policy Statements are updated at least every five years to give more certainty to developers, speeding up decisions. Previous working papers have already set out reforms to the operation of planning committees, and an overhaul of the way developers can discharge their environmental obligations so that they can crack on with building.

    The Chancellor is today also announcing reform to the statutory consultee system, which requires developers to consult local communities and expert bodies when making planning decisions. This often means too many organisations consulted on too wide a range of issues, clogging up much-needed development. Today the government has declared a moratorium on any new statutory consultees and the Chancellor and the Deputy Prime Minister will review in the coming weeks the existing arrangements to make sure they meet this Government’s ambitions for growth.

    This follows changes announced last week to the rules around challenging major infrastructure projects through the courts – stopping blockers getting in the way of the Government’s Plan for Change and getting nuclear plants, trainlines and windfarms built quicker. Current excessive rules mean unarguable cases can be bought back to the courts three times. This will be overhauled, with just one attempt at legal challenge for hopeless cases that would previously have caused much more delay.

    Environment

    The government is also reforming environmental impact assessments, which have strayed from their original purpose of supporting decision making and have become voluminous and costly documents that too often support legal challenges rather than the environment.

    They will be replaced by Environmental Outcome Reports which will be simpler and much clearer, which will support growth by saving developers time and money, whilst still protecting the environment. The government will publish a roadmap for the delivery of these new Environment Outcomes Reports in the coming months.  

    This follows a working paper on development and nature published by the government before Christmas setting out a new approach that will turbocharge the delivery of housing and infrastructure while securing positive environmental outcomes. Developers will be able to pay into the Nature Restoration Fund which will allow them to discharge relevant environmental obligations for protected sites and species and focus on building, safe in the knowledge that appropriate action will be taken to support nature’s recovery.

    Major infrastructure

    A working paper is being published setting out the government’s plan for its 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy, which will be focussed on infrastructure’s role in enabling resilient growth, delivering clean energy by 2030 and net zero by 2050 while securing the growth benefits of the transition, and improving public services.

    The working paper seeks industry views as part of the government’s continued consultation on the development of the strategy which will be published in late Spring.

    Jennie Daly, CEO of Taylor Wimpey said:

    We continue to be impressed by the speed with which the government has gripped the need for planning reform to deliver much needed new housing supply. New high-quality housing and the infrastructure it brings are essential drivers of economic growth. 

    We welcome the commitment from the government to introduce the Planning and Infrastructure Bill as a priority in the spring, and we look forward to supporting the promised consultation work on reforming the planning system to expedite decisions and overcome local barriers to growth.

    Mark Reynolds, Mace Group Executive Chairman and Co-Chair of the Construction Leadership Council said:

    When the government and the Construction sector work in partnership we can unlock growth of up to 2% of GDP. The simplification and streamlining of the planning system is a significant contributor to this so the announcements today are a welcome development which could deliver £2 billion per year in savings once fully implemented.

     In addition the upcoming publication of the 10 year National Infrastructure Strategy is an opportunity to set out plans for ambitious growth and chart a direction for the industry, instilling confidence in businesses to invest in skills, innovation and deliver profitable growth, we look forward to contributing to its success.

    Neil Jefferson, CEO of Home Builders Federations said:

    Identifying more land for development and removing the treacle from the planning process that delays applications is essential if we are to increase housing supply. The swift moves to address these blocks in the planning system are very welcome and will pay dividends if the other constraints on housing supply can be tackled. Housing delivery is dependent upon a range of factors, of which planning is a major one, and these changes underline the government’s commitment to increasing supply.

    Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said:

    With our devolved powers we’re mobilising the whole Greater Manchester system to lock in growth for the next decade and reap the rewards for our city-region and UK plc.

    The project around Old Trafford represents the biggest opportunity for urban regeneration this country has seen since London 2012 and is a key part of our 10-year plan to turbocharge growth across Greater Manchester. We look forward working with the Government on moving freight away from the site around Old Trafford to new locations to open up capacity our rail network, and unlock massive regeneration potential – delivering benefits across the whole of the North.

    As part of its relentless focus to get Britain building and achieve the ambition to build 1.5 million new homes over five years, the government has already:  

    • Overhauled the National Planning Policy Framework, including new and higher mandatory housebuilding targets for councils, a comprehensive modernisation of the Green Belt, and far greater support for growth-supporting development such as labs and datacentres.  

    • Launched a New Homes Accelerator group to unlock thousands of new homes currently in the planning system.  

    • Published a series of working papers on further reforms to the planning system:  
      • ‘brownfield passports’, designed to ensure that where planning proposals meet design and quality standards, the default answer to planning permission is ‘yes’,
      • development and nature recovery, detailing a new approach for developers to discharge environmental obligations through payment into a Nature Restoration Fund which then allows them to crack on with building,
      •  planning committees, proposing a national scheme of delegation to speed up the approval process and provide greater certainty to developers.

    • Set up an independent New Towns Taskforce, as part of a long-term vision to create largescale communities of at least 10,000 new homes each.  

    • Awarded £68 million to 54 local councils to unlock housing on brownfield sites.   

    • Awarded £47 million to seven councils to unlock homes stalled by nutrient neutrality rules. 

    • Extended the existing Home Building Fund for this year providing up to £700 million of vital support to SME housebuilders, supporting the delivery of around 12,000 additional homes.

    • Confirmed that government investment in housing will increase to £5 billion for this year, including an extra £500 million in new funding for the Affordable Homes Programme to deliver tens of thousands of new affordable and social homes across the country.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s message to the World Internet of Things Convention

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    I am pleased to send my greetings to the World Internet of Things Convention.

    Digital technology has transformed every aspect of our lives.

    It is also an increasingly powerful engine of business and economic growth. Real-time data sharing, IoT applications, information networking and artificial intelligence are enabling the development of smart grids, smart homes and smart cities. Across various sectors, including transportation, agriculture, energy, and healthcare, these technologies are improving quality of life, promoting sustainability, and fostering more responsive services.

    But not all countries or communities are benefitting equally. For those without capacity or connectivity, the digital divide is an opportunity divide. And as your theme reminds us, unleashing the potential of a new digital economy depends on a fully connected world.

    Last month, leaders adopted the Global Digital Compact to help close the divide and support efforts to ensure that communities and countries get the financial and technological assistance to expand connectivity to all people. 

    On AI, we also made an essential breakthrough: the first truly universal agreement on governance giving every country a seat at the AI table.

    Digital technology is about bridging divides.

    Let’s ensure that these rapidly evolving technologies serve all people, equally.

    ***

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Big companies profit from poverty but aren’t obliged to uphold human rights. International law must change – scholar

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Bonita Meyersfeld, Associate Professor, University of the Witwatersrand

    There is some disagreement among legal practitioners and scholars about whether corporations have duties under international law.

    Many argue that only states are bound by international law, and it is those states which are obliged to regulate how businesses operate within their borders. Corporations have only a voluntary responsibility to avoid committing human rights violations through their operations.

    I have been doing research in the area of corporate accountability for human rights violations since 2006. My most recent paper looks at the role of multinational corporations (multinationals) in benefiting from and perpetuating structural poverty in the global south.

    I argue that international law can no longer exempt corporations from liability for human rights violations, including those arising from poverty. Under certain circumstances, corporations should have duties under international law to ensure human rights are fulfilled. I argue that this is particularly true when it comes to socio-economic rights such as the rights to housing, education, food, water and healthcare.

    International human rights law must be developed to impose duties directly on multinational corporations to alleviate poverty in the developing countries where they operate.

    This is not an absolute duty – it would only arise in certain circumstances and for specific periods of time, as I show in my paper.

    Poverty and corporations

    Some estimate that as many as 1.3 billion people live in poverty – more than 10% of the world’s population, the vast majority in the global south.

    Poverty is also deadly. It is estimated that at least 21,300 people die every day as a result of poverty and inequality. Poverty is a human rights violation, affecting the rights to dignity, life, food and water.

    Businesses have a long history of profiting from human rights abuses. Finance and transport companies have acknowledged ties to the slave trade. European banks reportedly assisted South Africa’s apartheid government to procure arms.



    Read more:
    UK-Rwanda migrant deal challenges international protection law

    Even when they are not directly responsible for human rights violations, multinational corporations may be complicit. Multinationals based in the global north tend to exploit developing countries for their cheap labour, natural resources and weak regulatory frameworks. In other words, corporations benefit from poverty.

    International law

    In 2005, Professor John Ruggie was appointed as the United Nations secretary-general’s special representative on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises. He developed the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This framework adopts the position that only states are subjects and have duties under international human rights law.

    The UN guiding principles are organised around three pillars, known as Protect, Respect and Remedy. The first pillar relates to states’ obligations to uphold human rights. It includes the duty to regulate businesses to ensure they do not violate rights through their operations. The second pillar refers to corporations’ responsibility to respect human rights. This is voluntary and not a legal obligation. The third pillar ensures that victims of human rights violations have access to effective remedies.

    This framework relies on three factors: states which have the interests of their citizens at heart, corporations complying with human rights standards, and effective remedial systems. If all three work together, then the UN guiding principles can address corporate accountability for rights violations.

    In practice, however, this is not the case. Many states, particularly those in the developing world with high levels of poverty, rely on foreign investment. This creates a power imbalance when negotiating with large multinational corporations. Multinationals are able to demand favourable investment conditions, including relaxing laws that might protect human rights.



    Read more:
    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is illegal under international law: suggesting it’s not is dangerous

    Under the UN guiding principles, if states do not impose obligations on corporations to comply with human rights, they do not have such obligations.

    Next steps

    Not all corporations should have the same duties as states. I propose a set of factors that would determine when a corporation might have a duty under international human rights law to fulfil socio-economic rights. These factors are:

    • the extent of the violation

    • the position or vulnerability of the victim

    • the urgency of the situation

    • whether the corporation is the only actor that can fulfil the right.

    For example, let us imagine a scenario in which a company operates a mine in the Central African Republic. It has built a hospital for its workers and management. Surrounding the mining operations are indigent communities who resided in the area before the operations began.

    One day, a child from one of the settlements is knocked over by a car. Her injuries are not life-threatening, but they are severe and the child is in terrible pain. The closest hospital is the mine-owned private hospital. There is a public hospital, but it is far away and travelling there would take time and be costly. The child’s family rushes her to the mine’s hospital for emergency treatment. Does the hospital have a legal duty to admit the child and pay for her treatment?

    Applying a combination of the factors, the answer is yes. The child is vulnerable by virtue of her age and poverty, the situation is urgent, and the mine hospital is the only entity that can fulfil the right under the circumstances.



    Read more:
    The CAR provides hard lessons on what it means to deliver real justice

    Using this framework, I argue that international human rights law should be developed to mitigate the harm of poverty in the global south, by imposing duties on corporations that benefit from poverty. Some corporations have a perverse incentive to keep communities poor. International law has a role to play in overturning this state of affairs.

    Ultimately, my proposal seeks to review what we think of as a fair and just economy. Nothing will change if only states have obligations under international law. The global economic market is neither free nor fair. It has created the most severe human rights violations of our age. International human rights law must address this.

    Bonita Meyersfeld has received funding from the National Research Foundation as part of her NRF rating.

    – ref. Big companies profit from poverty but aren’t obliged to uphold human rights. International law must change – scholar – https://theconversation.com/big-companies-profit-from-poverty-but-arent-obliged-to-uphold-human-rights-international-law-must-change-scholar-241398

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Big companies profit from poverty but aren’t obliged to uphold human rights. International law must change – scholar

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Bonita Meyersfeld, Associate Professor, University of the Witwatersrand

    There is some disagreement among legal practitioners and scholars about whether corporations have duties under international law.

    Many argue that only states are bound by international law, and it is those states which are obliged to regulate how businesses operate within their borders. Corporations have only a voluntary responsibility to avoid committing human rights violations through their operations.

    I have been doing research in the area of corporate accountability for human rights violations since 2006. My most recent paper looks at the role of multinational corporations (multinationals) in benefiting from and perpetuating structural poverty in the global south.

    I argue that international law can no longer exempt corporations from liability for human rights violations, including those arising from poverty. Under certain circumstances, corporations should have duties under international law to ensure human rights are fulfilled. I argue that this is particularly true when it comes to socio-economic rights such as the rights to housing, education, food, water and healthcare.

    International human rights law must be developed to impose duties directly on multinational corporations to alleviate poverty in the developing countries where they operate.

    This is not an absolute duty – it would only arise in certain circumstances and for specific periods of time, as I show in my paper.

    Poverty and corporations

    Some estimate that as many as 1.3 billion people live in poverty – more than 10% of the world’s population, the vast majority in the global south.

    Poverty is also deadly. It is estimated that at least 21,300 people die every day as a result of poverty and inequality. Poverty is a human rights violation, affecting the rights to dignity, life, food and water.

    Businesses have a long history of profiting from human rights abuses. Finance and transport companies have acknowledged ties to the slave trade. European banks reportedly assisted South Africa’s apartheid government to procure arms.

    Read more: UK-Rwanda migrant deal challenges international protection law

    Even when they are not directly responsible for human rights violations, multinational corporations may be complicit. Multinationals based in the global north tend to exploit developing countries for their cheap labour, natural resources and weak regulatory frameworks. In other words, corporations benefit from poverty.

    International law

    In 2005, Professor John Ruggie was appointed as the United Nations secretary-general’s special representative on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises. He developed the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This framework adopts the position that only states are subjects and have duties under international human rights law.

    The UN guiding principles are organised around three pillars, known as Protect, Respect and Remedy. The first pillar relates to states’ obligations to uphold human rights. It includes the duty to regulate businesses to ensure they do not violate rights through their operations. The second pillar refers to corporations’ responsibility to respect human rights. This is voluntary and not a legal obligation. The third pillar ensures that victims of human rights violations have access to effective remedies.

    This framework relies on three factors: states which have the interests of their citizens at heart, corporations complying with human rights standards, and effective remedial systems. If all three work together, then the UN guiding principles can address corporate accountability for rights violations.

    In practice, however, this is not the case. Many states, particularly those in the developing world with high levels of poverty, rely on foreign investment. This creates a power imbalance when negotiating with large multinational corporations. Multinationals are able to demand favourable investment conditions, including relaxing laws that might protect human rights.

    Read more: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is illegal under international law: suggesting it’s not is dangerous

    Under the UN guiding principles, if states do not impose obligations on corporations to comply with human rights, they do not have such obligations.

    Next steps

    Not all corporations should have the same duties as states. I propose a set of factors that would determine when a corporation might have a duty under international human rights law to fulfil socio-economic rights. These factors are:

    • the extent of the violation

    • the position or vulnerability of the victim

    • the urgency of the situation

    • whether the corporation is the only actor that can fulfil the right.

    For example, let us imagine a scenario in which a company operates a mine in the Central African Republic. It has built a hospital for its workers and management. Surrounding the mining operations are indigent communities who resided in the area before the operations began.

    One day, a child from one of the settlements is knocked over by a car. Her injuries are not life-threatening, but they are severe and the child is in terrible pain. The closest hospital is the mine-owned private hospital. There is a public hospital, but it is far away and travelling there would take time and be costly. The child’s family rushes her to the mine’s hospital for emergency treatment. Does the hospital have a legal duty to admit the child and pay for her treatment?

    Applying a combination of the factors, the answer is yes. The child is vulnerable by virtue of her age and poverty, the situation is urgent, and the mine hospital is the only entity that can fulfil the right under the circumstances.

    Read more: The CAR provides hard lessons on what it means to deliver real justice

    Using this framework, I argue that international human rights law should be developed to mitigate the harm of poverty in the global south, by imposing duties on corporations that benefit from poverty. Some corporations have a perverse incentive to keep communities poor. International law has a role to play in overturning this state of affairs.

    Ultimately, my proposal seeks to review what we think of as a fair and just economy. Nothing will change if only states have obligations under international law. The global economic market is neither free nor fair. It has created the most severe human rights violations of our age. International human rights law must address this.

    – Big companies profit from poverty but aren’t obliged to uphold human rights. International law must change – scholar
    – https://theconversation.com/big-companies-profit-from-poverty-but-arent-obliged-to-uphold-human-rights-international-law-must-change-scholar-241398

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s message to the World Internet of Things Convention

    Source: United Nations – English

    am pleased to send my greetings to the World Internet of Things Convention.

    Digital technology has transformed every aspect of our lives.

    It is also an increasingly powerful engine of business and economic growth. Real-time data sharing, IoT applications, information networking and artificial intelligence are enabling the development of smart grids, smart homes and smart cities. Across various sectors, including transportation, agriculture, energy, and healthcare, these technologies are improving quality of life, promoting sustainability, and fostering more responsive services.

    But not all countries or communities are benefitting equally. For those without capacity or connectivity, the digital divide is an opportunity divide. And as your theme reminds us, unleashing the potential of a new digital economy depends on a fully connected world.

    Last month, leaders adopted the Global Digital Compact to help close the divide and support efforts to ensure that communities and countries get the financial and technological assistance to expand connectivity to all people. 

    On AI, we also made an essential breakthrough: the first truly universal agreement on governance giving every country a seat at the AI table.

    Digital technology is about bridging divides.

    Let’s ensure that these rapidly evolving technologies serve all people, equally.

    ***

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SFST headed to Switzerland

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui will depart on a visit to Switzerland today, and will return to Hong Kong on Friday.

    In Geneva, Mr Hui will attend and speak at the 41st session of the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting & Reporting, organised by the UN Conference on Trade & Development.

    He will meet top figures from international organisations, and from the financial and business sectors, to talk about the advantages of Hong Kong’s financial industries and how the city is well equipped to respond to the world’s increasing focus on sustainability.

    During the visit, the treasury chief will also meet financial officials from the Swiss Government.

    During Mr Hui’s absence, Under Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Joseph Chan will be Acting Secretary.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Albanese flags radical changes to student debt – with a 20% overall cut and drop in payment rates

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University

    Taoty/Shutterstock

    Over the weekend, the Albanese government announced radical changes to student loans, which would kick in after the next federal election.

    Three million Australians with student debt could see their balances cut by 20%. The remaining debt would be repaid under a new system, with no compulsory repayments for people earning less than A$67,000 a year. Both changes require parliamentary approval.

    The changes will apply to everyone with a student debt, including all HELP (formerly HECS), vocational education and Australian apprenticeship support loans, as well as other student support loans.

    People with student debt would undoubtedly benefit from the proposed changes. But they come with a hefty price tag and some disadvantages.

    What are the proposed cuts to student debt?

    As of June 30 this year, Australia’s higher education student debt totalled about $75.1 billion – although this is soon set to drop by about $3 billion. Legislation to partially reverse recent indexation to debts will go to the Senate later this month.

    However, staying with the $75 billion, a 20% cut would be about $15 billion.

    Using the government’s figures, someone with the average HELP debt of $27,600 would see around $5,520 cut from their HELP loans next year.

    Vocational education students owed $8.4 billion as of June 30 2024. Their balances would reduce by about $1.7 billion under the changes.

    Based on previous student support loan data, this debt is more than $3 billion. The changes would see it drop by about $600 million.

    These reductions total $17.3 billion compared to the government’s estimate of $16 billion. But the upcoming indexation changes may explain this difference.

    Repayments set to change

    These changes have two important elements: the income at which repayments start and how repayments are calculated.

    These changes come amid a cost-of-living crisis and rising fees for students.

    There was a noted outcry earlier this year when the cost of an arts degree hit $50,000 for 2025.

    No compulsory repayments if you earn under $67,000

    With parliament’s approval, for 2025-26 compulsory repayments on student loans would not start until the debtor was earning $67,000. This is up from about $56,000.

    This would help a significant number of Australians. In 2023-24 more than 400,000 debtors had incomes between $50,000 and $70,000.

    Changes to how repayments are calculated

    Another significant change is to how repayments are calculated. Currently, when a debtor’s income reaches one of 18 income levels they repay a higher percentage, based on all their income.

    This can produce strange results. Take a graduate earning $62,850 a year. They are in the 1% of income repayment rate, so they owe the Australian Taxation Office $628.50 in HELP repayments. But if their income goes up by $1 to $62,851 they enter the 2% repayment bracket, and owe the tax office $1,257. So a $1 pay increase would reduce the graduate’s take home pay by more than $600.

    Under the government’s proposal, repayments would be calculated on income above a threshold, ignoring all income below the first threshold.

    The new system would start with a 15% repayment rate at incomes between $67,000 and $124,999. Income at $125,000 or above would have a 17% repayment rate.

    So, take a graduate on $70,000 a year. Under the current system, they will repay 2.5% of all their income, which is $1,750. Under the proposed system their repayments will be calculated only on the $3,000 difference between $67,000 and $70,000. This means they pay 15% of $3,000 or $450.

    The government says on average, repayments will drop by $680 per individual debtor.

    But those earning $180,000 plus will repay more student debt each year due to the new system. This is not a large group.
    Of the 1.16 million people who made a HELP repayment in 2021-22, all but 16,000 earned less than $180,000.

    The cost of an arts degree is set to reach $50,000 in 2025, amid growing concerns over study costs.
    rongyiquan/Shutterstock

    There are some disadvantages

    The downside of reduced annual repayments is longer repayment periods and more indexation of HELP balances.

    People who want to repay more quickly can make voluntary repayments, which have increased significantly in recent years. But most people take the default option of compulsory repayments only.

    While people who currently hold debt will see their repayment times reduced after the 20% cut to their balance, future borrowers won’t have this benefit.

    Given the pattern of recent announcements, it would not be surprising if the government also announced reduced student contributions for future borrowers.

    But it is also surprising the government has been stalling for two years on the high cost of arts degrees, set to hit almost $17,000 a year next year. These high fees should have been reduced long ago.

    The cost to government

    The 20% reduction in student debt balances will also come at a very significant cost to government and taxpayers.

    This will not be the full $16 billion they have announced, since that includes debt that is not expected to be repaid anyway.

    For higher education debt, the government actuary estimates 24% of the debt outstanding as of June 30 this year will not be repaid. Even so, a 20% cut to the $57.1 billion “good” debt would still cost $11.4 billion.

    Cutting vocational education debt by 20% would add around another $1 billion to the cost, after deducting debt that won’t be repaid. Debts for student income support tend to have high bad debt rates, but the 20% cut for them would also add to the government’s expenditure.

    The government will also incur further costs from slowing down future repayments.

    Is this the best way?

    The last few years have highlighted how stressful and damaging high levels of student debt can be for younger Australians.

    And as Labor looks ahead to the next federal poll, reducing individuals’ debts and repayments could be a useful election selling point.

    However, the Albanese govenrment’s plan comes with a high price tag and the priorities may not be entirely right. Managing future debt, such as by reversing fee hikes under the Job-ready Graduates program, is as important as reducing old debt.

    Andrew Norton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Albanese flags radical changes to student debt – with a 20% overall cut and drop in payment rates – https://theconversation.com/albanese-flags-radical-changes-to-student-debt-with-a-20-overall-cut-and-drop-in-payment-rates-242740

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: View from The Hill: it’s time to put some new rules around upgrades for parliamentarians

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    The Qantas upgrades affair has turned from a missile targeted at Anthony Albanese to a cluster bomb hitting MPs on all sides.

    On Sunday, Education Minister Jason Clare took the opportunity provided by an interview on Sky about the government’s proposal to slash 20% off student debt to relate, in detail, why he requested a Qantas upgrade in 2019 for a private trip to Singapore.

    He’d had an operation on his leg. He was catching up with his family already overseas. He contacted someone – he’s forgotten who – in Qantas.

    On the other side of politics, the Nationals’ Bridget McKenzie, who’s been in hot pursuit of Albanese over his upgrades, is yet to produce full details of her own situation.  She’s asked the airlines for the information.

    Then there’s the Liberals’ Paul Fletcher, who apparently likes to book economy on flights of under two hours. He’s had 69 upgrades over almost 15 years.

    It’s important to remember what the rules are. Parliamentarians in their work are entitled to fly business class on domestic trips.  In some cases, they choose to fly economy on short hauls and business on longer ones.

    In the wake of the ongoing revelations, surely it is time to fix the rules. One obvious change should be a ban on upgrades for all personal travel, domestic or overseas, by parliamentarians. If MPs do not want the discomfort of economy class on holidays or other excursions, they should pay to avoid it.

    Another change should be that the minister for transport, and the shadow minister, should decline upgrades for their official travel. That avoids any suggestion of being influenced by such perks.

    This parliamentary week is devoted, in the Senate, to estimates hearings, so there will be some grilling on the first day about upgrades, and also about the fabled Qantas chairman’s lounge, a networking facility which those with power are invited to join.

    “The Chairman’s Lounge” is the title of the book by journalist Joe Aston that kicked off the furore a week ago.

    The estimates hearings are also likely to see opposition senators probe the entrails of whether Lidia Thorpe, who demonstrated  noisily at the parliamentary reception for the King, has or has not been properly sworn in as a senator.

    Thorpe substituted the word “hairs” for “heirs” when she read the oath. But she signed the paper, and constitutional expert Anne Twomey thinks she’s met the requirements.

    McKenzie has been among those targeting Thorpe. But  if, when the full Senate sits later in the month, the opposition tries to have action taken against Thorpe, it will just serve her cause.

    Thorpe wants publicity and that would give her plenty more. To be attempting to censure or even have disqualified an Indigenous senator would send a bad signal, at home (where some Indigenous people back her) and abroad.

    The House of Representatives this week will have a heap of legislation before it, including the bill on misinformation and disinformation. There will be another to keep the NBN in public hands, as well as the aged care reforms.

    But we’re still awaiting an announcement on restricting gambling advertising, and a bill to put an age limit on young people signing up to social media accounts.

    We won’t be seeing before the election legislation for the prime minister’s  announcement on  cutting student debt by 20%, and other changes relating to its repayment, that he unveiled at the weekend.

    Unlike the government’s earlier change to the indexation of this debt, now before the Senate, these new measures are promises – conditional on Labor winning next year’s election.

    If that happens, Albanese says this will be “the first piece of legislation we bring into the next parliament”. The  20% cut would be from loan accounts that exist on June 1 next year.

    The government says this is worth $16 billion, although experts point out the real figure – that is, the cost to taxpayers – is several billion dollars less because a portion of these loans would never be repaid anyway.

    We do not have a precise timeline for the cost, which the government says would be borne over the life of the debt. No doubt the estimates hearings will see some delving into this promise, that is squarely directed at millennial voters and those younger and focused on the cost of living.  

    Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. View from The Hill: it’s time to put some new rules around upgrades for parliamentarians – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-its-time-to-put-some-new-rules-around-upgrades-for-parliamentarians-242744

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Financial skills like managing debt are key to success, but Ghana’s small businesses don’t have them

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Samuel Adomako, Associate Professor of Strategy and Innovation, University of Birmingham

    Financial literacy is vital for individuals and households. Simply put, it’s the ability to understand and effectively use various financial skills: budgeting, managing debt, making sound investments, and understanding financial statements.

    These skills are crucial for businesses, too – especially small and medium enterprises. Small and medium enterprises are widely recognised as the backbone of many low-income countries’ economies. The World Bank estimates that these businesses account for between 60% and 70% of jobs in sub-Saharan Africa and approximately 40% of low-income countries’ GDPs globally.

    Ghana is one of the countries whose economy relies heavily on small and medium enterprises. Much emphasis has been placed on how important it is for these businesses to access finance. But far less has been discussed about the value of financial literacy. In Ghana, as is the case in many other countries, the reality is that many small and medium enterprises still fail to grow as expected, even when they have access to capital. This surprising outcome suggests that access to finance, while crucial, is not the sole factor determining business success. The missing piece of the puzzle? Financial literacy.

    We conducted a study to find out whether managers at small and medium enterprises in Ghana believed that financial literacy would help them to improve their growth after accessing finance. CEOs and senior financial managers who self-identified as being financially literate told us that their businesses had grown as a result, explicitly linking growth and financial literacy.

    It is clear from this study that financial literacy empowers the managers of small and medium enterprises to make informed decisions, make the best use of their resources, and avoid common pitfalls that can derail business growth. It enables them not only to access finance but also to use it effectively for sustainable growth and long-term success.

    Our findings have wider implications. Small and medium enterprises are vital for economic growth. But their potential is being undermined by a lack of financial literacy. This isn’t just a problem for businesses themselves: it’s a problem for the entire economy they are part of. When small and medium enterprises fail to grow, job creation stalls, innovation slows down, and the economy as a whole suffers.

    The study

    There is no single public register for small and medium enterprises in Ghana. So we drew our participants from a range of resources, including the national company register, the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, the Association of Ghana Industries and the Ghana Business Directory.

    We defined small and medium enterprises in the same way as Ghana’s Statistical Service does: companies that have 250 or fewer employees.

    Ultimately, 201 firms across the manufacturing and services sectors took part in the study. The vast majority of responses were from CEOs and senior finance managers, which is important since people in these positions ought to have comprehensive knowledge about a firm’s growth and performance.

    The respondents saw a clear link between financial literacy and access to finance for growing their businesses. One CEO said:

    Understanding financial principles is the foundation of our business decisions. Without financial literacy, we wouldn’t have been able to secure the necessary funding to expand our operations. It’s not just about getting access to finance but knowing how to manage it effectively that drives growth.

    A senior financial manager told us:

    Before improving our financial literacy, we struggled to convince lenders of our potential. Learning how to present our financials clearly and manage our cash flow gave us the credibility we needed to secure financing and invest in our growth.

    Some interviewees discussed how not being financially literate had hampered their ability to properly use funding. A finance manager said that, after securing an initial round of funding. “we quickly realised we couldn’t manage cash flow effectively”, adding:

    It felt like we were putting out fires every day. I didn’t understand terms like ‘liquidity ratios’ or ‘debt management’ until I started learning about financial literacy. It was eye-opening.

    These lessons happened in various ways, some more formal than others. One CEO, realising their own financial management skills needed work, hired a financial officer with strong abilities in this area and learned a great deal from them.

    Some CEOs signed themselves up for financial management workshops; others organised short courses for their entire teams. One told us: “We took a financial literacy course designed for entrepreneurs, and it gave us new insights into how to manage loans and investments. It wasn’t just about survival but also about how to leverage what we had to grow. Now, we budget better, monitor our cash flow closely, and even started saving for unexpected expenses.”

    Read more: Battling to make ends meet? Financial planning expert offers 5 tips on how to build your budget

    Addressing the issues

    There are several ways to improve financial literacy among small and medium enterprises.

    First, policymakers should incorporate mandatory financial literacy training into existing support programmes for these businesses. It should cover essential financial management skills such as budgeting, cash flow management and investment planning.

    Read more: Corruption hurts businesses but digital tools offer the hope of fighting it, say manufacturers in Ghana and Nigeria

    Policymakers could also facilitate partnerships between banks, microfinance institutions and educational organisations to offer targeted financial literacy workshops for managers at small and medium enterprises. This would equip businesses to manage the financial support they receive.

    Finally, policymakers should introduce incentives, such as reduced interest rates or preferential loan terms, for small and medium enterprises that complete certified financial literacy courses. This would motivate managers to enhance their financial management skills, leading to more sustainable business growth and improved economic outcomes.

    – Financial skills like managing debt are key to success, but Ghana’s small businesses don’t have them
    – https://theconversation.com/financial-skills-like-managing-debt-are-key-to-success-but-ghanas-small-businesses-dont-have-them-241955

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Financial skills like managing debt are key to success, but Ghana’s small businesses don’t have them

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Samuel Adomako, Associate Professor of Strategy and Innovation, University of Birmingham

    Mongta Studio/Shutterstock

    Financial literacy is vital for individuals and households. Simply put, it’s the ability to understand and effectively use various financial skills: budgeting, managing debt, making sound investments, and understanding financial statements.

    These skills are crucial for businesses, too – especially small and medium enterprises. Small and medium enterprises are widely recognised as the backbone of many low-income countries’ economies. The World Bank estimates that these businesses account for between 60% and 70% of jobs in sub-Saharan Africa and approximately 40% of low-income countries’ GDPs globally.

    Ghana is one of the countries whose economy relies heavily on small and medium enterprises. Much emphasis has been placed on how important it is for these businesses to access finance. But far less has been discussed about the value of financial literacy. In Ghana, as is the case in many other countries, the reality is that many small and medium enterprises still fail to grow as expected, even when they have access to capital. This surprising outcome suggests that access to finance, while crucial, is not the sole factor determining business success. The missing piece of the puzzle? Financial literacy.

    We conducted a study to find out whether managers at small and medium enterprises in Ghana believed that financial literacy would help them to improve their growth after accessing finance. CEOs and senior financial managers who self-identified as being financially literate told us that their businesses had grown as a result, explicitly linking growth and financial literacy.

    It is clear from this study that financial literacy empowers the managers of small and medium enterprises to make informed decisions, make the best use of their resources, and avoid common pitfalls that can derail business growth. It enables them not only to access finance but also to use it effectively for sustainable growth and long-term success.

    Our findings have wider implications. Small and medium enterprises are vital for economic growth. But their potential is being undermined by a lack of financial literacy. This isn’t just a problem for businesses themselves: it’s a problem for the entire economy they are part of. When small and medium enterprises fail to grow, job creation stalls, innovation slows down, and the economy as a whole suffers.

    The study

    There is no single public register for small and medium enterprises in Ghana. So we drew our participants from a range of resources, including the national company register, the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, the Association of Ghana Industries and the Ghana Business Directory.

    We defined small and medium enterprises in the same way as Ghana’s Statistical Service does: companies that have 250 or fewer employees.

    Ultimately, 201 firms across the manufacturing and services sectors took part in the study. The vast majority of responses were from CEOs and senior finance managers, which is important since people in these positions ought to have comprehensive knowledge about a firm’s growth and performance.

    The respondents saw a clear link between financial literacy and access to finance for growing their businesses. One CEO said:

    Understanding financial principles is the foundation of our business decisions. Without financial literacy, we wouldn’t have been able to secure the necessary funding to expand our operations. It’s not just about getting access to finance but knowing how to manage it effectively that drives growth.

    A senior financial manager told us:

    Before improving our financial literacy, we struggled to convince lenders of our potential. Learning how to present our financials clearly and manage our cash flow gave us the credibility we needed to secure financing and invest in our growth.

    Some interviewees discussed how not being financially literate had hampered their ability to properly use funding. A finance manager said that, after securing an initial round of funding. “we quickly realised we couldn’t manage cash flow effectively”, adding:

    It felt like we were putting out fires every day. I didn’t understand terms like ‘liquidity ratios’ or ‘debt management’ until I started learning about financial literacy. It was eye-opening.

    These lessons happened in various ways, some more formal than others. One CEO, realising their own financial management skills needed work, hired a financial officer with strong abilities in this area and learned a great deal from them.

    Some CEOs signed themselves up for financial management workshops; others organised short courses for their entire teams. One told us: “We took a financial literacy course designed for entrepreneurs, and it gave us new insights into how to manage loans and investments. It wasn’t just about survival but also about how to leverage what we had to grow. Now, we budget better, monitor our cash flow closely, and even started saving for unexpected expenses.”



    Read more:
    Battling to make ends meet? Financial planning expert offers 5 tips on how to build your budget

    Addressing the issues

    There are several ways to improve financial literacy among small and medium enterprises.

    First, policymakers should incorporate mandatory financial literacy training into existing support programmes for these businesses. It should cover essential financial management skills such as budgeting, cash flow management and investment planning.



    Read more:
    Corruption hurts businesses but digital tools offer the hope of fighting it, say manufacturers in Ghana and Nigeria

    Policymakers could also facilitate partnerships between banks, microfinance institutions and educational organisations to offer targeted financial literacy workshops for managers at small and medium enterprises. This would equip businesses to manage the financial support they receive.

    Finally, policymakers should introduce incentives, such as reduced interest rates or preferential loan terms, for small and medium enterprises that complete certified financial literacy courses. This would motivate managers to enhance their financial management skills, leading to more sustainable business growth and improved economic outcomes.

    Samuel Adomako does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Financial skills like managing debt are key to success, but Ghana’s small businesses don’t have them – https://theconversation.com/financial-skills-like-managing-debt-are-key-to-success-but-ghanas-small-businesses-dont-have-them-241955

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK increases support for Anguilla’s health, security and infrastructure as Minister for Overseas Territories visits islands

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The UK Minister for the Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, will announce new support for Anguilla’s health and security infrastructure as he makes his first visit to the Overseas Territories this week (2-4 November).

    • UK Overseas Territories Minister will open Anguilla’s new emergency 911 control room and announce funding for new ambulances to be provided by February 2025
    • Further funding will finance an additional search and rescue vessel for Anguilla’s maritime search and rescue service
    • Visit to UK-funded high school and airport to take place as minister assesses impact and progress

    The UK Minister for the Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, will announce new support for Anguilla’s health and security infrastructure as he makes his first visit to the Overseas Territories this week (2-4 November).

    The minister will be opening Anguilla’s new emergency 911 control room, partly funded by the UK government, and a facility that will be vital asset in helping to improve public safety. He will also formally announce the UK government’s provision of two new ambulances to Anguilla, and a new boat for assisting with coastal search and rescue operations.

    UK Overseas Territories Minister, Stephen Doughty said:

    “UK funding for Anguilla is helping islanders live healthier, safer, and more prosperous lives.

    “The new support I will announce is just the latest chapter in the UK’s close relationship with Anguilla, with sustainable investment and close partnership at its heart.”

    The minister will make a stop at the Royal Anguilla Police and National Emergency Operating Centre, where he will commend the force for their efforts in reducing gang violence in recent months. The UK has funded seven UK officers to help the Royal Anguilla Police Force tackle gang violence and conduct investigations on the island.

    The Minister will also visit the Princess Alexandra Hospital, where he will hear about the challenges faced by those working in Anguilla’s healthcare sector. UK funding has already provided a dialysis unit, reconstruction lab, isolation ward, and a new morgue, which will significantly improve coronial and post-mortem processes.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 November 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Without a One Health plan, Canada is vulnerable to future pandemics

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Dominique Charron, Visiting Scholar in One Health, University of Guelph

    One Health is based on an understanding that our health and that of animals, plants and ecosystems are interdependent.
     (Shutterstock)

    November 3 is World One Health Day. One Health brings all parts of society and governments together to tackle joint problems of human, animal, plant and ecosystem health.

    Canada needs a One Health plan now to better face worsening climate change, accelerating biodiversity loss, pandemic threats, and threats from superbugs resistant to antibiotics. Canada’s actions on these issues are reactive rather than preventive, and aren’t well co-ordinated or funded. This undermines our readiness and response.

    One Health is based on an understanding that our health and that of animals, plants and ecosystems are interdependent. It presents a way to promote the health of all and to navigate the inevitable trade-offs.

    The current avian flu threat

    A look to our southern border highlights the urgency for action. On March 25, a strain of Avian Influenza A:H5N1 virus that had caused outbreaks in wild birds and poultry in Canada and the United States since 2021, suddenly infected dairy cows in Texas.

    The virus had never been reported in cows before. Its detection was slow and too little was done to stop the spread. As of Nov. 1, H5N1 had spread quickly to 404 dairy farms across 14 states, costing millions in lost milk production and spilling back into poultry and wildlife, killing millions more birds.

    It is concerning that H5N1 has also infected at least 39 people, primarily farm workers, fortunately causing only mild symptoms.

    Canada’s response to the outbreak ramped up after H5N1 reports in U.S. dairy cows. No cases of H5N1 have yet been detected in Canadian cows, but there is need for vigilance because of ongoing H5N1 outbreaks across North America. Authorities in both countries have confirmed that pasteurized milk products are safe.



    Read more:
    U.S. has found H5N1 flu virus in milk — here’s why the risk to humans is likely low

    H5N1 is a growing threat because it infects many species, including seals, mink, bears, foxes, coyotes, dogs and cats. Influenza viruses that jump species pose a greater pandemic threat because of the mixing that may occur when different influenza viruses infect the same animal or person. This can produce new, more severe strains of human flu.

    No one wants to face another pandemic. Canada’s actions to keep ahead of this threat would be enhanced by national One Health planning and co-ordination.

    One Health around the world

    National One Health plans of other countries, like Rwanda, Thailand and Bangladesh, have been shown to help prevent human and animal disease outbreaks. Global Affairs Canada and the International Development Research Centre have invested $40 million since 2021 to support One Health internationally, including in hotspots of disease emergence.

    The U.S. has a One Health Act and recently launched its national co-ordination platform. However, Canada has just begun this work at home. Canada created a high level steering committee to oversee the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Time and effort were taken to involve federal, provincial and territorial agencies, Indigenous people, civil society and researchers to arrive at an inclusive framework with the right objectives, responsibilities and outputs. It’s an ideal model for a new Canadian One Health action plan.

    Canada has a mixed track record of working across sectors, whether to fight past outbreaks of Mad Cow Disease, avian or swine flu, or co-ordinating actions by people from different departments and agencies on H5N1 or COVID-19 today. There are problems: nationally, collaboration is informal and focused on single issues, more reactive than preventive, and not supported by any overarching plan, decision-making structure or resources to ensure consistent, ongoing co-operation across threats and issues.

    The risks of not putting these measures in place include information not reaching decision-makers, resources and expertise not being used optimally, trade-offs being misread by other agencies or partners, duplication and gaps, and too little getting done to prevent health threats.

    Implementing One Health

    Without a national One Health plan, Canada risks being vulnerable to new threats, including pandemics.
    (Shutterstock)

    There is guidance. In 2021, the World Health Organization, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, UN Environment, and the World Organisation for Animal Health agreed to work together on a One Health Joint Plan of Action and implementation guidance.

    With gender equality, inclusiveness and equity, and the importance of local and traditional knowledge at the fore, countries should start implementing One Health by assessing capacities and programs already in place, setting up and funding national co-ordination, setting priorities for action, then producing and putting into action their national plan.

    Canada should mirror what it has done to manage antibiotic-resistant microbes by developing and governing our own national One Health action plan, similar to the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance.

    It needs to engage Indigenous perspectives and knowledge to strengthen One Health prevention, readiness and response capabilities. A national One Health action plan, and the co-ordination and resources to go with it, could help Canada achieve other goals — such as the National Climate Adaptation Strategy, biodiversity commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Protocol, and the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Anti-Microbial Resistance — and to collaborate more effectively with other countries on shared issues.

    Without a national One Health plan, Canada risks being vulnerable to new threats (including pandemics), investing too little in prevention and having a suboptimal response. It’s time for Canada’s One Health action plan.

    This article was co-authored by Andrea Ellis, DVM, MSc., a consultant currently supporting One Health work with the World Organisation for Animal Health. She is the former Senior Veterinary Advisor to the Chief Veterinary Officer and World Organisation for Animal Health Delegate for Canada.

    Dominique Charron is affiliated with the McEachran Institute and START.org. She is a member of the One Health High Level Expert Panel that advises the World Health Organization, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, UN Environment, and World Organisation for Animal Health. She is a former Vice-President, Programs and Partnerships, of the International Development Research Centre.

    Cate Dewey is currently working on a community One Health project in Rwanda. The project is managed by Veterinarians without Borders, North America and is funded by Global Affairs Canada

    – ref. Without a One Health plan, Canada is vulnerable to future pandemics – https://theconversation.com/without-a-one-health-plan-canada-is-vulnerable-to-future-pandemics-242378

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: SOUTH BAY REPS ANNOUNCE NEW SUNNYVALE R&D FACILITY FUNDED BY THE CHIPS AND SCIENCE ACT

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif)

    Santa Clara, CA —Today, Representatives Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Ro Khanna (CA-17), co-author of the CHIPS and Science Act, Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Ranking Member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and Anna Eshoo (CA-16) announced that the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), a public-private consortium operated by the Department of Commerce and Natcast, will open a new CHIPS for America Collaboration and Design Facility in Sunnyvale to support research and design innovation and efforts to expand the semiconductor workforce. 

    “As a hub for innovation, cutting-edge technology, and a thriving semiconductor ecosystem, Silicon Valley is the ideal location for the National Semiconductor Technology Center’s CHIPS for America Collaboration and Design Facility. The facility will serve as an institution for advancing new technologies and building a workforce that helps America lead in the 21st century economy. This facility was made possible by the CHIPS and Science Act that we proudly worked on and voted to pass in Congress. We will continue to support investments in technologies and manufacturing that benefit our communities and our country’s economy,” said Representatives Panetta, Khanna, Lofgren, and Eshoo. 

    The Sunnyvale based facility will support: 

    • Conducting advanced semiconductor research in chip design and hardware security
    • Hosting the NSTC Workforce Center of Excellence, Design Enablement Gateway, and a future Investment Fund
    • Convening NSTC members and stakeholders from across the semiconductor ecosystem
    • Housing various administration functions

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Did Hurricane Helene Affect Your Well Furnace or Septic System

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Did Hurricane Helene Affect Your Well Furnace or Septic System

    Did Hurricane Helene Affect Your Well Furnace or Septic System

    COLUMBIA, S.C. – If your private well, furnace or septic system was damaged by Hurricane Helene, you may be eligible for financial assistance from FEMA. For disaster-damaged private wells, heating systems, furnaces and septic systems, FEMA may pay for the cost of a professional, licensed technician to visit your home and prepare an estimate detailing the necessary repairs or replacement expenses. FEMA may also pay for the actual repair or replacement cost of your private well, furnace or septic system, which may not be covered by homeowner’s insurance. Be sure to keep any receipts or estimates because you may be eligible for assistance even if the work has already been completed.At the time of your home inspection, let the FEMA inspector know which essential appliances and systems may have been damaged by the storm. If you already had an inspection and these damages were not reported, contact the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or visit any Disaster Recovery Center to update your application. To find the nearest center, visit fema.gov/DRC or text “DRC” along with your Zip Code to 43362. How To ApplyIf you have not applied for FEMA assistance yet, there is still time to submit your application. Homeowners and renters in Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union and York counties and the Catawba Indian Nation who were affected by Hurricane Helene are eligible to apply for FEMA assistance. You can apply in several ways: online at DisasterAssistance.gov, in person at any Disaster Recovery Center, on your phone using the FEMA mobile app or by calling the FEMA Helpline. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in many languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.For a video with American Sign Language, voiceover and open captions about how to apply for FEMA assistance, select this link.FEMA programs are accessible to survivors with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.
    gerard.hammink
    Sun, 11/03/2024 – 15:42

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada to announce proposed approach to tackle greenhouse gas pollution and drive innovation in the oil and gas sector

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Media representatives are advised that the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, joined by colleagues, will announce the Government of Canada’s proposed approach to limiting greenhouse gas pollution, driving innovation, and creating jobs in the oil and gas sector. Canada’s climate plan is working by driving down emissions, while creating a stronger, cleaner economy.

    Ottawa, Ontario – November 3, 2024 – Media representatives are advised that the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, joined by colleagues, will announce the Government of Canada’s proposed approach to limiting greenhouse gas pollution, driving innovation, and creating jobs in the oil and gas sector. Canada’s climate plan is working by driving down emissions, while creating a stronger, cleaner economy.

    Prior to the announcement, senior government officials from Environment and Climate Change Canada and Natural Resources Canada will hold a bilingual technical briefing, which will be on background and not for attribution.

    Event: Media technical briefing
    Date: Monday, November 4, 2024
    Time: 11:15 a.m. (EST)
    Location: The National Press Theatre
    180 Wellington Street
    Room 325
    Ottawa, Ontario

    Media representatives are asked to register by contacting the Press Gallery to obtain more information.

    Note to media: Participation in the question-and-answer portion of this technical briefing is for accredited members of the Press Gallery only. Media who are not members of the Press Gallery may contact pressres2@parl.gc.ca for temporary access.

    Event: Hybrid announcement and media availability
    Date: Monday, November 4, 2024
    Time: 1:00 p.m. (EST)
    Location: The Wellington Building
    180 Wellington Street
    Lobby (in front of the green wall)
    Ottawa, Ontario

    Media representatives are asked to register by contacting Media Relations at Environment and Climate Change Canada to obtain more information.

    Note to media: Media representatives may participate in the question-and-answer portion via teleconference.

    Hermine Landry
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
    873-455-3714
    Hermine.Landry@ec.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Environment and Climate Change Canada
    819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free)
    media@ec.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI St. Louis Election Command Post

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    In keeping with our standard Election Day protocol, FBI St. Louis has stood up an Election Command Post in preparation for the election on November 5. The command post is staffed 24 hours a day to provide a centralized location for assessing election-related threats in our area of responsibility. The FBI has a duty to plan for a host of potential scenarios related to election fraud, voter suppression, foreign malign influence, malicious cyber activity against election infrastructure, and threats to election workers. We are committed to protecting the American public’s right to a fair and safe election. 
      
    For decades, the FBI has served as the primary agency responsible for investigating allegations of federal election crimes, including campaign finance violations, ballot/voter fraud, and civil rights violations. In close partnership with Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBI established the Election Threats Task Force to identify and address reported threats targeting election workers. 
      
    The FBI takes our responsibility very seriously, and works closely with our federal, state, and local partners to identify and stop any potential threats to public safety. We gather and analyze intelligence to determine whether individuals might be motivated to take violent action for any reason, including due to concerns about the election. 
      
    It is vital the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and the public work together to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote. We encourage the public to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. The FBI takes all threats of violence seriously, including threats targeting those who do the critical work of administering free and fair elections throughout the U.S. 
      
    The Justice Department has long recognized that the states—not the federal government—are responsible for administering elections, determining the validity of votes, and tabulating the results, with challenges handled by the appropriate election administrators, officials, legislatures, and courts.  The Department’s role is limited to investigating and prosecuting violations of federal election laws and deterring criminal conduct. 
      
    FBI St. Louis encourages citizens to report allegations of election fraud and other election abuses. You can reach the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Greens reignite call for free dental

    Source: Green Party

    A new report detailing the enormous social and economic costs of our dental system has reignited the Greens’ call for free dental care. 

    “Everyone in Aotearoa deserves access to dental care – we can make this happen with a fair tax system,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Primary Health, Ricardo Menéndez March. 

    “Healthcare is a human right that should be afforded to all, not just those able to pay for it. We can afford to look after one another and ensure people are not discriminated against accessing dental care due to cost. 

    “Successive Governments have excluded oral health from the public health system. This has led to people living in pain and developing life-threatening conditions.  

    “The Frank Advice Report paints a bleak picture of the current state of play, highlighting the billions of dollars each year that unmet oral health needs cost the economy and our communities. This report underlines the need for us to fold dental care into the public health system and make it accessible to all.

    “Cost is the main barrier to accessing dental care for 44 per cent of the adult population, with an average dentist appointment costing about 40 per cent of the weekly income of someone earning the minimum wage. 

    “The consequences of delaying a trip to the dentist, or leaving problems with our teeth and gums untreated, can lead to severe health issues and more expensive interventions in the long run, as well as impacting people’s ability to participate in their communities.

    “The current settings are costing Aotearoa well over $6.2 billion a year, more than three times what it would cost to provide free dental health care for all. This is why the Green Party campaigned on making dental care free for everyone. All of this and more is possible with a wealth tax. 

    “This report is a much-needed wake-up call and call to action for our government. Short-term cost savings for the government create costs for individuals and communities that are real and can be enormous,” says Ricardo Menéndez March. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Exploring the extraordinary potential (and avoiding the pitfalls) of your local Buy Nothing group

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeline Taylor, Lecturer, School of Design, Queensland University of Technology

    Spaskov/Shutterstock

    You might have heard about your local Buy Nothing Project group on Facebook. If not, you probably know someone who’s a member. We estimate at least one million Australians are involved as members or live in households with a member (probably their mum).

    Buy Nothing groups enable people to ask for and give away unneeded stuff in their neighbourhood. Whether it’s gifting excess garden produce or an outgrown toy, or asking for winter clothes or to borrow a power tool, the groups help people help others.

    Australia has more than 500 of these groups, each with 500–3,000 members. While ordinary in operation and humble in commitment to neighbourhood generosity, these groups have extraordinary potential to reduce consumption and waste. Our research also suggests they improve community wellbeing.

    Homes and neighbourhoods have a big role to play in the transition to a circular economy. This kind of economy shares, reuses, repairs, repurposes and recycles materials and products for as long as possible. This circularity is crucial, because getting to net zero is a difficult ask without public buy-in on reducing consumption.

    However, our research also finds Buy Nothing groups are not immune to older gendered scripts of household labour. Most group members are women, many of them mothers. It is they who are taking, or expected to take, responsibility for finding or disposing of the stuff that fills their family’s homes and lives. This has troubling implications for how we think about action and responsibility for household waste.

    How do Buy Nothing groups work?

    Since its founding in the United States in 2013, the Buy Nothing Project has grown quickly. There are 128,000 Buy Nothing communities around the world today.

    Other online platforms also help people redistribute used goods. But several membership rules make the project unique. The two strictest rules are:

    • “give where you live” by joining only one hyper-localised Facebook group

    • all products must be given or asked for, for free, with “no strings attached”.

    Each local group covers just a few suburbs. Volunteer admins run these groups and enforce the project’s rules and values.

    Buy Nothing Project co-founder Rebecca Rockefeller talks about its origins.

    Why do people join?

    In our study, members cited various reasons for joining and continuing to be involved. The “free stuff” was an obvious motivation. Yet they more often mentioned wanting to help others and sustainability and environmental concerns.

    The minimal barriers to participation helped to reduce any perceived financial or logistical challenges associated with sustainable consumption.

    Interviewees also said their involvement helped them connect with their community. People found much joy and satisfaction in building social networks and helping others.

    People are even gifting items with substantial resale value, such as laptops or bikes. This suggests they value the community connection more than the money they might have been able to get from a sale.

    The data we gathered show these groups have more “gifts” than “asks”. This indicates we have many unused items in our homes. It also highlights a common hesitancy to rely on others, which the Buy Nothing Project seeks to overcome.

    Operating online offers people a high degree of control over when and how they take part. Buy Nothing participation varied based on life circumstances. Parenthood, natural disasters, pandemics, evolving personal values and educational experiences all influenced people’s engagement.

    Participants appreciate the platform’s user information, such as names and profile images. This fostered feelings of familiarity, reciprocity and community.

    But the online environment also allows some anonymity and a relaxed or blended approach to the “buy nothing” ethos. People still feel free to buy things when they need to.

    Many participants engage regularly with the group via a quick daily scroll through Facebook. Using the for-profit platform caused some concerns for the founders, who felt it conflicted with the movement’s values. But attempts to move away from Facebook to an app were largely unsuccessful.

    The cost-of-living crisis has spurred on the global growth of Buy Nothing groups.

    What are the broader benefits of Buy Nothing?

    Buy Nothing membership can be very educational. Via a “drip feed” of materials in their social media feed, members see others like them engage in environmentally conscious behaviours. As one member said:

    The more I have been in [the group], the more I am appreciating the concept.

    Such exposure normalises circular gifting and asking behaviours, encouraging members to adopt them too.

    Within households, group membership fosters discussions and behaviours related to sustainability. Many members talk with their children about product reuse, charity and awareness of others’ needs.

    Households can play a crucial role in adopting environmental innovations. This is because they serve as hubs for social interactions and the spread of knowledge.

    But conflicts over sustainable practices also arise within households. Members reported “pulling their families along”. One recalled her struggle to convince her husband to reduce household waste. She was “dragging him kicking and screaming along” but now he was “starting to appreciate some value” in her efforts to reduce their waste.

    Our participants’ domestic frustrations mirrored broader anxieties about climate change and the environmental impacts of too many belongings and waste. They linked personal anxiety about clutter with global issues such as exporting waste to poor countries and low-quality donations overwhelming charities.

    Women still bear most of the burden of managing household waste.
    Elena Babanova/Shutterstock

    But gendered roles are troubling

    Group admins told us 75-80% of group members are women, as were most admins themselves. This leads us to an uncomfortable tension: a desire to recognise overlooked economic practices while resisting the perpetuation of gender stereotypes. Just as household consumption and its excesses is positioned as women’s responsibility, managing household waste has historically disproportionately consumed women’s time.

    Members said they managed both their belongings and those of others, including parents and children. One said:

    I feel like I’m the only person who ever takes anything out of our house.

    While celebrating this sustainable activity, we should recognise women are doing most of this work.

    I am a member of my local Buy Nothing group – both for personal and research purposes.

    – ref. Exploring the extraordinary potential (and avoiding the pitfalls) of your local Buy Nothing group – https://theconversation.com/exploring-the-extraordinary-potential-and-avoiding-the-pitfalls-of-your-local-buy-nothing-group-221986

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why do organisations still struggle to protect our data? We asked 50 professionals on the privacy front line

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Andrew, Professor, Head of the Discipline of Accounting, Governance and Regulation, University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney

    PabloLagarto/Shutterstock

    More of our personal data is now collected and stored online than ever before in history. The rise of data breaches should unsettle us all.

    At an individual level, data breaches can compromise our privacy, cause harm to our finances and mental health, and even enable identity theft.

    For organisations, the repercussions can be equally severe, often resulting in major financial losses and brand damage.

    Despite the increasing importance of protecting our personal information, doing so remains fraught with challenges.

    As part of a comprehensive study of data breach notification practices, we interviewed 50 senior personnel working in information security and privacy. Here’s what they told us about the multifaceted challenges they face.



    Read more:
    The Australian government has introduced new cyber security laws. Here’s what you need to know

    What does the law actually say?

    Data breaches occur whenever personal information is accessed or disclosed without authorisation, or even lost altogether. Optus, Medibank and Canva have all experienced high-profile incidents in recent years.

    Under Australia’s privacy laws, organisations aren’t allowed to sweep major cyber attacks under the rug.

    They have to notify both the regulator – the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) – and any affected individuals of breaches that are likely to result in “serious harm”.

    But according to the organisational leaders we interviewed, this poses a tricky question. How do you define serious harm?

    Interpretations of what “serious harm” actually means – and how likely it is to occur – vary significantly. This inconsistency can make it impossible to predict the specific impact of a data breach on an individual.

    Victims of domestic violence, for example, may be at increased risk when personal information is exposed, creating harms that are difficult to foresee or mitigate.

    Enforcing the rules

    Interviewees also had concerns about how well the regulator could provide guidance and enforce data protection measures.

    Many expressed a belief the OAIC is underfunded and lacks the authority to impose and enforce fines properly. The consensus was that the challenge of protecting our data has now outgrown the power and resources of the regulator.

    As one chief information security officer at a publicly listed company put it:

    What’s the point of having speeding signs and cameras if you don’t give anyone a ticket?

    A lack of enforcement can undermine the incentive for organisations to invest in robust data protection.

    Only the tip of the iceberg

    Data breaches are also underreported, particularly in the corporate sector.

    One senior cybersecurity consultant from a major multinational company told us there is a strong incentive for companies to minimise or cover up breaches, to avoid embarrassment.

    This culture means many breaches that should be reported simply aren’t. One senior public servant estimated only about 10% of reportable breaches end up actually being disclosed.

    Without this basic transparency, the regulator and affected individuals can’t take necessary steps to protect themselves.

    Affected individuals can’t take steps to protect themselves if breaches aren’t reported.
    Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Third-party breaches

    Sometimes, when we give our personal information to one organisation, it can end up in the hands of another one we might not expect. This is because key tasks – especially managing databases – are often outsourced to third parties.

    Outsourcing tasks might be a more efficient option for an organisation, but it can make protecting personal data even more complicated.

    Interviewees told us breaches were more likely when engaging third-party providers, because it limited the control they had over security measures.

    Between July and December 2023 in Australia, there was an increase of more than 300% in third-party data breaches compared to the six months prior.

    There have been some highly publicised examples.

    In May this year, many Clubs NSW customers had their personal information potentially breached through an attack on third-party software provider Outabox.

    Bunnings suffered a similar breach in late 2021, via an attack on scheduling software provider FlexBooker.

    Getting the basics right

    Some organisations are still struggling with the basics. Our research found many data breaches occur because outdated or “legacy” data systems are still in use.

    These systems are old or inactive databases, often containing huge amounts of personal information about all the individuals who’ve previously interacted with them.

    Organisations tend to hold onto personal data longer than is legally required. This can come down to confusion about data-retention requirements, but also the high cost and complexity of safely decommissioning old systems.

    One chief privacy officer of a large financial services institution told us:

    In an organisation like ours where we have over 2,000 legacy systems […] the systems don’t speak to each other. They don’t come with big red delete buttons.

    Other interviewees flagged that risky data testing practices are widespread.

    Software developers and tech teams often use “production data” – real customer data – to test new products. This is often quicker and cheaper than creating test datasets.

    However, this practice exposes real customer information to insecure testing environments, making it more vulnerable. A senior cybersecurity specialist told us:

    I’ve seen it so much in every industry […] It’s literally live, real information going into systems that are not live and real and have low security.

    What needs to be done?

    Drawing insights from professionals at the coalface, our study highlights just how complex data protection has become in Australia, and how quickly the landscape is evolving.

    Addressing these issues will require a multi-pronged approach, including clearer legislative guidelines, better enforcement, greater transparency and robust security practices for the use of third-party providers.

    As the digital world continues to evolve, so too must our strategies for protecting ourselves and our data.

    Jane Andrew receives funding from The Australian Research Council – Discovery Project.

    Dr Penelope Bowyer-Pont receives funding from the Australian Research Council – Discovery Project.

    Max Baker receives funding from The Australian Research Council – Discovery Project.

    – ref. Why do organisations still struggle to protect our data? We asked 50 professionals on the privacy front line – https://theconversation.com/why-do-organisations-still-struggle-to-protect-our-data-we-asked-50-professionals-on-the-privacy-front-line-236681

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Auckland Transport director appointed

    Source: Auckland Council

    Auckland Council has appointed Dale Dillicar as a director of Auckland Transport.

    This appointment brings the Auckland Transport board to its full complement of eight voting members appointed by Auckland Council. Mrs Dillicar will chair the board’s Finance and Assurance committee.

    Councillor Christine Fletcher chaired the selection panel and welcomes Mrs Dillicar to the Auckland Transport board.

    “I am delighted to welcome Dale to the board of Auckland Transport. She brings a fresh perspective and a wealth of financial experience that will add a valuable dimension to our board, complementing the talents of our existing members as we continue to deliver long term value for Auckland,” says Cr Fletcher.

    The appointment was approved by the Performance and Appointments Committee on 22 October. The committee is responsible for all appointments to the boards of council-controlled organisations, in accordance with the council’s Appointment and Remuneration Policy for Board Members and the Local Government Act.

    About Dale Dillicar

    Dale is a senior finance executive with over 25 years’ experience across global industries, specialising in financial management, risk governance and operational oversight. She spent 12 years in the UK, where she led senior finance roles that enhanced her expertise in financial operations, treasury management and strategic risk management.

    For the past decade, Dale has been with Fonterra, currently serving as General Manager Risk Assurance for Fonterra’s operating office. Previously she was General Manager for Commercial, Category and Innovation where she successfully drove financial performance and cultivated a high-performing team culture.

    As a Chartered Accountant and qualified Treasurer, Dale offers deep expertise in governance, financial oversight and stakeholder engagement, with a focus on aligning practices with organisational goals to deliver long-term value.

    A born and bred Aucklander, Dale is committed to Auckland Transport’s purpose of a safe, integrated and efficient transport network for the people of Tāmaki Makaurau.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI El Paso to Stand Up Election Command Post

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    In keeping with our standard Election Day protocol, FBI El Paso has stood up an Election Command Post in preparation for the November 5 election. The command post is staffed 24 hours a day to provide a centralized location for assessing election-related threats in our area of responsibility. The FBI has a duty to plan for a host of potential scenarios related to election fraud, voter suppression, foreign malign influence, malicious cyber activity against election infrastructure, and threats to election workers. We are committed to protecting the American public’s right to a fair and safe election. 

    For decades, the FBI has served as the primary agency responsible for investigating allegations of federal election crimes, including campaign finance violations, ballot/voter fraud, and civil rights violations. In close partnership with Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBI established the Election Threats Task Force to identify and address reported threats targeting election workers. 

    The FBI takes our responsibility very seriously, and works closely with our federal, state, and local partners to identify and stop any potential threats to public safety. We gather and analyze intelligence to determine whether individuals might be motivated to take violent action for any reason, including due to concerns about the election. 

    It is vital the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and the public work together to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote. We encourage the public to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. The FBI takes all threats of violence seriously, including threats targeting those who do the critical work of administering free and fair elections throughout the U.S. 

    The Justice Department has long recognized that the states—not the federal government—are responsible for administering elections, determining the validity of votes, and tabulating the results, with challenges handled by the appropriate election administrators, officials, legislatures, and courts.  The Department’s role is limited to investigating and prosecuting violations of federal election laws and deterring criminal conduct.

    FBI El Paso encourages citizens to report allegations of election fraud and other election abuses to FBI El Paso directly at (915) 832-5000.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Las Vegas Election Command Post

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    In keeping with our standard Election Day protocol, FBI Las Vegas has stood up an Election Command Post in preparation for the election on November 5. The command post is staffed 24 hours a day to provide a centralized location for assessing election-related threats in our area of responsibility. The FBI has a duty to plan for a host of potential scenarios related to election fraud, voter suppression, foreign malign influence, malicious cyber activity against election infrastructure, and threats to election workers. We are committed to protecting the American public’s right to a fair and safe election.

    For decades, the FBI has served as the primary agency responsible for investigating allegations of federal election crimes, including campaign finance violations, ballot/voter fraud, and civil rights violations. In close partnership with Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBI established the Election Threats Task Force to identify and address reported threats targeting election workers.

    The FBI takes our responsibility very seriously and works closely with our federal, state, and local partners to identify and stop any potential threats to public safety. We gather and analyze intelligence to determine whether individuals might be motivated to take violent action for any reason, including due to concerns about the election.

    It is vital the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and the public work together to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote. We encourage the public to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. The FBI takes all threats of violence seriously, including threats targeting those who do the critical work of administering free and fair elections throughout the U.S.

    The Justice Department has long recognized that the states—not the federal government—are responsible for administering elections, determining the validity of votes, and tabulating the results, with challenges handled by the appropriate election administrators, officials, legislatures, and courts. The Department’s role is limited to investigating and prosecuting violations of federal election laws and deterring criminal conduct.

    FBI Las Vegas encourages citizens to report allegations of election fraud and other election abuses. You can reach the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).

    MIL Security OSI –