Category: Economy

MIL-OSI China: SCIO briefing on China’s economic performance in May 2025

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

中文

Speaker:

Mr. Fu Linghui, spokesperson of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and director general of the Department of Comprehensive Statistics of the NBS

Chairperson:

Zhou Jianshe, deputy director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date:

June 16, 2025

Zhou Jianshe:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). This is a regular briefing on China’s economic data. Today, we are joined by Mr. Fu Linghui, spokesperson of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and director general of the Department of Comprehensive Statistics of the NBS. Mr. Fu will brief you on China’s economic performance in May 2025 and then take your questions.

Now, I’ll give the floor to Mr. Fu.

Fu Linghui:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I am very pleased to attend today’s press conference. I will start by briefing you on the main economic indicators for this May and then take your questions.

In May, China’s economy remained stable while making further progress.

In May, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, all regions and departments conscientiously implemented the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council. Adhering to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, we fully and accurately implemented the new development philosophy on all fronts, accelerated the construction of the new development pattern, solidly promoted high-quality growth, and accelerated the implementation of more proactive and effective macro policies. The national economy withstood the pressure and operated steadily, with production demand growing steadily, employment remaining stable, new drivers of growth becoming stronger, and high-quality development moving toward excellence and innovation.

First, industrial production registered stable growth and equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing grew quickly.

In May, the total value added of industrial enterprises above designated size grew by 5.8% year on year, or 0.61% month on month. In terms of sectors, the value added of mining went up by 5.7% year on year, manufacturing up by 6.2%, and the production and supply of electricity, thermal power, gas and water up by 2.2%. The value added of equipment manufacturing increased by 9.0% year on year, and that of high-tech manufacturing increased by 8.6%, which were 3.2 percentage points and 2.8 percentage points faster than that of the total value added by industrial enterprises above designated size. In terms of ownership, the value added of state holding enterprises increased by 3.8% year on year; that of share-holding enterprises increased by 6.3%; that of enterprises funded by foreign investors or investors from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan increased by 3.9%; and that of private enterprises increased by 5.9%. In terms of products, the outputs of 3D printing devices, industrial robots and new energy vehicles (NEVs) grew by 40.0%, 35.5% and 31.7% year on year, respectively. In the first five months, the total value added of industrial enterprises above designated size went up by 6.3% year on year. In May, the manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) stood at 49.5%, an increase of 0.5 percentage point from the previous month. The production and operation expectation index was 52.5%, up by 0.4 percentage point. In the first four months, the total profits made by industrial enterprises above designated size were 2.117 trillion yuan, up by 1.4% year on year.

Second, the service sector grew quickly, with the modern services sector gaining momentum.

In May, the index of services production (ISP) increased by 6.2% year on year, 0.2 percentage point faster than that of the previous month. In terms of sectors, that of information transmission, software and information technology services, and leasing and business services, wholesales and retails grew by 11.2%, 8.9% and 8.4% year on year, respectively, which were 5.0 percentage points, 2.7 percentage points and 2.2 percentage points faster than that of the ISP. In the first five months, the ISP increased by 5.9% year on year. In the first four months, the business revenue of service enterprises above designated size went up by 7.2% year on year. In May, the business activity index for the service sector was 50.2%, up 0.1 percentage point from the previous month; and the business activity expectation index was 56.5%, rising by 0.1 percentage point. Specifically, the business activity index for sectors like railway transportation, air transportation, postal service, telecommunication, broadcast, television and satellite transmission services, internet software and information technology services, stayed within the high expansion range of 55.0% and above.

Third, market sales recovered and sales of products under the trade-in program grew rapidly.

In May, the total retail sales of consumer goods was 4.1326 trillion yuan, up by 6.4% year on year, 1.3 percentage points faster than that of April; or up by 0.93% month on month. Analyzed by different areas, the retail sales of consumer goods in urban areas reached 3.6057 trillion yuan, up by 6.5% year on year; and that in rural areas reached 526.9 billion yuan, up by 5.4%. Grouped by consumption patterns, the retail sales of goods were 3.6748 trillion yuan, up by 6.5%; and the income of catering was 457.8 billion yuan, up by 5.9%. Sales of basic living goods and some upgraded products showed good growth. Retail sales in units above designated size of grain, oil and food products, jewelry, and sports and entertainment goods grew by 14.6%, 21.8% and 28.3%, respectively. The effect of trade-in of consumer goods continued to show results, with the retail sales of household appliances and audiovisual equipment, communication equipment, cultural and office supplies, and furniture by enterprises above designated size growing by 53.0%, 33.0%, 30.5% and 25.6%, respectively. In the first five months, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 20.3171 trillion yuan, up by 5.0% year on year. Online retail sales reached 6.0402 trillion yuan, up 8.5% year on year. Specifically, the online retail sales of physical goods were 4.9878 trillion yuan, up 6.3%, accounting for 24.5% of the total. In the first five months, the retail sales of services grew by 5.2% year on year.

Fourth, fixed-asset investment continued to expand, with manufacturing investment growing fast.

In the first five months, fixed-asset investment (excluding rural households) reached 19,194.7 billion yuan, up 3.7% year on year. Excluding real estate development investment, fixed-asset investment grew 7.7%. By sector, investment in infrastructure grew 5.6% year on year, manufacturing investment rose 8.5%, and real estate development investment fell 10.7%. Nationwide, sales of newly built commercial buildings totaled 353.15 million square meters, down 2.9% year on year. Sales of newly built commercial buildings were 3,409.1 billion yuan, a decrease of 3.8%. By sector, primary industry investment grew 8.4% year on year, secondary industry investment rose 11.4%, and tertiary industry investment fell 0.4%. Private investment was flat from a year earlier. Excluding investment in real estate development, private investment increased 5.8%. Within high-tech industries, investment in information services rose 41.4% year on year; investment in aerospace vehicle and equipment manufacturing grew 24.2%; investment in computer and office device manufacturing increased 21.7%; and investment in professional technical services climbed 11.9%. In May, fixed-asset investment (excluding rural households) increased 0.05% month on month.

Fifth, goods imports and exports continued to grow, and the trade structure kept improving.

In May, total goods imports and exports reached 3,809.8 billion yuan, up 2.7% year on year. Of this total, exports hit 2,226.7 billion yuan, up 6.3%, while imports were 1,533.1 billion yuan, down 2.1%. In the first five months, total goods imports and exports reached 17,944.9 billion yuan, up 2.5% year on year. Of this total, exports reached 10,668.2 billion yuan, up 7.2%, while imports were 7,276.7 billion yuan, down 3.8%. In the first five months, general trade imports and exports grew 0.8%, accounting for 64.2% of the total trade value. Imports and exports by private enterprises grew by 7% year on year, accounting for 57.1% of the total trade value, up 2.4 percentage points from the same period last year. Exports of mechanical and electrical products grew 9.3% year on year, accounting for 60% of the total export value.

Sixth, employment remained generally stable and the surveyed urban unemployment rate declined.

In the first five months, the average surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.2%. In May, the surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5%, down 0.1 percentage point from the previous month. The surveyed unemployment rate for people with local household registration was 5%, and the rate for those with non-local household registration was also 5%. The rate for people with non-local agricultural household registration was 4.9%. The surveyed urban unemployment rate in 31 major cities was 5%, down 0.1 percentage point from April. The average weekly working hours for employees at enterprises nationwide was 48.5 hours.

Seventh, consumer prices remained low, while the core consumer price index (CPI) rebounded modestly.

In May, the CPI fell 0.1% year on year and 0.2% month on month. By category, prices for food, tobacco and alcohol rose 0.1% year on year; clothing prices increased 1.5%; housing prices were up 0.1%; prices for household goods and services rose 0.1%; transportation and communication prices fell 4.3%; education, culture and entertainment prices increased 0.9%; health care prices rose 0.3%; and prices for other goods and services jumped 7.3%. In terms of food, tobacco and alcohol prices, fresh vegetable prices fell 8.3%, grain prices dropped 1.4%, pork prices rose 3.1%, and fresh fruit prices increased 5.5%. The core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, went up 0.6% year on year, 0.1 percentage point higher than that of the previous month. In the first five months, the CPI dipped 0.1% year on year.

In May, the national producer price index (PPI) fell 3.3% year on year and 0.4% from the previous month. Purchasing prices for industrial producers dropped 3.6% year on year and 0.6% from the previous month. In the first five months, both the national PPI and the purchasing price index for industrial products fell 2.6% from a year earlier.

Overall, in May, as the effects of a combined policy package continued to materialize, efforts to stabilize the economy and promote growth showed clear results. The national economy maintained a generally stable trajectory with steady progress, fully demonstrating its resilience and vitality. It should also be noted that there are many external uncertainties and destabilizing factors, domestic demand’s internal growth momentum still needs to be strengthened, and the foundation for sustained economic recovery and improvement needs to be further consolidated. Moving ahead, we must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, resolutely implement the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and adhere to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability. We must fully and accurately implement the new development philosophy, accelerate the construction of a new development paradigm, coordinate domestic economic work with international economic and trade efforts, and unswervingly handle our own affairs well. We will give greater priority to the expansion of domestic demand and the strengthening of the domestic economic cycle, concentrate on stabilizing employment and the economy, and promote high-quality development to advance sustained and healthy economic development. Thank you.

Zhou Jianshe:

Thank you, Mr. Fu. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify your media outlet before asking your question.

MIL OSI China News –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New strategy approved for city centre car parking A comprehensive new strategy has been approved to guide the future of car parking in Lancaster city centre to maintain the number of spaces available to support local businesses and the economy.

Source: City of Lancaster

A comprehensive new strategy has been approved to guide the future of car parking in Lancaster city centre to maintain the number of spaces available to support local businesses and the economy.

Car Park in Lancaster

The plan, approved by Lancaster City Council’s cabinet on Tuesday (July 8), was developed following extensive public consultation and stakeholder engagement, and sets out an assurance that the council will maintain 1,584 general use council-operated car parking spaces by 2028. This is an increase on the current number of spaces available, which stands at 1,329.

The strategy has been developed so that the planned release of car parks in the Canal Quarter to make way for much-needed affordable housing does not reduce the number of spaces available. In addition, there is no effect on the number of spaces available on-street or in private car parks.

To realise this ambition, a series of targeted investments – including the reopening of Castle Car Park (287 spaces), expanding provision at Edward Street (112 spaces), and converting current office leased parking to general use (100 spaces) – will ensure that overall parking capacity is maintained.

Introduction of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology will also provide real‑time occupancy data so motorists can see first-hand which car parks have capacity to make best use of the available spaces.

Councillor Nick Wilkinson, cabinet member with responsibility for Lancaster regeneration and the local economy, said: “We know that businesses and organisations in the city centre rely on our car parks for their customers and visitors. That’s why we’re going to great lengths to ensure we continue to provide enough capacity within the city and the aim of the strategy is to ensure we are striking the right balance.

“On the one hand we need to provide enough car parking spaces, while on the other we are in desperate need of much needed new affordable housing – something else that people tell us is a priority.

“This strategy provides certainty for the future, ensuring car parking remains a key part of Lancaster’s infrastructure as the city evolves, while allowing us to regenerate the Canal Quarter into a thriving new neighbourhood.

“We’ll also be closely monitoring the impact of any changes on city centre businesses so we can take action in the events that the changes have a negative impact.”

The investments set out in the parking strategy will allow the release of car parks for development while maintaining the number of parking spaces available. The first of these – Nelson Street – is currently the subject of a planning application by South Lakes Housing for the building of 39 much-needed new affordable homes for local people.

Councillor Caroline Jackson, leader of Lancaster City Council, added: “The proposals approved at cabinet mean that, along with the recent announcements by Marco Living and Axis-RE following their purchase of the former Mitchell’s Brewery site, we are making steady progress on redevelopment of the Canal Quarter.

“Over the next 10 years our vision for this area, which has been so blighted by long term dereliction, is to see it transformed into a vibrant new neighbourhood that has long lasting benefits for the people of Lancaster.”

Last updated: 09 July 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Young People Encouraged to be Career Ready
Source: Scotland – City of Dundee
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Young People Encouraged To Be Career Ready

09/07/25

Dundee City Council is continuing to support the Career Ready initiative by giving young people paid internships to help them experience the potential work opportunities in a local authority.

Over four weeks this summer, seven senior secondary pupils are experiencing different aspects of services during their internships across council and Leisure & Culture Dundee teams.

The young people are benefiting from one-to-one support and guidance from a volunteer council mentor over the 17-month total period of the programme.

In addition to the work experience itself the students benefited from their involvement in several other joint activities. The students are gaining certification for attending a life-saving training course provided by Heartstart Discovery. They also accompanied city centre ambassadors to see their work behind the scenes and were also given a tour of the City Chambers and met the Lord Provost.

Young people taking part in 2025 are:

Alesha Robertson, Craigie High School, wants to become a primary school teacher. She is undertaking a varied internship at Craigiebarns Primary School and Claypotts Castle Early Years Centre, both of which have provided her with hands-on experience of working with young children. She is also keen to find out what it would be like to work in a business setting and spent time with the Tay Cities Region Deal team.

Charley Byrne, Baldragon Academy, is being mentored by the Customer Services & Benefit Delivery Team. Charley is interested in finance and economics, and it is her intention to apply for a relevant university course in this subject area when she leaves school.

Georgia Locke, St Paul’s RC Academy, is receiving an insight into the variety of services offered to the citizens of Dundee during her 4-week internship with the Customer Services, Council Tax & Benefit Delivery team. She gained skills in teamwork, communication and resilience.

Dominic Nelson, Harris Academy, is working with Community Learning & Development. He focused on digital projects and is also worked in the cafe at Douglas Community Centre which is providing him with additional skills supporting a larger team to deliver a customer service at a fast pace.

Ellis Milne, Braeview Academy, would like to pursue a career in child psychology. She is working with the Learning & Organisational Development team as well as the Tay Cities Region Deal team. This varied internship will help Ellis to develop further her skills in communication and teamwork and provide her with some valuable insight to working in a business environment.

Lohgan Ramsay, Braeview Academy, is being mentored by Leisure & Culture Dundee. Lohgan is keen to explore a career with children who have additional support needs. Her internship is being carried out at Kingspark School and Ballumbie Early Years Centre, where she is gaining an understanding of the variety of roles in the different settings.

Lucas McKenzie, Morgan Academy, is working worked with the Employability Service. Lucas is gaining skills and experience which will help him when he leaves school. These included communication, teamwork, I.T. skills and business partnering.

The internships will culminate in the young people providing a presentation, which gives them an opportunity for them to speak about their experience to a number of interested parties such as Mhairi Prendergast, the Career Ready Regional Manager, their school coordinator, their mentors and workplace supervisors.

Fair Work, Economic Growth and Infrastructure depute convener Cllr Siobhan Tolland said: “As an employer trying to encourage opportunities for young people, it is important that the council supports the Career Ready initiative.

“This gives them invaluable insights into the work of the council, lets them understand what qualifications they will need and arms them with skills that will help in writing CVs and for interviews.]

“I wish them all well for their future and hope that their time being mentored in the council will inspire them to achieve their goals.”

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07/07/25

Dundee Gift Card to Power Local Spending Across the City

Dundee Gift Card to Power Local Spending Across the City

A new local gift card has been backed to lead a renewed push to keep more spending local, secure jobs and support businesses across the city.The Dundee Gift Card has relaunched today (Friday 4 July)…

04/07/25
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI: EngageLab Showcases Omnichannel Engagement and AI Innovation at The MarTech Summit Hong Kong

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SINGAPORE, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EngageLab, a global leader in customer engagement and marketing technology, proudly participated in The MarTech Summit Hong Kong, one of Asia’s premier events for marketing technology professionals. The summit brought together industry leaders, innovators, and decision-makers to explore the latest trends and breakthroughs shaping the future of MarTech.

This year’s summit featured senior marketing executives from world-renowned brands such as JPMorgan, Yahoo, Nike, and DBS, as well as leading Hong Kong enterprises including Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Disneyland, and The Hong Kong Jockey Club. EngageLab had the valuable opportunity to engage directly with these marketing leaders, exchanging insights on omnichannel solutions and how innovative technology can drive customer engagement and business growth in today’s digital landscape.

During the summit, a senior executive from a leading international airline initiated an in-depth discussion with EngageLab regarding the challenges and opportunities of implementing a true omnichannel engagement strategy. The conversation focused on how to seamlessly integrate mobile app notifications, email, SMS, and WhatsApp to ensure timely, personalized communication with passengers throughout their journey—from booking and check-in to real-time updates and post-flight feedback. The airline was particularly interested in EngageLab’s proven ability to deliver high-concurrency messaging with industry-leading deliverability, as well as its robust compliance and data privacy standards for global operations.

At the event, EngageLab showcased its cutting-edge solutions, including marketing automation and omnichannel (AppPush, WebPush, Email, SMS, WhatsApp and OTP). These solutions empower businesses to achieve seamless, personalized, and efficient customer engagement across every touchpoint—helping brands accelerate digital transformation and drive sustainable global growth.

“We are honored to join The MarTech Summit Hong Kong and connect with industry peers who are passionate about innovation and customer-centric growth,” said Tanya Quan, Marketing Director at EngageLab. “Our mission is to empower businesses with robust, scalable, and intelligent engagement tools that unlock new opportunities in the digital era.”

As a trusted partner to hundreds of leading enterprises across technology, e-commerce, finance, media, and more, EngageLab remains committed to delivering best-in-class solutions that drive business value and customer success worldwide.

For more information about EngageLab’s solutions or to schedule a personalized consultation, please visit www.engagelab.com or contact sales@engagelab.com.

About EngageLab
EngageLab is a world-leading AI-powered omnichannel customer engagement solution provider, unites technology and versatility to offer seamless customer interactions and marketing automation across every channel, including Email, AppPush, WebPush, OTP, SMS and WhatsApp Business. It empowers businesses to build lasting relationships and achieve higher conversions and retention. With a strong focus on innovation and performance, EngageLab supports businesses in over 220 countries and regions, delivering more than 1 million messages every second across various channels.

For Media Inquiries:
Contact: marketing@engagelab.com
Website: www.engagelab.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8149daf0-0ff1-429d-a9d5-864fa92bc469

The MIL Network –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI: GPTBots.ai Showcases Business AI Agent Solutions at The MarTech Summit Hong Kong, Helping Enterprises Bridge the AI Adoption Gap
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

HONG KONG, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As enterprises worldwide race to adopt AI, GPTBots.ai made its mark at The MarTech Summit Hong Kong, Asia’s premier marketing technology conference attended by world-renowned brands such as JPMorgan, Yahoo, Nike, and DBS, alongside leading Hong Kong enterprises including Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Disneyland, and The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

With 85% of enterprises prioritizing AI adoption in 2024 (Gartner), yet struggling with implementation gaps, GPTBots.ai demonstrated how its no-code AI Agent platform turns complex AI concepts into deployable solutions—without coding or data science teams.

Spotlight: Real-World AI in Action
At the summit, GPTBots.ai engaged with forward-thinking organizations, including:
A Top Hong Kong University: Their admissions team explored AI-powered chatbots to streamline student inquiries and application processes, aiming to:
- Automate 80% of FAQs (e.g., program requirements, deadlines).
- Guide applicants through form-filling with smart error detection.
- Free staff to focus on students’ in-depth support.
A Leading Hong Kong Airline: Their tech team discussed internal efficiency AI Agents for:
- AI search to make enterprise knowledge instantly accessible and empower every role.
- Reducing IT helpdesk tickets by 50% via self-service troubleshooting.
Why GPTBots.ai Stood Out
- Enterprise-Ready: Built to adapt to your business, no matter the size or complexity.
- Proven at Scale: Powers AI Agents for financial services, healthcare, and retail giants.
- End-to-End Capabilities: From strategy to deployment, we manage every step of your AI journey.
“The gap isn’t AI potential—it’s practical adoption,” said Tanya Quan, Marketing Director at GPTBots.ai. “We’re helping enterprises skip the lab and go straight to ROI.”

About GPTBots.ai
GPTBots.ai is an enterprise AI agent platform that empowers businesses to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive growth. Offering end-to-end AI solutions across customer service, knowledge search, data analysis, and lead generation, GPTBots enables enterprises to harness the full potential of AI with ease. With seamless integration into various systems, and support for scalable, secure deployments, GPTBots is dedicated to reducing costs, accelerating growth, and helping businesses thrive in the AI era.

To learn how GPTBots can accelerate your AI transformation, visit gptbots.ai.

Media Contact:
Contact: marketing@gptbots.ai
Website: www.gptbots.ai

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9039b0e4-6355-4e0c-83d2-ca91953120f9

The MIL Network –
July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Banking: Financial advice thematic findings published

Source: Isle of Man

Published on: 09 July 2025

The Isle of Man Financial Services Authority has published a report setting out the key findings of a thematic review involving low impact financial advisory firms based in the Island.

The report, which can be accessed online, highlights the results of a questionnaire and onsite inspections conducted by the Authority’s Portfolio Supervision Division.

Phase 1 of the review saw a total of 20 class 2 licenceholders respond to a questionnaire covering topics including extent of services, other advice, governance, client files and continuing professional development (CPD) records. Four firms were then selected for an onsite inspection in Phase 2.

The report captures examples of best practice and topics for improvement, along with the Authority’s insights into the data. The findings will further enhance the Authority’s understanding of the financial advice sector and inform future outreach and engagement.

Firms are encouraged to read the report and consider any action necessary to ensure their own processes and procedures are effective, up-to-date and properly documented.

Sarah Kennedy, Head of the Portfolio Supervision Division, said: ‘Thematic reviews are an important part of the Authority’s supervisory approach, offering an efficient and effective way to identify and inform our picture of risk at a firm and sector level. This supports the work taking place to achieve our objectives of protecting consumers, reducing financial crime and maintaining confidence in the finance industry through effective regulation.’

She added: ‘There was an excellent level of cooperation among the financial advisory firms, including feedback that will be considered as part of the Authority’s commitment to continuous improvement. I should like to thank the firms, the directors and staff for their continued positive and constructive collaboration on these critical regulatory reviews.’

Financial Advice Thematic Report July 2025.

MIL OSI Global Banks –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI: No Credit Check Dental Financing with Bad Credit, Implant, Cherry, and Guaranteed Options 2025
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LOS ANGELES, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 50KLoans, a leading platform in online loan matching, has officially launched a nationwide dental financing solution designed to make essential and cosmetic dental care more affordable across the US. The new service offers dental care financing, dental implant financing, and dental financing with bad credit, helping patients secure treatment even if they have low or no credit history.

With procedures like implants, crowns, and root canals becoming increasingly expensive, many Americans struggle to pay out of pocket. This platform solves that gap by providing tailored dental financing options, including no credit check dental financing, through a network of trusted lenders offering flexible repayment terms, fast approvals, and funding within 24 hours.

Check Eligibility for Dental Financing with Bad Credit Now >>

Dental Financing with Bad Credit and No Credit Check Options Now Available

The 50KLoans dental financing program connects users to a national network of partner lenders offering loans from $500 to $25,000, covering everything from basic cleanings to full-mouth dental implants.

Key Benefits:
- Loan amounts from $500 to $25,000
- Dental financing with bad credit accepted
- No credit check dental financing options available
- Terms ranging from 6 months to 60 months
- Pre-qualification in 2 minutes without affecting your credit score
- Funding as fast as the next business day
Why Traditional Dental Financing Falls Short — and How 50KLoans Closes the Gap

For millions of Americans, traditional dental financing options come with barriers like credit score checks, long approval timelines, and limited flexibility. Many banks and credit unions require FICO scores above 650, leaving patients with bad credit or no credit history without access to necessary dental care financing.

50KLoans solves this problem by offering an alternative path. Instead of focusing on credit history, the platform helps applicants find lenders that evaluate income, employment stability, and ability to repay, making dental financing with bad credit a real, accessible option.

Get Fast Approval for Dental Financing >>

What Types of Dental Financing Are Offered?
- Dental implant financing – Full or partial mouth implants, sinus lifts, and bone grafts
- Cherry dental financing – Flexible buy-now-pay-later solutions for qualified clinics
- Dental first financing – First-time borrowers or those new to dental financing
- Emergency dental financing – Immediate help for urgent extractions, root canals, or pain relief
- Cosmetic dental financing – Veneers, whitening, braces, and aligners
How to Apply for Dental Implant Financing
- Visit 50KLoans and select the “Dental Financing” option.
- Fill out a short 2-minute application with basic personal and financial information.
- Get instantly matched with lenders offering dental financing near you, including no credit check dental financing options.
- Compare loan offers with flexible repayment terms and transparent rates.
- Choose the best offer for your needs and receive the funds, often within few hours.
FAQs

Can I get dental financing with bad credit?
Yes, 50KLoans works with lenders offering dental financing with bad credit, so even those with poor or no credit history can qualify.

Is there dental financing near me?
Yes. The platform provides dental care financing options nationwide, including local and online lenders.

Are no credit check dental financing plans really available?
Some lenders may offer no credit check dental financing, based on income and employment verification rather than credit score.

Media Contact
Mukesh Bhardwaj
Email: mukesh@paydayventures.com

Disclaimer: 50KLoans is not a lender and does not make credit decisions. Loan approval, APRs, and terms are set by independent lenders based on eligibility criteria.

The MIL Network –
July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI: AIXA Miner Launches Free-to-Start Cloud Mining Platform to Simplify Passive Crypto Income in 2025
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

New York City, NY, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As cryptocurrency adoption continues to surge, AIXA Miner is leading the next generation of simplified crypto earning with the launch of its free-to-start cloud mining platform. Designed for both beginners and seasoned investors, AIXA Miner removes the traditional barriers of crypto mining—offering users a hardware-free, eco-powered, and fully automated way to earn daily digital rewards.

In an industry where complexity and cost have long deterred new entrants, AIXA Miner makes mining accessible by providing new users with a $20 trial bonus, no equipment required. Mining contracts start from just $100, making it one of the most cost-efficient entries into the digital asset space.

“At AIXA, we believe mining should be for everyone—not just experts with expensive rigs,” said a company spokesperson. “Our mission is to democratize crypto income through automation, clean energy, and ease of use.”

Built for the Modern Miner

AIXA Miner’s cloud infrastructure is powered by renewable energy data centers located in Iceland and the U.S., optimized with AI-driven GPUs to mine the most profitable cryptocurrencies in real time. This approach minimizes environmental impact while maximizing efficiency.

With nearly 8 million users globally, the platform delivers seamless functionality:
- No hardware or maintenance
- Daily earnings auto-calculated and deposited
- Real-time tracking, secure wallets, and instant withdrawals
- Mining support for BTC, ETH, DOGE, USDT, and more
User Growth and Real Returns

AIXA Miner’s impact has been substantial. According to a report by Coin World, over 200,000 users have reached daily passive earnings of $10,000 in BTC. In a recent Bitcoinist article, miners using the platform reportedly generate $32,000 per day in combined passive income through contracts involving Bitcoin, XRP, and Dogecoin.

This growth is supported by a scalable architecture and a commitment to payout transparency.

Features That Set AIXA Miner Apart
- ✅ $20 Signup Credit to start mining immediately
- ✅ Flexible Plans starting at $100
- ✅ VIP Club & Referral Rewards up to 10%
- ✅ 24/7 Global Support & Security Monitoring
- ✅ Fast Withdrawals in major cryptocurrencies
How to Start in Minutes
1. Register on aixaminer.com with just your email
2. Claim your $20 bonus—no payment needed
3. Choose a plan, starting from $100
4. Activate and earn, with crypto deposited to your account daily
5. Withdraw or reinvest—your call
A Growing Trend Among Smart Investors

As cryptocurrency markets become increasingly integrated into mainstream finance, more investors are turning to platforms like AIXA Miner for predictable, passive income opportunities. With rising concerns around energy consumption and market volatility, cloud mining offers a balanced approach to crypto exposure—combining automation, sustainability, and steady returns. AIXA Miner’s model reflects this shift, appealing to both retail users and long-term holders seeking smarter ways to put their crypto assets to work.

About AIXA Miner

Founded in 2020 and headquartered in the United States, AIXA Miner has rapidly become a trusted name in the global cloud mining landscape. With a clean energy foundation, strong infrastructure, and AI-enhanced mining technology, the platform continues to attract users looking for long-term and secure crypto earnings.

Whether you’re new to cryptocurrency or diversifying your digital portfolio, AIXA Miner offers a reliable, risk-conscious path to passive income. Backed by automation, security, and global user trust, it’s time to mine smarter—not harder.

Media Contact
Name: Leif Mikkelsen
Email: like.Mikkelsen@aixaminer.com
Website: www.aixaminer.com
City/Country: Denver, United States

Attachment
- Aixa-miner
The MIL Network –
July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI: Axi launches institutional liquidity provider AxiPrime, announces strategic partnership with Your Bourse

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SYDNEY, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Axi, a leading force in global financial services, announced the launch of AxiPrime, its institutional and next-generation B2B liquidity provider (LP) to meet the evolving needs of professional trading firms. With a focus on multi-asset liquidity and cutting-edge technology and execution infrastructure, AxiPrime offers access to a broad range of markets including forex, metals, equities, cryptocurrencies, and commodities – all designed to empower the broker’s partners and elevate their profitability potential.

Axi also announced a strategic partnership between AxiPrime and renowned tech provider Your Bourse to support their expansion. “Our collaboration with Your Bourse reflects our shared commitment to enhancing client experience with powerful tools and technology,” says Louis Cooper, Chief Commercial Officer at Axi, before adding: “Built for scale, the infrastructure behind AxiPrime is designed for institutional-grade speed, processing up to 500,000 order events per second on a single CPU, delivering execution in just two microseconds. This ensures that we consistently meet the performance demands of high-frequency trading, algorithmic strategies, and institutional desks.”

Institutional clients benefit, among others, from unified price feeds, a single API connection, and optional FIX/REST endpoints, creating a seamless gateway for multi-asset execution. Furthermore, AxiPrime offers a comprehensive product suite, transparent costs, top-tier execution and premier technical support. “Axi’s mission has always been to give our traders and partners a competitive edge – AxiPrime and our partnership with Your Bourse is a natural evolution of that goal,” says Louis. “And there’s more innovation on the way.”

Further information can be found at https://yourbourse.cloud/free-account.

About Axi

Axi is a global online FX and CFD trading company, with thousands of customers in 100+ countries worldwide. Axi offers CFDs for several asset classes including Forex, Shares, Gold, Oil, Coffee, and more.

For more information or additional comments from Axi, please contact: mediaenquiries@axi.com

The Axi program is only available to clients of AxiTrader Limited. CFDs carry a high risk of investment loss. In our dealings with you, we will act as a principal counterparty to all of your positions. This content is not available to AU, NZ, EU and UK residents. For more information, refer to our Terms of Service. *Standard trading fees apply.

**Granted to the Axi Group of Companies.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d57b26a0-a2f9-472d-a0e6-102b08758a88

The MIL Network –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Minister tables R509 million DPME budget
Source: Government of South Africa

The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) has been allocated a budget of R509 million for the 2025/26 financial year, which will support efforts to strengthen government capacity and deliver on South Africa’s key development priorities.

Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa, supported by Deputy Minister Seiso Mohai, presented the 2025 Budget Vote of the department in Parliament on Tuesday.

Addressing Parliament, Minister Ramokgopa highlighted the DPME’s key mandate to coordinate and integrate government planning, monitor implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2030 and the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) 2024–2029, and evaluate government programmes to improve performance and accountability across the state.

“Over the past few years, attempts have been made to strengthen the mandate of DPME through the Planning Bill. We are now shifting focus and considering a White Paper process which will enable us to clarify a cohort of questions that have been raised by various stakeholders within and outside of government,” said the Minister.

The Minister reported significant progress, including Cabinet approval of the MTDP 2024–2029 in February 2025, with implementation already underway. The MTDP’s strategic priorities are:
- Driving inclusive economic growth and job creation,
- Reducing poverty and addressing the high cost of living,
- Building a capable, ethical, and developmental state.
“Successful implementation of the MTDP must be demonstrated through the achievement of its set targets and improved living conditions of citizens. It is not enough to plan — we must see results, and we must be held accountable for those results,” said Ramokgopa.

The DPME is facilitating the alignment of national, provincial, and local government planning processes, including efforts to integrate the MTDP with Provincial Growth and Development Strategies, beginning with the Northern Cape.

The Minister emphasised the department’s role in reforming State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), with the tabling of the National State Enterprises Bill (B1-2024), which proposes a centralised shareholder model to improve SOE governance, performance, and economic impact.

In addition, the DPME is leading the implementation of a forward-looking Evidence Plan to enhance research, evaluation, and data systems. This will enable evidence-based decision-making and improve transparency and accountability, supported by modernised reporting and digital dashboards.

“Our work must be backed by credible evidence, and that evidence must lead to impact. We are committed to building a state that listens, learns, and delivers measurable change,” said Ramokgopa.

The Minister noted the importance of strengthening collaboration with Parliament, oversight institutions, and other stakeholders, highlighting recent capacity-building workshops and ongoing bilateral engagements.

South Africa’s role as Chair of the Development Working Group under the G20 Presidency was also underscored, with priorities including mobilising finance for development, advancing social protection floors, and championing global public goods. – SAnews.gov.za

MIL OSI Africa –
July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: RSH downgrades Sustain to V3
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

Press release

RSH downgrades Sustain to V3

The Regulator of Social Housing has downgraded Sustain (UK) Ltd to V3 meaning that the landlord does not meet the financial viability requirements and there are issues of serious regulatory concern.
Sustain provides supported housing in Birmingham through short term leases. It has not demonstrated it is able to manage its financial risk and that its business planning is sufficiently robust to ensure its long-term viability.

The regulator’s previous G3 grading remains unchanged. Its governance arrangements are not effective to ensure adequate oversight of third parties it relies on to deliver services to its tenants and to ensure that it is not inappropriately advancing third party interests.

The previous judgement that Sustain is not delivering the outcomes of the Rent Standard also remains unchanged.

Jonathan Walters, Deputy Chief Executive of RSH, said: 

It is disappointing that Sustain has not made the necessary improvements in its governance since the last judgement.

Failing to meet the requirements of the rent standard in this case has given rise to serious financial risks.

It must now take effective action to demonstrate a financial plan that is based on appropriate and reasonable assumptions that protects its homes and delivers quality services for its tenants.”

Separately, RSH has placed Phoenix Community Housing Association on its gradings under review list.

RSH is currently investigating matters which may indicate serious failings in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the Governance and Financial Viability Standard and the Consumer Standards. The outcome of the investigation will be confirmed in a regulatory judgement, once completed.

Notes to Editors

The regulatory standards page provides information about the economic and consumer standards that registered providers must meet.

RSH promotes a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver more and better social homes. It does this by setting standards and carrying out robust regulation focusing on driving improvement in social landlords, including local authorities, and ensuring that housing associations are well-governed, financially viable and offer value for money. It takes appropriate action if the outcomes of the standards are not being delivered.

If RSH is investigating a landlord due to suspected serious failings, we may place them on the gradings under review list. This is likely to be where our engagement is ongoing and we think it is appropriate to alert stakeholders to the fact that we have serious concerns about that landlord’s delivery of the standards outcomes, which we are investigating. More information about the gradings under review list and RSH’s approach is available on its website.

Phoenix Community Housing Association’s current regulatory grades are G2/V2/C1.

For general enquiries email enquiries@rsh.gov.uk. For media enquiries please see our Media Enquiries page.

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Updates to this page

Published 9 July 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
July 9, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ12: Capital works expenditure

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

LCQ12: Capital works expenditure

About 5.1($billion)About 6.3Note 1: Subject to annual audit by the Audit Commission.
Note 2: We do not have the estimate on the annual consultancy fees and remuneration of resident site staff. Based on past data, they generally account for about 2.7 per cent and 5.7 per cent of the total annual project expenditure respectively.

(2) Based on the medium range forecast, the estimated capital works expenditure is about $120 billion per annum on average from the financial year 2025-2026 to 2029-2030. In the financial year 2025-26, the estimated capital works expenditure is $119.8 billion, of which the estimate on building projects and infrastructure/civil projects are about $61.9 billion and $57.9 billion respectively. The above estimates include consultancy fees accounting for about 2.7 per cent (about $3.2 billion) and remuneration of resident site staff accounting for about 5.7 per cent (about $6.8 billion). The annual estimates will be subsequently planned in the annual Budget taking into account factors including Hong Kong’s overall economic conditions, Government’s fiscal position, prioritisation of proposed capital works projects, progress of existing projects and overall resource allocation, etc. Hence, we are currently unable to specify the estimated expenditure for various project categories beyond the financial year 2025-26.Issued at HKT 16:35

NNNN

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

July 9, 2025

MIL-OSI Europe: The EBA consults on the revision of product oversight and governance Guidelines for retail banking products to consider products with ESG features and greenwashing risks

Source: European Banking Authority

The European Banking Authority (EBA) today launched a public consultation proposing to revise the EBA Guidelines on product oversight and governance (POG) arrangements for retail banking products. The proposed revision aims to prevent greenwashing and ensure that financial institutions meet the highest standards of business conduct when offering products with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) features to consumers. The consultation runs until 9 October 2025.

The proposed amendments aim to strike the right balance between clarifying existing POG requirements for products with ESG features to prevent consumer detriment (e.g. risks of misleading commercial practices, mis-selling of products etc.) that might occur if financial institutions fail to comply with conduct requirements when offering product with ESG features, without imposing additional regulatory burden on FIs.

In June 2024, the EBA published a report on greenwashing, highlighting an increase in potential cases across all sectors, including among EU banks. In light of this report and recent legislative changes such as amendments to the Capital Requirement Directive (CRD) and the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) regarding ESG risks, the EBA concluded that it is necessary to give further consideration to products with ESG features and greenwashing risks in the existing POG Guidelines.

The consultation paper proposes a targeted approach, adjusting only a limited number of existing requirements in the POG GLs related to the subject matter, manufacturer’s internal control functions, the target market, distribution channels, information for distributors and information and support for the manufacturer’s arrangements.

The EBA expects to publish its final guidelines in Q1 2026, which will be applied as of 1 December 2026.

Consultation process and next steps

Comments to this consultation can be sent to the EBA by clicking on the “send your comments” button on the consultation page. Please note that the deadline for the submission of comments is 9 October 2025. All received contributions will be published at the end of the consultation, unless requested otherwise.

The EBA will hold a virtual public hearing on the consultation paper on 11 September 2025 from 14:30 to 16:30 CET. Please register for the hearing here by 8 September 2025 by 17:00 CET. The dial-in details will be communicated to those who have registered for the meeting.

Background

The EBA issued its initial POG Guidelines in 2016 to address conduct failures of financial institutions. These Guidelines are addressed to manufacturers and distributors of retail banking products in EBA’s remit, namely mortgages, personal loans, deposits, payment accounts, payment services, and electronic money. Recent legislative developments necessitate a revision to incorporate ESG objectives and greenwashing risks and to ensure compliance with the highest standards of business conduct.

The EBA developed these draft Guidelines in accordance with Article 16 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 which empowers the EBA to issue guidelines to ensure the effective and consistent application of European Union law.

MIL OSI Europe News –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: The EBA consults on the revision of product oversight and governance Guidelines for retail banking products to consider products with ESG features and greenwashing risks

Source: European Banking Authority

The European Banking Authority (EBA) today launched a public consultation proposing to revise the EBA Guidelines on product oversight and governance (POG) arrangements for retail banking products. The proposed revision aims to prevent greenwashing and ensure that financial institutions meet the highest standards of business conduct when offering products with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) features to consumers. The consultation runs until 9 October 2025.

The proposed amendments aim to strike the right balance between clarifying existing POG requirements for products with ESG features to prevent consumer detriment (e.g. risks of misleading commercial practices, mis-selling of products etc.) that might occur if financial institutions fail to comply with conduct requirements when offering product with ESG features, without imposing additional regulatory burden on FIs.

In June 2024, the EBA published a report on greenwashing, highlighting an increase in potential cases across all sectors, including among EU banks. In light of this report and recent legislative changes such as amendments to the Capital Requirement Directive (CRD) and the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) regarding ESG risks, the EBA concluded that it is necessary to give further consideration to products with ESG features and greenwashing risks in the existing POG Guidelines.

The consultation paper proposes a targeted approach, adjusting only a limited number of existing requirements in the POG GLs related to the subject matter, manufacturer’s internal control functions, the target market, distribution channels, information for distributors and information and support for the manufacturer’s arrangements.

The EBA expects to publish its final guidelines in Q1 2026, which will be applied as of 1 December 2026.

Consultation process and next steps

Comments to this consultation can be sent to the EBA by clicking on the “send your comments” button on the consultation page. Please note that the deadline for the submission of comments is 9 October 2025. All received contributions will be published at the end of the consultation, unless requested otherwise.

The EBA will hold a virtual public hearing on the consultation paper on 11 September 2025 from 14:30 to 16:30 CET. Please register for the hearing here by 8 September 2025 by 17:00 CET. The dial-in details will be communicated to those who have registered for the meeting.

Background

The EBA issued its initial POG Guidelines in 2016 to address conduct failures of financial institutions. These Guidelines are addressed to manufacturers and distributors of retail banking products in EBA’s remit, namely mortgages, personal loans, deposits, payment accounts, payment services, and electronic money. Recent legislative developments necessitate a revision to incorporate ESG objectives and greenwashing risks and to ensure compliance with the highest standards of business conduct.

The EBA developed these draft Guidelines in accordance with Article 16 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 which empowers the EBA to issue guidelines to ensure the effective and consistent application of European Union law.

MIL OSI Europe News –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: SARS gets largest chunk of Treasury Budget transfers
Source: Government of South Africa

SARS gets largest chunk of Treasury Budget transfers
National Treasury has been allocated R91.835 billion over the medium-term, with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) receiving the largest component of the transfers.

Tabling National Treasury’s Budget Vote in Parliament, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said the department’s budget (excluding direct charges) over the medium-term is R91.835 billion, which is an average growth rate of 6.2% from 2024/25 – 2027/28.

“The largest component is for transfers to SARS, which is allocated R45.760 billion (or 49.8%) of the department’s budget for operations and capital projects over the medium-term.

“This is an increase of R8 billion of the SARS baseline compared to the 2024 Estimate of Expenditure. Part of this increase is to improve effectiveness in revenue collection by enhancing their ability to collect debt through better systems, increasing staff capacity and modernising their processes to establish e-invoicing for VAT, instant payment systems and upgrades of customs infrastructure,” Godongwana said on Tuesday.

Last week, National Treasury published monthly debt collection data from SARS for the first time to monitor progress and improve transparency.

The budget allocation per economic classification over the medium-term is as follows:
- R3.422 billion on compensation of employees;
- R6.983 billion on goods and services;
- R78.554 billion on transfers and subsidies;
- R89 million on payment of capital assets, and
- and R2.786 billion on payment for financial assets.
Sustainable public finances

National Treasury’s Annual Performance Plan 2025/26 sets out clear and ambitious programmes to realise its goals of job creation, lowering poverty and greater inclusion.

“In terms of restoring sustainability and the impact of our public finances, a review of how the government spends money has been central to our policy efforts. To achieve all of our national priorities we need to realise much greater efficiencies on the spending side,” the Minister said.

As such there are new reviews that government plans to conduct, namely:
- An audit of ghost workers in the public service using a data-driven approach that links administrative and financial databases to identify bogus and non-existent employees and immediately remove them from the system.
- An infrastructure conditional grant review. This will assess why provinces and municipalities underspend, why projects are not delivered on time and within budget, and where relevant, why the quality of the deliverables is poor; and
- A review of the remuneration of executives and board members of public entities. The aim is to develop a standardised framework for all schedule three public entities, based on their mandates, areas of influence, and the complexity of a given organisation.
Financial Action Task Force grey list

With South Africa completing all 22 recommended action items outlined by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the Minister stressed that the country must continue to strengthen the laws to fight illicit and corrupt financing.

“Lastly, I am happy to say that our endeavors, not just the National Treasury’s but the government’s as a whole, to remove South Africa from the Financial Action Task Force grey list, are succeeding,” he said.

South Africa was placed on the FATF grey list due to deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) regime.

The FATF recently confirmed that South Africa has substantially completed its action plan and warrants an on-site assessment.

The on-site assessment will be to verify that the implementation of AML/CFT reforms has begun and is being sustained, and that the necessary political commitment remains in place to sustain implementation in the future.

The on-site visit will take place before the next FATF Plenary, and, if the outcome of the visit is positive, the FATF will delist South Africa from the greylist at its next Plenary in October 2025. Preparations for the on-site visit have commenced.

“A General Laws Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing Bill, to further improve our ability to combat money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing, is being finalised for another round of public comment, and tabling in Parliament in the third quarter of 2025.

“Similarly, the National Treasury has made substantial progress implementing the State Capture Commission recommendations through multiple concrete actions. SARS investigations have recovered R4.8 billion in unpaid taxes, while professional bodies like the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) have imposed consequence management including disbarment,” the Minister said.

The Financial Intelligence Centre launched the ‘Enablers Project’ with law enforcement to trace state capture fund flows, and a 10-year ban was imposed on Bain & Co (currently under litigation).

“Critically, a central register now tracks dismissed officials and those who have resigned during their disciplinary processes across all government spheres,” Godongwana said. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Wed, 07/09/2025 – 09:36

MIL OSI Africa –
July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Department working on turning SA into a successful tourism nation

Source: Government of South Africa

Department working on turning SA into a successful tourism nation

Tourism is a vehicle for creating jobs, destroying poverty and creating inclusive economic growth and sustainability, says Deputy Minister of Tourism Maggie Sotyu.

“The nation has given this Government of National Unity a clear mandate to turn South Africa into a successful tourism nation and to unite all of us – citizens, visitors and tourists alike – in the joy of discovering our country, discovering each other, and in the shared hope of equality for all,” said the Deputy Minister.

She was speaking at the tabling of the department’s Budget Vote in Cape Town on Tuesday.

Sotyu said sustainable SMMEs are key drivers of inclusive growth and poverty eradication; therefore, economic growth without transformation entrenches exclusion and transformation without growth is unsustainable

The department, together with South African Tourism, champions conditions for sustainability.

“To lower the many barriers that inhibit SMMEs’ entry into the hotel industry, for example, the department has a programme called the Tourism Grading Support Programme (TGSP) which continues to subsidise grading costs.

“In financial year 2024/25, the TGSP supported 2 970 establishments, encouraging active participation in the TGCSA’s grading system. These efforts contribute to the standardisation of service excellence, helping South Africa to remain competitive in global tourism markets.”

To sustain profits and benefit the local economy, the department will continue to support the tourism industry towards reaching the threshold of local development.

“Some big hotels do not appear in the list of graded establishments on the website of the Tourism Grading Council but still ‘sell’ themselves as 5-star hotels.

“To ensure that the grading system remains world-class and relevant to our local environment in South Africa, we have initiated the Grading Criteria Review which will be finalised this financial year.

“Grading of tourist establishments that host international events is a crucial factor in the sustainability of economic growth and job creation.

“It is for this reason the South African National Conventions Bureau (SANCB), through the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sub-sector, will focus on capitalising on previous successes to accelerate growth through the consolidation of multiple national efforts when bidding for international meetings.”

The secured conferences will also contribute to the regional spread of business events.

Given that tourism is a highly labour-intensive industry, people will rightfully expect to see significant local employment within these successfully bided international conferences.

The Deputy Minister said the biggest international conference to be held in South Africa later this year, the G20, will be a catalyst for this yearned-for job creation.

“The G20 presents an opportunity to showcase the nation’s unparalleled hospitality, world-class infrastructure, quality-assured accommodations, and experiences, as well as its ability to host global events.

“As the department, we are very committed to ensure that no one is left behind on the knowledge, importance and benefit of this G20,” said Sotyu. – SAnews.gov.za

Janine
Wed, 07/09/2025 – 10:21

MIL OSI Africa –

July 9, 2025
Indian NBFCs to clock 25 pc growth in education loan assets in FY26 amid US uncertainties

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

For non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) in India, education loans have been the fastest-growing asset class, clocking over 50 per cent growth in the assets under management (AUM) over the past few years, a report said on Wednesday. This fiscal (FY26), growth is seen moderating to 25 per cent with AUM reaching Rs 80,000 crore.

The pace is likely to halve this fiscal as disbursements for pursuing educational courses in the US decelerate following a raft of policy changes in that country, according to the report by Crisil Rating.

To mitigate the impact, NBFCs are diversifying into new geographies and product adjacencies. While non-performing assets (NPAs) have remained stable so far, asset quality will be monitorable given the global uncertainties and a large proportion of AUM (85) remaining under contractual principal moratorium, the report mentioned.

The education loan AUM of NBFCs grew a rapid 48 per cent to Rs 64,000 crore last fiscal. That followed an even faster 77 per cent growth in fiscal 2024.

“Policy uncertainties in the US, combined with measures including reduced visa appointments and the proposed elimination of Optional Practical Training norms have culled newer loan originations. This has led to a 30 per cent decline in total disbursements to that geography last fiscal,” said Malvika Bhotika, Director, Crisil Ratings.

Disbursements linked to even Canada, the second-largest market, fell as student visa rules turned stricter, including increased financial requirements via proof of available funds, and cap on permits.

“Consequently, overall education loan disbursements were up only 8 per cent in fiscal 2025, compared with 50 per cent in fiscal 2024, Bhotika mentioned.

To offset these headwinds, NBFCs have sharpened focus on other geographies.

Disbursements linked to courses in the UK, Germany, Ireland and smaller countries have doubled in the past fiscal as students opted for alternative destinations.

The share of such geographies in total disbursements rose to almost 50 per cent in fiscal 2025 from 25 per cent a year ago.

NBFCs are also looking at domestic student loans and adjacencies such as school funding, loans for skill development, certification and coaching. Given the lower ticket sizes of such loans, their share in the overall portfolio is unlikely to be material, but they may lend some stability in times of global uncertainties.

“The ability of NBFCs to scale up and maintain asset quality in some of the newer domestic products will bear watching as well,” said Sonica Gupta, Associate Director, Crisil Ratings. Moreover, the agility of the NBFCs to navigate the complexities of the global landscape, characterised by uncertainty and change in preferences of students, will be crucial for sustained growth and success.

(IANS)

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leeds City Council participates in international programme to tackle LGBT+ discrimination

Source: City of Leeds

Leeds City Council is to partner with Portuguese city Oeiras on a new project to tackle anti-LGBT+ discrimination by improving understanding between different communities.

The five-month long Rainbow Connections project is funded through the Council of Europe’s Intercultural Cities (ICC) programme. It will see the two local authorities work with their LGBT+ staff and local non-governmental organisations in a series of awareness-raising sessions bringing together LGBT+ people and the wider community.

The project will also examine how organisations interact with their own LGBT+ employees and communities and aims to help create good practice and ultimately to produce a training pack that can be shared and applied internationally.

As part of the project, Leeds City Council will share its experiences and learning on the development of a successful LBGT+ staff network, as well as the development and implementation of the “what makes us different, makes us Leeds” anti-discrimination campaign, which included information and advice for communities to combat homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia, offering Oeiras valuable insights as it develops its own initiatives in this important area.

In both cities, the project’s objectives support longer-term plans for communities, where all voices feel included, and no group is left behind or ignored. It is hoped the project will also have a long-term legacy of acting as a catalyst for more regular, honest, and effective conversations between different communities in both local authorities and, indeed, internationally.

Above: Oeiras Town Hall

In Leeds, this project closely aligns with already well-established strategies for LGBT+ inclusion and will automatically be built into Leeds’s city-wide strategy.

Deputy Leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, Councillor Jonathan Pryor, said: “Leeds is committed to being a city where everyone, whatever their identity or background, feels safe, welcomed and included, and that obviously includes our LGBT+ citizens.

“Working with international partners provides a fresh perspective and an opportunity to exchange of ideas and working practices, so we are excited to work with like-minded cities such as Oeiras on tackling LGBT+ discrimination in all its forms”

Councillor Fiona Venner, Executive Member for Equality, Health and Wellbeing, added

“Many members of the LGBT+ community still face discrimination in some form, and that’s not the type of city Leeds wants to be. We have a responsibility to lead efforts to stop discrimination in all its forms, both in our city and elsewhere, and one of the best places to start is by encouraging better conversations and understanding.

“We welcome funding from the Council of Europe’s Intercultural Cities programme to help us achieve this and further our aim to stop discrimination in all its forms, wherever it happens.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Doing business in conflict zones: what companies can learn from Lafarge’s exit from Syria

Source: The Conversation – France – By Nathalie Belhoste, Associate professor, EM Lyon Business School

The world experienced over 60 armed conflicts in 2024, a “historically high” number according to scholars in the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University. Consequently, the risks faced by multinational companies (MNCs) operating in conflict-torn regions, especially the Middle East and North Africa, have significantly intensified. Israel’s recent airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities are another reminder of the escalating violence and instability that are causing loss of life and threatening businesses.

In response to the increase in international crises and armed violence, the United Nations Global Compact has urged companies and investors to adopt more responsible practices in conflict-affected and high-risk areas, so as to position themselves as crucial actors in providing peace and stability.

The role of business in conflict zones

The debate over the role of business in conflict zones is not new but is gaining traction among scholars and practitioners alike. Questions include whether companies can leverage their influence to support peacebuilding efforts, and whether some firms may exploit unstable environments to maximize profit and thus exacerbate conflict.

MNCs tend to respond to conflict by adopting one of the following strategies:

1) an exit strategy (ie withdrawing from a conflict zone)

2) a business-as-usual strategy that merely complies with changing local conditions and regulations

3) a take-advantage strategy of profiteering from a war economy

4) or a proactive engagement strategy aimed at contributing to public security

But, if an MNC decides to stay and continue operating in a conflict zone, it can hardly be guided by a single strategy. Moreover, since strategies evolve in response to unfolding events, their adaptation may lead to unforeseen consequences and possibly far-reaching negative impacts.

This is clearly demonstrated by our recent study on the case of Lafarge in Syria. Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS), the local subsidiary of the former French multinational construction company Lafarge, continued operating during the Syrian civil war from 2011 until 2014, while most foreign companies withdrew in response to escalating violence and political instability. To maintain production at its Jalabiya plant in northeast Syria, LCS managers established arrangements with various armed groups, including the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the al-Nusrah Front (ANF) – “both US-designated foreign terrorist organisations” – providing financial payments called “protection money” and purchasing raw material from suppliers under their control.

The MNC’s stay-at-all-cost strategy in an active civil war zone culminated in a forced withdrawal from Syria – the night before ISIS took full control over the LCS factory – and subsequent, ongoing legal proceedings in France against Lafarge and LCS for alleged financing of terrorism (at least €13 million paid to armed groups including ISIS), violation of international sanctions against Syria, complicity in crimes against humanity, and endangering the lives of others. In early 2024, a French court dropped the charge against Lafarge of endangering the lives of its Syrian employees.

In 2022, Lafarge and its Syrian subsidiary pleaded guilty in a US federal court to conspiring to provide material support to foreign terrorist organisations. Lafarge agreed to pay a $778 million fine. The guilty plea came seven years after “what was originally billed as a merger of equals” between Lafarge and its Swiss rival Holcim. The year after LafargeHolcim, amid a growing scandal over the allegations, renamed itself Holcim Ltd.

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A ‘downward spiral’

In our study, we examined how some Lafarge and LCS managers navigated Syria’s shifting wartime landscape by analysing the relational, informational and financial strategies they used to engage with various non-state armed groups to sustain operations. Our findings reveal that over the four-year period from 2011 to 2014, a series of short-term, cost-benefit decisions produced a “downward spiral” of strategic responses. Rather than ensuring the company’s survival in an active conflict zone, these strategies increased its dependence on regime-connected intermediaries and war profiteers, and entangled it in the darkness of the Syrian war economy. Ultimately, this led to consequences that extended far beyond mere business failure.

Four key factors shaped this downward spiral. The first is the diversity and fluidity of non-state armed actors with whom the company engaged. LCS paid “protection money” to a range of armed groups – including Kurdish military factions, insurgent groups and militias – prior to the emergence of jihadist organisations, particularly ISIS, in the vicinity of its cement factory. Initially, threats posed by jihadist groups were overshadowed by the complex, shifting alliances and rivalries among local actors vying for control over the resources in the region.

The second factor that shaped the downward spiral is the gradual collapse of state authority in Syria, especially in the region near the factory. When the factory began production in 2010, its operations took place in a zone under the control of the Syrian government. This was a certain guarantee of security provided by the regime, which wanted to ensure the continuous payment of LCS local taxes. But after the outbreak of the civil war in 2011, the government started losing control in many parts of the country, including northeast Syria. Faced with this institutional vacuum, LCS managers took security into their own hands by establishing arrangements with various armed groups to safeguard their business.

The third factor is the level of the subsidiary’s exposure to the conflict. At first, the plant’s exposure to violence was low because of its geographical distance from the heart of the conflict. However, by mid-2012, and especially in 2013, fighting intensified close to the factory, which sat near the strategic M4 highway linking eastern Syria to Turkey and Iraq. The highway was a key route used by the company’s suppliers, but also by local rebel and militia groups.

The fourth factor relates to the vulnerability of infrastructure and local supply chains. With $680 million invested in the cement plant’s construction and big hopes for a post-war reconstruction boom in the region, Lafarge was determined to protect its assets and access to critical resources. This imperative, coupled with ambitions to merge with Holcim as early as 2013 (the merger was completed in 2015), drove the company to prioritize continued production, even if it meant aligning with local warlords.

These four factors and their respective dynamics pushed Lafarge and LCS to adopt increasingly unconventional and ethically questionable strategies. In adapting to the unfolding conflict and increasing violence, the company made a series of compromises that ultimately led to negotiations and arrangements with ISIS.

What lessons should MNCs draw from this case?

Lafarge’s dismal experience in war-torn Syria highlights a pattern of “organisational shortsightedness” that often affects MNC managers operating in conflict zones. As security deteriorates, firms may become entangled with local power brokers, adapting incrementally to survive, until they are so embedded that withdrawal becomes impossible. To break this cycle, companies must rigorously assess the potential fallout of their strategies and avoid entanglements with armed factions altogether. Moreover, to survive in conflict zones, MNC subsidiary managers need to gain country-specific knowledge and experience, and consider context complexity and dynamics as constituent elements of their strategies.

Our research serves as a cautionary tale. It warns decision-makers of the dangers of deploying financial and relational strategies in conflict zones that may increase a company’s dependence on non-state armed groups. Such business practices risk compromising objective decision-making and obscuring legal and ethical boundaries and can ultimately backfire. To avoid this, managers should design a responsible withdrawal strategy at the beginning of an armed conflict to ensure employees’ safety. Managers must also adopt ethical and conflict-sensitive practices in strict compliance with the actions for businesses operating in conflict zones recommended by the UN Global Compact.

À lire aussi :
Will multinational companies flock to Syria? Maybe, if foreign aid arrives first

We also encourage corporate leaders to develop “critical geopolitical awareness” by gaining more contextual knowledge and integrating a multilevel political risk analysis into their strategies. This would provide them with a deeper understanding of the complexity and dynamics of an armed conflict and the relevant actors they need to engage with or avoid. Only with informed leadership can managers effectively and responsibly navigate the complex and often hazardous landscape of doing business in conflict zones.

Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.

– ref. Doing business in conflict zones: what companies can learn from Lafarge’s exit from Syria – https://theconversation.com/doing-business-in-conflict-zones-what-companies-can-learn-from-lafarges-exit-from-syria-260604

MIL OSI –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Algeria deepens trade ties with other African countries as it gears up for Africa’s biggest marketplace

Source: APO

Algeria is working towards increasing its share of trade with other African countries by tapping into opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

In a keynote address during the Algeria Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2025 Business Roadshow, Algeria’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion, H.E. Prof. Kamal Rezig stated that this includes enhancing continental connectivity through infrastructure projects such as the Trans-Sahara Highway and the Zouerate Road project linking the Tindouf border with Mauritania and the Nigeria-Algeria gas pipeline and fibre optic cable.

“In order to improve the business climate in Algeria, the State has endeavoured to ensure a stable, transparent, stimulating and attractive economic and institutional environment for investment. This is in addition to ensuring stability of legislation that regulates local and foreign investment, and simplifying administrative procedures, development and strengthening of the banking system, the capital market and the insurance sector, as well as development of human resources capabilities and skills, with the aim of adapting its economy to global transformations,” H.E. Rezig said, adding that besides developing key sectors, the country is also promoting exports in the continent within the framework of AfCFTA.

In 2024, Algeria’s share of total intra-African trade stood at 2.2%, marginally growing from 1.9% in 2022, according to African Trade Report 2025 (http://apo-opa.co/44BzJhH). Mineral fuels and oils make up 91.5% of its exports. The country’s top-five African export partners in 2023 based on volumes are Tunisia (70.7%), South Africa (6.7%), Cote d’Ivoire (3.6%), Nigeria (3.1%) and Senegal (2.7%) states the Country at a Glance: Algeria 2024 report (http://apo-opa.co/4m4chRF) while its top-five import partners are Mauritania (38.8%), Tunisia (32.7%), Cote d’Ivoire (9%), Morocco (6%) and Uganda (2.2%).

The Algeria IATF2025 Business Roadshow focused on promoting intra-African trade, bringing together government officials, the trade community, including businesses, investors, and executives from African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank). Hosted by Afreximbank, in collaboration with the Government of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, the roadshow was one of the five roadshows hosted in key cities including Accra, Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Lagos in the run up to the fourth edition of IATF, Africa’s premier trade and investment event that is held biennially, scheduled to take place in Algiers, Algeria, from 4 – 10 September 2025 hosted by the Government of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria. IATF provides a platform for businesses to showcase goods and exchange trade and investment information within the continent’s single market.

The Chairman of IATF2025 Advisory Council and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo said that intra-African trade presents a huge opportunity for African economies to enhance their resilience in today’s rapidly changing world.

“Through the IATF, the largest, go-to trade and investment fair on the continent, Africa needs to join hands and build on the gains that have been achieved so far in promoting trade with itself under the AfCFTA framework. AfCFTA provides an opportunity for the continent to achieve economic emancipation and self-reliance and build the Africa We Want. This will help unlock the continent’s vast potential while accelerating industrialisation and job creation,” H.E. Obasanjo added.

The past three editions of IATF have attracted over 70,000 participants and 4,500 exhibitors, and hosted buyers and sellers from over 130 countries, generating more than $100 billion in trade and investment deals. This provides a glimpse of the immense potential that exists for intra-African trade and investment.

Afreximbank’s Executive Vice-President, Intra-African Trade & Export Development, Mrs Kanayo Awani noted that whereas conventional wisdom attributes Africa’s low intra-continental trade to infrastructure deficits, a more fundamental barrier is the lack of access to trade and market information.

“Afreximbank launched the IATF —not merely as an exhibition but as a marketplace for the AfCFTA and a platform to close the trade information gap. Since its inception in 2018, IATF has held three resoundingly successful fairs. In these fairs, Algeria showed up strongly and directly benefited from facilitated trade and investment deals worth over $2 billion. Now, Algeria has the opportunity to host the fourth edition. As Africa’s largest country by land and the fourth-largest economy by GDP, Algeria has both the duty and the opportunity to lead. Algeria’s competitive advantages—energy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, financial services, light manufacturing, ICT, and automotive assembly—are all primed for scale and export across the continent,” Mrs Awani said. She challenged businesses and government agencies in Algeria and the North African region to take centre stage at IATF2025, where over 2,000 exhibitors from Africa and beyond will showcase their products to more than 35,000 visitors and buyers from over 140 countries, resulting in trade and investment deals in excess of US$44 billion.

IATF2025 will feature a trade exhibition by countries and businesses; and the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme spotlighting cultural industries with a dedicated exhibition and summit on fashion, music, film, arts and craft, sports, literature, gastronomy and culinary arts. It will also include a four-day Trade and Investment Forum featuring leading African and international speakers; and the Africa Automotive Show for auto manufacturers, assemblers, original equipment manufacturers and component suppliers. Special Days will highlight countries, public and private sector entities, tourism, cultural attractions, and Global Africa Day celebrating ties with the African diaspora. Additional activities include business-to-business and business-to-government matchmaking, the AU Youth Start-Up programme, the Africa Research and Innovation Hub, and the African Sub-Sovereign Governments Network (AfSNET) to promote local trade and cultural exchanges. The IATF Virtual platform is also live, connecting exhibitors and visitors year-round.

Planning for IATF2025 is in top gear with significant progress made in ensuring a seamless logistical experience and delivering a successful event.

The theme of Algeria IATF2025 Business Roadshow was ‘Harnessing Regional and Continental Value Chains: Accelerating Africa’s Industrialisation and Global Competitiveness under the AfCFTA’. It was also attended by H.E Ms. Baleka Mbete, the founder of NaLHISA and former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa; H.E Zitouny El-Tayeb, Minister of Internal Trade; H.E. Selma Mansouri, the Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in charge of African Affairs; H.E. Moses Vilakati, AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment and Acting Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals; and Mr. Jean Louis-EKRA, former President of Afreximbank and Deputy Chair of the Intra-African Trade Fair Advisory Council.

To participate in IATF2025 please visit www.IntrAfricanTradeFair.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

Media contact:
media@intrafricatradefair.com
press@afreximbank.com

About the Intra-African Trade Fair:
Organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) is intended to provide a unique platform for facilitating trade and investment information exchange in support of increased intra-African trade and investment, especially in the context of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). IATF brings together continental and global players to showcase and exhibit their goods and services and to explore business and investment opportunities in the continent. It also provides a platform to share trade, investment and market information with stakeholders and allows participants to discuss and identify solutions to the challenges confronting intra-African trade and investment. In addition to African participants, the Trade Fair is also open to businesses and investors from non-African countries interested in doing business in Africa and in supporting the continent’s transformation through industrialisation and export development.

Media files

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MIL OSI Africa –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: World Bank Backs Mining as Zambia’s Economic Engine Ahead of African Mining Week (AMW) 2025

Source: APO

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International financial institution the World Bank has underscored the role the energy transition metals (ETM) value chain plays in unlocking sustainable economic growth in Zambia. In a report released this week, the institution has shown that while Zambia recorded 4% GDP growth in 2024, the country can further accelerate economic growth through scaling-up ETM production, maximizing fiscal potential and adding value to mineral resources.

The upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) conference – taking place October 1-3 in Cape Town – will feature a country spotlight session on Zambia. The session – titled Zambia: Accelerating Exploration and Development Through License Allocation – will provide insight into the country’s mineral potential, connecting project and investment opportunities with financiers and mining operators. As Africa’s premier gathering for mining stakeholders, AMW 2025 is well-positioned to support Zambian economic growth by facilitating new investment across the mining sector.

Scaling Energy Transition Metals Production

To support economic growth in Zambia, the World Bank underscores the need to scale-up the production of ETM. To achieve this, recommendations include the implementation of reforms aimed at boosting mineral output, exploration across new deposits and workforce development. In line with these recommendations, Zambia is already advancing a national plan to increase ETM production, specifically copper, while enhancing seismic data acquisition to support future exploration activities. Zambia has set a national target of increasing annual copper production to three million tons by 2031. In line with this goal, the country saw a 29.9% rise in copper output from Q1, 2024 to Q1, 2025. Major projects are also underway, including the Mimosa Resources-led Kashime copper mine, the relaunch of the Vedanta Resources-led Konkola mine and the International Resources Holding-led Mopani mine. Meanwhile, to support exploration efforts, the country is implementing a nationwide geomapping campaign to better understand its geology and mineral basins. As of June 2025, the campaign was 80% complete.

Maximizing Fiscal Potential

As production increases across the ETM sector, the World Bank has underscored the role of improved revenue management and better allocation mechanisms to support fiscal sustainability and sectoral service delivery. Such mechanisms would ensure that mining revenue creates long-term impacts for the economy. In line with these, Zambia’s Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development is operationalizing the Minerals Regulation Commission and restructuring its departments to include dedicated units for Geological Survey, Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) and Large-Scale Investment Promotion. These reforms aim to improve governance, transparency and institutional efficiency. The government also unveiled the Zambia Integrated Mining Information System – a digital platform to track mining company activities, monitor local content and tax contributions and provide public access to data on mineral prospects.

Adding Value to Mineral Resources

In addition to ETM production and revenue, the development of Zambia’s copper value chain creates a range of economic opportunities for the country, from job creation to business participation to trade and financing. By redirecting capital to local businesses and downstream projects, the country will be able to address barriers to value-adding activities, thereby stimulating more inclusive economic growth. Progress is already underway in this regard. Zambia plans to establish mineral market centers and washing plants in Mumbwa, Rufunsa, Chisamba and Kasempa to empower small-scale miners, as part of its value addition strategy. A national training program for licensed artisanal miners is also in the pipeline to improve safety, productivity and skills. These efforts seek to support local miners, creating greater value from the ETM value chain.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

About African Mining Week (AMW):
African Mining Week serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2025 conference from October 1-3 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.

MIL OSI Africa –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China rolls out sweeping employment push for record number of college graduates

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

Students attend a campus job fair held at Qinghai College of Architectural Technology in Xining, northwest China’s Qinghai Province, April 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

China has unveiled a tiered strategy to boost employment prospects for the nation’s 2025 college graduates, a number which is expected to reach a record 12.22 million this year.

Key national moves include job channel expansion, skills enhancement, and targeted support for disadvantaged students.

A recent recruitment fair at Guangxi Medical University in south China demonstrated the campaign’s scale, featuring both provincial and national employers across sectors like health care, AI and education.

“Large fairs like this help us engage directly with employers,” said Huang Chenxi, a student seeking administrative hospital work.

The number of college graduates in China has been rising steadily, surpassing the 10-million mark for the first time in 2022, when 10.76 million students entered the job market.

This upward trend has continued, with the number of graduates expected to reach a record 12.22 million this year — an increase of 430,000 compared to last year.

The key to boosting graduate employment is expanding channels and creating more job opportunities.

To that end, government authorities have intensified policy support, specifically targeting job retention and creation in private enterprises and small-to-medium-sized businesses.

In a recent policy innovation, China has for the first time extended its one-time job expansion subsidies — previously available only to enterprises — to include social organizations, incentivizing employers of all types to hire graduates.

The Chinese government has also been launching “100 counties for 100 universities” recruitment drives since June to bridge information gaps between local enterprises and universities.

Last month, an event in Ningbo in east China’s Zhejiang Province offered over 7,000 jobs, and another event in Nanning in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region offered over 15,000 jobs. More fairs are also planned for other parts of the country.

To thrive in today’s rapidly evolving labor market, graduates need more than just degrees — they need industry-relevant skills.

“New industries, business models and economic paradigms represent a crucial driver of innovation-led development, injecting fresh vitality into China’s economy,” said Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.

“These emerging sectors have created significant employment growth opportunities and are increasingly serving as primary channels absorbing college graduates into the workforce,” Wang noted, highlighting their growing importance in China’s employment landscape.

Responding to the evolving needs of emerging industries, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has launched a national program to enhance student preparedness. Over 2,600 “micro-major” programs and more than 1,100 professional training courses have been established to sharpen students’ knowledge and competencies in high-demand fields prior to graduation.

A national employment services platform for college graduates has undergone a digital overhaul, and is now equipped with AI and big-data-powered tools.

Enhanced algorithms and closer coordination with social recruitment platforms and universities have made it more efficient: To date, the platform has hosted 111 online job fairs and posted over 20 million job openings for the graduating class of 2025.

Complementing national efforts, provinces across China are also implementing localized solutions. In northeast China’s Jilin Province, for example, 69 human resources officials have been assigned to support 69 local universities, offering tailored guidance and services.

As we enter July and the graduation season reaches its peak, particular attention is being paid to those who have yet to secure jobs — especially those from underprivileged backgrounds.

Backed by funding from the Ministry of Finance, the MOE has organized 1,124 dedicated job fairs, offering more than 1.1 million targeted positions for the 2025 graduate cohort.

Looking ahead, uninterrupted support will continue via the national employment platform. In one example of such support, a special online campaign linking research assistant positions and livestreamed job fairs will remain active through the end of August.

Together, these efforts reflect China’s commitment to helping graduates move from classrooms to careers, and to ensuring their talents find the opportunities they deserve.

MIL OSI China News –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: SCIO briefing on China’s economic performance in April 2025

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

中文

Speakers:

Mr. Fu Linghui, spokesperson of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and director general of the Department of Comprehensive Statistics of the NBS

Chairperson:

Zhou Jianshe, deputy director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date:

May 19, 2025

Zhou Jianshe:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). This is a regular briefing on China’s economic data. Today, we are joined by Mr. Fu Linghui, spokesperson of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and director general of the Department of Comprehensive Statistics of the NBS. Mr. Fu will brief you on China’s economic performance in April 2025 and then take your questions.

First, I will give the floor to Mr. Fu for his introduction.

Fu Linghui:

Good morning, everyone. As usual, I will start by briefing you on the main economic indicators for this April and then take your questions.

In April, the national economy withstood pressure and maintained stable growth.

In April, in the face of a complicated situation marked by increasing external shocks and multiple domestic difficulties and challenges, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, all regions and departments strictly implemented the decisions and arrangements made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, adhered to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, fully and faithfully applied the new development philosophy on all fronts, accelerated efforts to create a new pattern of development, took solid steps to promote high-quality development, stepped up the implementation of more proactive and effective macro policies, and responded to the external shocks effectively. As a result, production and demand grew steadily, employment was generally stable, and new growth drivers accumulated and grew. The national economy maintained stable growth despite pressure, sustaining the new and positive development momentum.

Fu Linghui:

First, industrial production grew quickly, with equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing showing good growth momentum.

In April, the total value added of industrial enterprises above designated size grew by 6.1% year on year, or 0.22% month on month. In terms of sectors, the value added of mining went up by 5.7% year on year, manufacturing up by 6.6%, and the production and supply of electricity, thermal power, gas and water up by 2.1%. The value added of equipment manufacturing increased by 9.8% year on year, and that of high-tech manufacturing increased by 10.0%, which were 3.7 percentage points and 3.9 percentage points faster than that of industrial enterprises above designated size, respectively. In terms of ownership, the value added of state holding enterprises was up by 2.9% year on year; that of share-holding enterprises was up by 6.6%; that of enterprises funded by foreign investors or investors from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan was up by 3.9%; and that of private enterprises was up by 6.7%. In terms of products, the outputs of 3D printing devices, industrial robots and new energy vehicles (NEVs) grew by 60.7%, 51.5% and 38.9% year on year, respectively. In the first four months, the total value added of industrial enterprises above designated size went up by 6.4% year on year. In April, the Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index was 49.0%; and the Production and Operation Expectation Index was 52.1%. In the first three months, the total profits made by industrial enterprises above designated size were 1,509.4 billion yuan, up by 0.8% year on year.

Second, the service sector grew steadily and modern services developed well.

In April, the Index of Services Production grew by 6.0% year on year. In terms of sectors, that of information transmission, software and information technology services, leasing and business services, wholesales and retails, and finance grew by 10.4%, 8.9%, 6.8% and 6.1% year on year, respectively, which were 4.4 percentage points, 2.9 percentage points, 0.8 percentage point and 0.1 percentage point faster than that of the Index of Services Production. In the first four months, the Index of Services Production increased by 5.9% year on year. In the first three months, the business revenue of service enterprises above designated size went up by 7.0% year on year. In April, the Business Activity Index for Services was 50.1%, and the Business Activity Expectation Index for Services was 56.4%. Specifically, the Business Activity Index for industries like air transportation, telecommunication, broadcast, television and satellite transmission services, internet software and information technology services, and insurance stayed within the high expansion range of 55.0% and above.

Third, market sales maintained steady growth and trade-in goods grew quickly.

In April, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 3,717.4 billion yuan, up by 5.1% year on year, or up by 0.24% month on month. Analyzed by different areas, the retail sales of consumer goods in urban areas reached 3,237.6 billion yuan, up by 5.2% year on year; and that in rural areas reached 479.8 billion yuan, up by 4.7%. Grouped by consumption patterns, the retail sales of goods were 3,300.7 billion yuan, up by 5.1%; and the income of catering was 416.7 billion yuan, up by 5.2%. Sales of basic living goods and certain upgraded goods showed sound growth. The retail sales of grain, oil and food and of sports and recreational articles by enterprises above designated size went up by 14.0% and 23.3%, respectively. The effect of trade-in of consumer goods continued to manifest, with the retail sales of household appliances and audiovisual equipment, cultural and office supplies, furniture, and communication equipment by enterprises above designated size growing by 38.8%, 33.5%, 26.9% and 19.9%, respectively. In the first four months, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 16,184.5 billion yuan, up by 4.7% year on year. Online retail sales reached 4,741.9 billion yuan, up by 7.7% year on year. Specifically, the online retail sales of physical goods were 3,926.5 billion yuan, up by 5.8%, accounting for 24.3% of the total retail sales of consumer goods. In the first four months, the retail sales of services grew by 5.1% year on year.

Fourth, investment in fixed assets continued to expand and investment in manufacturing grew quickly.

In the first four months, investment in fixed assets (excluding rural households) reached 14,702.4 billion yuan, up by 4.0% year on year; and investment in fixed assets was up by 8.0% with the investment in real estate development deducted. Specifically, investment in infrastructure grew by 5.8% year on year, that in manufacturing grew by 8.8%, and that in real estate development declined by 10.3%. The floor space of newly-built commercial buildings sold was 282.62 million square meters, down by 2.8% year on year; and the total sales of newly-built commercial buildings were 2,703.5 billion yuan, down by 3.2%. By industry, investment in the primary industry increased by 13.2% year on year, that in the secondary industry up by 11.7%, and that in the tertiary industry down by 0.2%. Private investment increased by 0.2% year on year, or increased by 5.8% with the investment in real estate development deducted. In terms of high-tech industries, investment in information services, computer and office device manufacturing, aerospace vehicle and equipment manufacturing, and professional technical services grew by 40.6%, 28.9%, 23.9% and 17.6%, respectively. In April, investment in fixed assets (excluding rural households) increased by 0.10% month on month.

Fifth, imports and exports of goods kept growing and the trade structure continued to be optimized.

In April, the total value of imports and exports of goods was 3.84 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.6%. Specifically, the total value of exports was 2.26 trillion yuan, up by 9.3%. The total value of imports was 1.57 trillion yuan, up by 0.8%. In the first four months, the total value of imports and exports of goods was 14.13 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2.4%. Specifically, the total value of exports was 8.39 trillion yuan, up by 7.5%. The total value of imports was 5.74 trillion yuan, down by 4.2%. In the first four months, the imports and exports of general trade went up by 0.6%, accounting for 64% of the total value of imports and exports. Imports and exports by private enterprises went up by 6.8%, accounting for 56.9% of the total value of imports and exports, which is 2.3 percentage points higher than that of the same period last year. The exports of mechanical and electrical products grew by 9.5%, accounting for 60.1% of the total value of exports.

Sixth, employment was generally stable and the surveyed urban unemployment rate declined.

From January to April, the average surveyed unemployment rate in urban areas remained flat year on year at 5.2%. In April, the national surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.1%, 0.1 percentage point lower than that of the previous month. The surveyed unemployment rate of population with local household registration was 5.2% and that of population with non-local household registration was 4.8%, of which the rate of population with non-local agricultural household registration was 4.7%. The surveyed urban unemployment rate across 31 major cities was 5.1%, 0.1 percentage point lower than that of the previous month. Employees of enterprises nationwide worked an average of 48.3 hours per week.

Seventh, the consumer price index (CPI) fell slightly year on year, and the core CPI growth rate was stable.

In April, the CPI decreased by 0.1% year on year, and increased by 0.1% compared to the previous month. By category, prices for food, tobacco and alcohol went up by 0.3%; clothing up by 1.3%; housing up by 0.1%; household goods and services for daily use up by 0.2%; transportation and communication prices down by 3.9%; education, culture and recreation up by 0.7%; medical services and health care up by 0.2%; and other articles and services up by 6.6%. In terms of food, tobacco and alcohol, prices for fresh vegetables fell by 5%, grain fell by 1.4%, pork up by 5%, and fresh fruits up by 5.2%. The core CPI, excluding the prices of food and energy, grew by 0.5% year on year. In the first four months, the CPI went down by 0.1% year on year.

In April, the national producer price index (PPI) for industrial products went down by 2.7% year on year and 0.4% month on month. The purchasing price index for industrial producers went down by 2.7% year on year and 0.6% month on month. In the first four months, the national producer price and purchasing price indexes for industrial products both dropped by 2.4% compared with the same period last year.

Overall, in April, despite increased external pressures, the coordinated efforts of macro policies ensured steady and relatively rapid growth in major indicators, sustaining the upward and improving trend of the national economy. It should also be noted that external instabilities and uncertainties still remain significant, and the foundation for the continuous improvement of the national economy needs to be further consolidated. In the next stage, we must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, resolutely implement the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability. We must fully and accurately implement the new development philosophy, accelerate the construction of a new development paradigm, coordinate domestic economic work and international economic and trade efforts, unswervingly handle our own affairs well, unswervingly expand high-level opening up, focus on stabilizing employment, enterprises, markets and expectations, solidly promote high-quality development, and promote the continuous recovery and improvement of the economy. Thank you.

Zhou Jianshe:

The floor is now open for questions. Please identify your media outlet before raising your questions.

MIL OSI China News –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China-Egypt practical cooperation yields fruitful outcomes

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

Under the strategic guidance of leaders of the two countries, China-Egypt relations have, over the past years, made great strides, becoming a model of solidarity, cooperation and mutual benefit between China and Arab, African, and other developing countries.

By aligning China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Egypt’s Vision 2030, the two countries have drawn up a promising blueprint for practical cooperation and achieved remarkable outcomes across various sectors.

STRATEGIC COOPERATION

Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang said that since the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership was established in 2014, leaders of both countries have frequently met on bilateral and multilateral occasions, jointly steering Belt and Road cooperation and shaping a shared future in the new era.

Frequent high-level exchanges have laid a solid foundation for deepening ties, anchored by both countries’ firm support for each other’s core interests, former Egyptian ambassador to China Magdy Amer told Xinhua, adding that under the BRI, bilateral trade has surged, and Chinese investment in Egypt has expanded rapidly.

Waleed Gaballah, a member of the Egyptian Association for Political Economy, Statistics and Legislation, said that BRI projects, including the Central Business District in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, and the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone within the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) located southeast of Cairo, have invigorated Egypt’s economy.

On July 2, the foundation stone was laid for the Deli Glass production base in the TEDA zone. With a 70 million U.S. dollar investment, its first phase will include a high-grade glass furnace and advanced automated production lines.

The site will produce high-quality household glassware and evolve into an industrial cluster integrating research and development, manufacturing, advanced processing, packaging, logistics, and export.

SCZone chairman Waleid Gamal El-Dein said the project marks the latest outcome of deepening cooperation between the zone and global investors, especially Chinese ones, reflecting the growing bilateral relations, political trust and economic collaboration between Egypt and China.

So far, 185 enterprises have settled in the TEDA zone, bringing total investment to around 3 billion U.S. dollars and generating over 5.3 billion U.S. dollars in sales, with key industries including building materials, petrochemicals, textiles and new energy, among others, according to Cao Hui, executive director of Egypt-TEDA SEZone Development Company.

After touring Haier Egypt Ecological Park and the welding factory of Jetour Egypt in mid-June, former Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf described the projects as the fruits of a long-term partnership, strengthened by Belt and Road cooperation.

“They reflect the initiative’s aim to promote shared development among participating countries,” he told Xinhua, emphasizing the importance of working with China to modernize Egypt’s industrial base.

ACHIEVEMENTS ON MULTIPLE FRONTS

In recent years, China and Egypt have jointly achieved several “firsts”: Chinese companies constructed Africa’s tallest skyscraper in Egypt, built Egypt’s first electrified light rail, and supported Egypt to become the continent’s leading fiberglass base. Chinese technology has also enabled Egypt to become the first African country with full satellite assembly and testing capabilities.

In addition, Chinese firms helped drill over 680 desert water wells in Egypt over nine years, gradually turning barren land into farmland. Tech company Huawei has trained about 40,000 Egyptian youth through its ICT programs.

Meanwhile, the flourishing cultural ties between the two countries have enhanced mutual understanding and added vitality to the partnership.

Chinese has been formally integrated into Egypt’s national education system, with 30 universities offering Chinese courses and more than 20 secondary schools providing Chinese as an elective subject.

Chinese cultural festivals and events held in Egypt, like “Happy Spring Festival,” “Tea for Harmony,” and “Chinese Film Week,” as well as various music performances, have attracted wide interest in Egypt and greatly promoted cultural interaction.

Joint archaeological efforts have further deepened. In Luxor’s Karnak Temple complex, a Sino-Egyptian archaeological team revived the Montu Temple ruins, which had remained buried for over 3,000 years. Another collaborative initiative involves the digital documentation and study of thousands of anthropoid coffins discovered in the Saqqara necropolis, alongside efforts to restore the Ramses II statue at Karnak Temple.

From museums and pyramids to southern temples and Red Sea resorts, Chinese tourists have been arriving in Egypt in growing numbers. To enhance their travel experience, Egypt has introduced Chinese-language signage in famous tourist sites, increased Chinese-speaking guides, and encouraged more hotels to offer Chinese cuisine.

Last month, Air China announced a new direct flight between Beijing and Cairo, which is to be launched on Wednesday, operating three times weekly.

“The new route will strengthen people-to-people exchanges and further deepen tourism cooperation between the two nations,” said Ahmed Youssef, chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority.

MIL OSI China News –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ22: Support for public rental housing tenants

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Kingsley Wong and a written reply by Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, in the Legislative Council today (July 9):

Question:

It has been learnt that a number of cases involving deaths of public rental housing (PRH) tenants in their own PRH flats occurred in Hong Kong in the past, in which the deaths of such tenants remained unknown for a long time, and there were even cases where their bodies had been reduced to skeletons by the time they were discovered; and there were also cases in which carers died suddenly in their PRH flats, but the relatives living with them were forced to “stay with the dead bodies” as their relatives were unable to seek assistance and report to the Police due to mental incapacity or other reasons. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of cases in each of the past 10 years, in which staff of the Housing Department (HD) found people dead in the flats concerned during home visits or flat recovery work (e.g. breaking into the flats concerned);

(2) of the number of cases in each of the past 10 years, in which the Social Welfare Department (SWD) found people dead in the flats concerned in the course of following up the welfare service matters of PRH tenants;

(3) it is learnt that, following the default on rental payment for two consecutive months by PRH tenants, HD will make several attempts to contact the tenants concerned by means of telephone, written notification or home visits, etc., of the criteria adopted by HD for determining whether it is necessary to refer the cases to other departments for follow-up or to report to the Police after repeated unsuccessful attempts to contact the tenants;

(4) regarding cases in which HD is unable to contact the tenants successfully, whether HD will consider seeking assistance from the Police within a shorter period of time, so as to decide if further actions will be taken in respect of the tenants concerned (e.g. breaking into the flats); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(5) as there are views that enhanced cooperation among different departments will facilitate early detection of death cases in PRH flats and even save lives, whether HD, SWD, the Home Affairs Department and the Police will consider setting up a mechanism for information sharing and cooperation; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(6) whether it will promote and encourage the District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams), management companies and PRH tenants to set up a system for assuring safety, so that PRH tenants who live alone or need relevant support may participate on a voluntary basis;

(7) given that HD has launched the pilot scheme of Door Sensor Installation for Elderly Households to equip the elderly households who have voluntarily participated in the scheme with the system which allows designated relatives or friends to keep track of the movement of the elderly in and out of their flats, whether the authorities will extend the scheme to cover non-elderly PRH tenants in the future; whether they will promote and encourage the Care Teams and management companies to become one of the designated contact persons, so as to expeditiously follow up the situation of the tenants concerned; and

(8) given that the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and the Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited have joined forces to launch the Gas Guardian Care Network programme, which utilises smart meters to monitor the gas usage patterns of the elderly in real-time, whether the authorities will make reference to the programme and launch other projects in collaboration with the business sector and community organisations to enable carers to check the condition of the elderly, so as to enhance home safety of the elderly?

Reply:

President,

The estate management staff of the Housing Department (HD) will contact public rental housing (PRH) tenants through daily management work, proactively understanding their living conditions in PRH units and will pay special attention to elderly residents living alone. Cases will be referred to other government departments and social welfare organisations as needed to provide assistance.

In response to the question raised by the Hon Kingsley Wong, in consultation with the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) and the Home Affairs Department, our reply is as follows:

(1), (2) and (5) In the past 10 years (i.e. 2015 to 2024), the number of natural deaths recorded in PRH units under the HD is listed in the Annex. These cases are mainly discovered through the HD’s routine management work (such as patrols, home visits, flat recovery operations, etc.), or were reported by the tenants’ relatives, friends, or neighbours to the estate offices, or referred by other government departments including the police and the Social Welfare Department (SWD) or social welfare organisations. The HD does not maintain statistical breakdowns of the means by which these cases are discovered.

At present, the HD and the SWD have established an inter-departmental referral mechanism to handle special cases of housing assistance for PRH tenants. Liaison groups have been formed at both the headquarters and regional levels to regularly review and improve the cooperation mechanism for housing assistance cases. The HD is also closely collaborating with the LWB and is providing information of PRH tenants under the premise of protecting personal data privacy, with a view to facilitating the LWB to develop a database for following up on hidden and needy elderly individuals.

(3) and (4) According to Section 19(1)(b) of the Housing Ordinance (Cap. 283), when the Housing Authority (HA) serves a notice-to-quit to tenant, at least one month’s notice for termination of tenancy should be given. Upon expiry of the notice, if the occupier still does not voluntarily surrender the unit, the HD can then deploy staff to proceed flat recovery action in accordance with the Housing Ordinance. For rent arrears cases, a series of actions will be taken initially by the HD before serving notice-to-quit, including communicating with tenants through home visits, phone calls or face-to-face interviews. If the tenants still cannot be reached, HD staff will try to reach their relatives and emergency contacts. For some singleton elderly tenants who live by themselves and have not provided any relatives or other contact persons, we will make every effort to contact them through alternative means, including slipping notes through the door gap and into the letter box to ask the tenants to contact the estate office as soon as possible, instructing security guards to monitor the tenants’ entry into and exit from the building, and recording their water and electricity consumption to more closely monitor their situation. If the tenants are in rent arrears due to financial difficulties, cases may be referred to the SWD for follow-up or be provided with assistance to apply for Rent Assistance Scheme, subject to their consent and fulfilment of eligibilities. If the tenants or any of their relatives still cannot be reached despite multiple attempts, the HD will inquire with other departments such as the SWD to check if the tenants are their care cases and their latest situation; or the Immigration Department to check the tenants’ immigration records, etc.; and will seek assistance from the police if necessary. In addition, if HD staff discover suspicious cases during daily management work (e.g. unusual odours emanating from the unit), they will notify the police immediately to take appropriate action, including breaking into the unit as necessary.

(6), (7) and (8) In order to encourage property management companies and security service contractors to be more proactive in assisting PRH tenants in need, we give bidders who can provide effective suggestions for caring the tenants, e.g. establishing volunteer teams to provide volunteer services to the community in the estate and to visit the elderly or individuals/ families in need, etc., additional marks during the tender evaluation, thereby increasing their chances of winning the bid. In addition, the HD organises the annual Estate Management Services Contractor Awards and the Best Security Staff election to commend service contractors and security personnel who have performed well and actively assisted needy residents in the estate. This aims to encourage them to go the extra mile and take the initiative to care for the estates’ PRH residents.

Starting from April this year, the HD launched the pilot scheme of Door Sensor Installation for Elderly Households in Wan Hon Estate in Kwun Tong and Sheung Lok Estate in Ho Man Tin. The elderly households who voluntarily participate in the scheme are equipped with the system which allows designated relatives or friends to keep track of the movement of the elderly in and out of their flats so as to provide timely support when needed. The HD will actively explore the feasibility of implementing other similar schemes in collaboration with other government departments and social welfare organisations, with a view to benefitting more elderly households in other PRH estates.

In addition, the HA also provides subsidies to eligible elderly tenants for the installation of emergency alarm system (Safety Bell), allowing the tenants to seek help timely in case of emergencies. Elderly tenants who require to install Safety Bell but are not receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance can apply for the Emergency Alarm System (EAS) Grant from the HA. Since February 2021, the grant has been extended to mobile devices, including mobile phones and watches equipped with EAS, smartphones with dedicated EAS mobile app installed and other products, allowing elderly tenants to purchase suitable emergency alarm system products on their own. Since the implementation of the grant scheme, approximately 26 000 applications have been approved. The HD has also installed fall detection systems in accessible toilets in some housing estates on a pilot basis to detect situations such as falls, fainting, prolonged stays, etc.

The estate offices under the HA actively assist the Care Teams in promoting care activities, organising community events and providing visits and services to families in need (including elderly households). In addition, the HA collaborates with non-governmental organisations annually to organise activities in various PRH estates. These activities include outreach visits to identify elderly singleton and hidden elders, providing them with support services such as meal delivery, home repair and cleaning services, escort service for medical appointments, etc., so as to help them maintain basic living needs, expand their social networks and provide emotional support.

The HA will continue to implement the aforementioned measures and will conduct timely reviews, striving to meet the needs of tenants.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI: AFL Group: Notification of the Removal of the Pillar 2 Requirement (P2R)
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Press Release
9^thJuly 2025

AFL Group: Notification of the Removal of the Pillar 2 Requirement (P2R)

On 20 June 2025, the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR) notified Agence France Locale – Société Territoriale (AFL-ST), the parent company of AFL, the bank for local authorities, of the removal of its Pillar 2 own funds requirement (P2R), effective from 1 January 2025.

During its meeting on 24 October 2024, the ACPR Supervisory College reviewed the prudential profile of AFL-ST as part of its annual Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process (SREP). Following this review, the ACPR concluded that the imposition of an additional own funds requirement under Pillar 2 (P2R) was no longer warranted given the institution’s current risk profile. As a result, the authority has decided not to renew this requirement, with effect from 1 January 2025.

AFL-ST is thus required to maintain own funds sufficient to meet a total capital requirement of 8% under Pillar 1. In addition, it must comply with a Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital conservation buffer of 2.5%. It should also be noted that, since 2 January 2024, the French High Council for Financial Stability (HCSF) has set the countercyclical capital buffer applicable to French exposures at 1%.

As of 31 December 2024, the AFL Group’s capital adequacy ratio stood at 62.75%.

“This decision reflects the strength of our prudent management framework and will allow the AFL Group to continue its sound and sustainable development in support of French local authorities,” Yves Millardet, Chairman of the Management Board of AFL.

About AFL, the bank for local authorities

“To embody responsible finance in order to strengthen the local world’s ability to act, addressing the present and future needs of citizens.”

The only French bank fully owned (100%) by local authorities, the AFL has a unique and innovative model: a bank created by and for all local authorities. By becoming AFL’s shareholders, local authorities gain access to fast, tailored financing for their local investments while committing to sustainable and responsible finance practices. For local authorities, it is the freedom to invest, with a controlled management of their finances. Since its launch in 2015, the AFL has already granted nearly €11.5 billion in loans, including €2 billion in 2024, and currently has 1,131 shareholders.
More information: www.agence-france-locale.fr

Attachment
- 2025.07.CP_AFL_Removal_P2R
The MIL Network –
July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ10: Home ownership by public

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

(2) whether it has compiled statistics for each year over the past 10 years on the median monthly income and the median value of monthly mortgage repayment of local owner-occupied households; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) as there are views that home ownership can enhance people’s sense of belonging to community and foster strong work values, but according to a research brief published by the Legislative Council Secretariat in March 2021 and data from the Census and Statistics Department, the overall local home ownership rate and the home ownership rate among young people aged below 35 have both declined in recent years, whether the authorities will consider setting a home ownership rate afresh in LTHS in the future; if not, of the reasons for that; and
Reply:

President,

     Hong Kong’s housing policy has all along been an important cornerstone of social development. The current-term Government put in place measures to enhance quantity, speed, efficiency and quality in land production. With our unremitting efforts in the past three years, the problem of back-loaded public housing supply (including public rental housing (PRH) and subsidised sale flats (SSF)) has completely turned around. Coupled with Light Public Housing (LPH), the total public housing supply (including also PRH and SSF) in the coming five years (i.e. 2025-26 to 2029-30) will reach 197 000 units, which is a significant increase of 85 per cent as compared with the first five year period since the current-term Government took office (i.e. 2022-23 to 2026-27). In addition, we have successfully capped the waiting time for PRH, which has reduced from the peak of 6.1 years to 5.3 years. The oversubscription rate of Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) has also dropped from the peak of 62 times in HOS 2019 to 14 times in HOS 2024. Looking ahead, with the completion of various public housing (including PRH and SSF) as well as LPH projects, the Composite Waiting Time for Subsidised Rental Housing will gradually decline. Therefore, we have more confidence to provide more SSF to further meet the home ownership aspiration of the public.

     Currently, about half of the households are residing in accommodations that they own. For most people, buying a property is a major life decision involving many considerations, such as family and childbearing plans as well as the pursuit of a more independent and modern lifestyle, etc. For low- to middle-income persons who cannot afford private housing, SSF is a very suitable first step in realising their dream of home ownership. In this regard, we have all along been striving to enhance the housing ladder through the provision of various types of SSF in response to the home ownership aspiration of households with different income and encourage citizens from all walks of life to move up the social ladder according to their abilities.

     In consultation with the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), our reply to the questions raised by Dr the Hon Wendy Hong is as follows:

(1) and (2) Results of the 2016 Population By-census and the 2021 Population Census conducted by C&SD provide statistics regarding home ownership and related demographic and socio-economic characteristics of Hong Kong’s domestic households in the past decade. The number of owner-occupier domestic households by age group of household head and type of housing are listed in Annex 1. Over the past five years, the number of owner-occupier households and households owning SSF increased by over 80 000 and nearly 30 000 respectively, representing growth rates of 6 per cent and 7 per cent. This reflects a rising trend of homeownership among families. The median monthly income and the median mortgage payment and loan repayment of owner-occupier domestic households are listed in Annex 2.

     It is worth noting that between 2016 and 2021, only an average of about 4 200 flats were put up for sale under each HOS sale exercise, and the oversubscription rate was as high as about 43 times on average. However, the current-term Government is very determined to tackle the housing problem in Hong Kong. As a result, in the coming five years (i.e. 2025-26 to 2029-30), in addition to PRH/Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme (GSH) flats, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) and the Hong Kong Housing Society (HS) will have a completion of about 56 500 SSF, averaging about 11 000 units annually. This is 2.6 times of the annual output before the current-term Government took office.

(3) and (4) As stated above, the current-term Government is very determined to resolve housing problem in Hong Kong and we also care about our young people. Therefore, we have introduced a number of policy measures to assist citizens (especially young people) in realising their home ownership aspiration through various aspects, such as supply, allocation and financial arrangements. Since the current-term Government took office, more than 33 000 applicants have purchased SSF, and the difficulties faced by low- and middle-income families in acquiring their own properties over the past decade or so have been clearly reversed by the concerted efforts of the various teams of the current-term Government in providing more land and housing. With the increasing supply of SSF in the coming years, more residents will experience the happiness and sense of fulfillment brought by homeownership over the next decade, enabling more families to settle securely and thrive in our city.

     In addition, in terms of supply, the Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address that the HA would adjust the ratio between PRH (including GSH units) and SSF to gradually adjust the ratio from 7:3 to 6:4 in order to increase the supply of SSF. In the next five years (i.e. 2025-26 to 2029-30), the HA and the HS will complete about 56 500 SSF. As stated above, we believe that a continuous and stable supply of SSF led by the Government is conducive to the upward mobility along the housing ladder and it will help those in need realise their dream of owning a home according to their respective needs and abilities.

     At the same time, we have also proposed a series of policy measures to meet the housing needs and demands of different citizens, including revising the ratio between Green Form and White Form in respect of HOS flats from the current 4:6 to 5:5 so as to allow more PRH tenants who would like to purchase HOS flats to move upwards; and increasing the chance of young people and applicants who have made repeated attempts to purchase SSF by optimising the sales arrangements.

     Starting from HOS 2024, the HA has implemented the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme which was announced in the 2023 Policy Address. A quota of about 40 per cent of the new flats for sale (i.e. 2 900 flats) under HOS 2024 were set aside for eligible applicants under the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme and the Priority Scheme for Families with Elderly Members for balloting and priority flat selection. During the application period of HOS 2024, the HA received a total of around 106 000 applications. Among them, around 50 000 came from family applicants, in which around 19 000 applied under the Priority Scheme for Families with Elderly Members and Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme, representing around 40 per cent of family applicants. If eligible families applying under the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme fail to purchase a flat under HOS 2024, they may still apply under the Scheme for priority flat selection as long as their children are aged three or below on the closing day of the application of subsequent SSF sale exercises. In addition, following GSH 2024, the HA will allocate an extra ballot number to applicants who had failed to purchase a flat in the last two consecutive sale exercises starting from the next HOS exercise, so as to increase their chances of success in purchasing SSF. Based on the figures of HOS 2024, assuming all factors remain constant (including the number of applicants, their age, etc), the success rate of eligible families applying under the of Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme in purchasing a flat will increase by about 60 per cent, after obtaining an extra ballot number.

     The HA has also been assisting low- to middle-income families in purchasing homes through pricing and financial arrangements. First of all, the Government revised the pricing mechanism of SSF in 2018. The pricing of SSF is calculated on the basis of applicants’ affordability, which is delinked from the private housing market. Under the current pricing mechanism, at least 75 per cent of the flats for sale can allow non-owner occupier households earning the median monthly household income to spend no more than 40 per cent of their monthly income on mortgage payment. Based on affordability calculations, the selling prices of the flats offered under latest GSH and HOS sale exercises were set at 60 per cent and 70 per cent of their assessed market value respectively.

     On top of this, the HA relaxed mortgage arrangements for SSF in 2024, including extending the maximum mortgage default guarantee from 30 years to 50 years and extending the maximum mortgage repayment period from 25 years to 30 years to enable purchasers of first-hand and second-hand SSF to obtain mortgage loans from banks and authorised financial institutions participating in the provision of mortgage loans for such flats. After the implementation of relevant arrangements, the number of HOS/GSH flats with a residual guarantee period of more than 10 years increased substantially from about 14 per cent to about 98 per cent. As at May 2025, the average number of transactions of second-hand SSF was about 360 per month, which was about 60 per cent higher than the average number of transactions of about 230 per month in the 12 months before the implementation. Besides, after extending the maximum mortgage repayment period for flats sold under the secondary market from 25 years to 30 years, among buyers who applied for mortgages to purchase SSF in the secondary market, more than half of the cases have a repayment period of 25 years or more. This shows that the above measures have successfully revitalised the secondary market and facilitated the turnover of SSF in the secondary market.

     For the secondary market, starting from White Form Secondary Market Scheme (WSM) 2024, the HA has also significantly increased the quota by 1 500 to 6 000, all of which will be allocated to young family applicants and one-person applicants aged below 40. Of all the applications for WSM 2024, more than 80 per cent (i.e. about 28 000 applications) were from young applicants who chose to participate in Youth Scheme (WSM), reflecting that the scheme is well received by young people.

     In addition, the Government also responds to the home ownership aspirations of higher-income persons who are not eligible for the HOS and yet cannot afford private housing through Starter Homes for Hong Kong Residents (SH) projects. Apart from the first two SH projects offered for sale by the Urban Renewal Authority (i.e. eResidence Towers 1 and 2, as well as eResidence Tower 3) with a total of over 600 SH units sold, the Government is also taking forward a few other SH projects, which will provide a total of around 5 000 SH units from the next few years onwards. Amongst applicants and final purchasers of SH units offered for sale in the past, around 85 per cent were youth aged 40 or below. We believe that this initiative may help another batch of youngsters from the middle class with higher income yet still cannot afford private housing achieve home ownership with more available options.

     Having regard to changes in the overall situation of the property market, the current-term Government has since February 2024 abolished all demand-side management measures for residential properties. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has also since October 2024 adjusted the countercyclical macroprudential measures for property mortgage loans. The maximum loan-to-value (LTV) ratio and debt servicing ratio (DSR) limit were reverted to the pre-2009 levels before the countercyclical macroprudential measures were first introduced, with the maximum LTV ratio for all residential properties adjusted to 70 per cent, regardless of the value of the property, and the DSR limit adjusted to 50 per cent, providing facilitation to persons with different needs for property purchase. Individuals may also obtain high LTV ratio mortgage loans through the Mortgage Insurance Programme according to their own needs. In particular, for first-time homebuyers with regular income purchasing properties priced at $10 million or below, the LTV ratio can be up to 90 per cent, which greatly reduces their down payment burden.

     Furthermore, to ease the burden on buyers of properties at lower values, the Government has since 26 February 2025 adjusted the value bands of Ad Valorem Stamp Duty payable for sale and purchase or transfer of residential and non-residential properties, raising the maximum value of properties chargeable to $100 stamp duty from $3 million and $4 million, facilitating those who wish to purchase flats. As most SSF units are priced below $4 million, buyers may benefit from the aforementioned reduction in stamp duty to $100, with savings up to over $59 000. According to the information from the Inland Revenue Department, there were 3 780 duly stamped sale and purchase agreements for residential properties valued between $3 million and $4 million from March to May 2025, which represents a significant increase of over 70 per cent as compared to the same period last year (March to May 2024) where 2 183 sale and purchase agreements were duly stamped.

     We will continue to review whether there is room to optimise various relevant arrangements having regard to factors including developments of the property market, the home ownership needs of different citizens, etc.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

July 9, 2025
Indian NBFCs to clock 25 pc growth in education loan AUM in FY26 amid US uncertainties

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

For non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) in India, education loans have been the fastest-growing asset class, clocking over 50 per cent growth in the assets under management (AUM) over the past few years, a report said on Wednesday. This fiscal (FY26), growth is seen moderating to 25 per cent with AUM reaching Rs 80,000 crore.

The pace is likely to halve this fiscal as disbursements for pursuing educational courses in the US decelerate following a raft of policy changes in that country, according to the report by Crisil Rating.

To mitigate the impact, NBFCs are diversifying into new geographies and product adjacencies. While non-performing assets (NPAs) have remained stable so far, asset quality will be monitorable given the global uncertainties and a large proportion of AUM (85) remaining under contractual principal moratorium, the report mentioned.

The education loan AUM of NBFCs grew a rapid 48 per cent to Rs 64,000 crore last fiscal. That followed an even faster 77 per cent growth in fiscal 2024.

“Policy uncertainties in the US, combined with measures including reduced visa appointments and the proposed elimination of Optional Practical Training norms have culled newer loan originations. This has led to a 30 per cent decline in total disbursements to that geography last fiscal,” said Malvika Bhotika, Director, Crisil Ratings.

Disbursements linked to even Canada, the second-largest market, fell as student visa rules turned stricter, including increased financial requirements via proof of available funds, and cap on permits.

“Consequently, overall education loan disbursements were up only 8 per cent in fiscal 2025, compared with 50 per cent in fiscal 2024, Bhotika mentioned.

To offset these headwinds, NBFCs have sharpened focus on other geographies.

Disbursements linked to courses in the UK, Germany, Ireland and smaller countries have doubled in the past fiscal as students opted for alternative destinations.

The share of such geographies in total disbursements rose to almost 50 per cent in fiscal 2025 from 25 per cent a year ago.

NBFCs are also looking at domestic student loans and adjacencies such as school funding, loans for skill development, certification and coaching. Given the lower ticket sizes of such loans, their share in the overall portfolio is unlikely to be material, but they may lend some stability in times of global uncertainties.

“The ability of NBFCs to scale up and maintain asset quality in some of the newer domestic products will bear watching as well,” said Sonica Gupta, Associate Director, Crisil Ratings. Moreover, the agility of the NBFCs to navigate the complexities of the global landscape, characterised by uncertainty and change in preferences of students, will be crucial for sustained growth and success.

(IANS)

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet Scales Fomo Thursdays With Free Onchain Token Rewards

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, July 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, the leading non-custodial crypto wallet, continues its weekly zero-barrier onchain rewards series with the fourth edition of Fomo Thursdays, launched in collaboration with Velo Protocol. This week’s event features a prize pool of 3.47 million VELO tokens and opens 50,000 participation slots. Users can enter by staking $10 USDT — fully refundable after the event — for a chance to receive randomized token rewards, including a top prize of $888 in VELO.

Fomo Thursdays lowers entry barriers for token participation by replacing complex trading tasks or point-based systems with a simple weekly staking model. Participants receive randomized token rewards via onchain smart contracts, with no gas fees required for claims. In the previous round, 20,000 users joined within 10 minutes of the event opening, underscoring growing demand for this accessible format.

VELO, the native token of Velo Protocol, powers a decentralized finance infrastructure focused on enabling global value transfer. The project integrates multi-asset trading, FX aggregation, and Web3-native settlement systems. Its architecture positions VELO as a foundational liquidity layer for cross-border financial applications and remittance flows, particularly in emerging markets.

The weekly event is part of Bitget Wallet’s broader effort to create low-friction, accessible onchain experiences for new and existing users. “Fomo Thursdays is designed to make token access simple, fun, and available to all — without the usual barriers,” said Jamie Elkaleh, CMO of Bitget Wallet. “By embedding these events directly into the wallet, we’re opening up early-stage opportunities to a much wider base of users.”

The Week 4 campaign opens for staking on July 9 at 13:00 UTC and closes 24 hours later. Token distribution and USDT refunds begin at 14:00 UTC on July 10. All VELO rewards will be distributed on BNB Chain and are claimable directly within Bitget Wallet.

For more information, visit the Bitget Wallet official channels.

About Bitget Wallet
Bitget Wallet is a non-custodial crypto wallet designed to make crypto simple and secure for everyone. With over 80 million users, it brings together a full suite of crypto services, including swaps, market insights, staking, rewards, DApp exploration, and payment solutions. Supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges. Backed by a $300+ million user protection fund, it ensures the highest level of security for users’ assets. Its vision is Crypto for Everyone — to make crypto simpler, safer, and part of everyday life for a billion people.

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The MIL Network –

July 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Systems Analysis, AI and Big Data: Results of the Scientific Conference at SPbPU

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The XXIX International Scientific and Practical Conference “System Analysis in Design and Management” (SAEC-2025) was held at the Polytechnic University.

The event was organized by the scientific and pedagogical school “System Analysis in Design and Management” based on the Higher School of Computer Technologies and Information Systems of the Institute of Computer Science and Cybersecurity of SPbPU with the support of the Southern Federal University and the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.

The conference was attended by about 300 representatives of universities and research organizations from Russia and 19 foreign countries. 114 reports were presented, in addition to plenary sessions, there were seven scientific sections, two round tables, a discussion track and a visiting session in Taganrog (Southern Federal University).

The plenary sessions were chaired by Violetta Volkova, professor at the Higher School of Computer Science and Information Technologies, Vladimir Kozlov, professor at the Higher School of Computer Science and Information Technologies, and Svetlana Shchepetova, professor at the Department of Modeling and Systems Analysis at the Financial University.

On the first day of the conference, its scientific secretary, Associate Professor Svetlana Shirokova read out the opening remarks of the Chairman of the Program Committee, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Igor Kalyaev. Professor Peres Krichtin Fabio Luis, Special Coordinator for International Relations with the Russian Federation, delivered a welcoming speech via video link on behalf of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

The following people gave reports on global problems of developing the methodology of systems analysis, data dimensionality, spatial planning and design of the environment of the future, system principles of model integration, systems analysis and development of weapons systems, as well as the peculiarities of the development of Russian higher education in modern conditions: President of the Southern Federal University, Academician of the Russian Academy of Education Marina Borovskaya; Head of the Scientific Direction “Mesoeconomics, Microeconomics, Corporate Economics” of the Central Economics and Mathematics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Scientific Director of the Department of Modeling and Systems Analysis of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Head of the Department of Institutional Economics of the State University of Management, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Georgy Kleiner; Head of the Department of Mathematical Modeling of Nonlinear Processes of the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Full Member of the Academy of Military Sciences; Professor of St. Petersburg State University Vladimir Khalin. The rationale for the need to open the specialty “System Analysis, Management and Information Processing” was presented in the report by Vladimir Kozlov, Violetta Volkova and Associate Professor Artem Efremov.

At the end of the plenary session, the director of the Center for Technological Support of Education at Moscow Polytechnic University, Ilya Volnov, gave a report entitled “The Method of Analogies and Synthesis of the Sphere Approach.”

Lively discussions arose in the section “Philosophical, methodological and general theoretical problems of systems theory and systems analysis”. The reports characterizing the current state of the sciences on systems and methods of systems analysis were discussed, including the report of the head of the department of philosophy of information and cognitive processes of the Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Andrei Kolesnikov on arithmotronics; a joint report of professor of the University “Narxoz” (Almaty, Kazakhstan) Mafura Uandykova and professor of the Financial University Svetlana Shchepetova on the problem of interaction between the system and the individual in the era of digitalization; a joint report of professor of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Fabio Luis Peres Krichtin and his colleagues from the Polytechnic School, research laboratories of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and the Federal University Fluminense (Niteroi, Brazil).

On the second day, the following scientific sections were held: “Mathematical Methods and Models of Systems Analysis in Technical and Socio-Economic Systems”, “Information and Cyber-Physical Systems”, “Measuring Information Technologies”, “System Analysis in the Management of Enterprises, Territorial Complexes, Research and Other Organizations”, “Transport Systems”, “System Analysis in the Educational Process and Management of Higher Education”.

Employees of the SPbPU Digital Engineering School organized two round tables. Under the leadership of Marina Bolsunovskaya, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Computer Science and Information Systems, Head of the Laboratory of Industrial Systems of Stream Data Processing at the SPbPU School, a round table was held on Data Analysis in Complex Technical and Production Systems. Under the leadership of Alexey Gintsyak, Head of the Laboratory of Digital Modeling of Industrial Systems at the SPbPU School of Project Activity and Innovations in Industry, a round table was held on Integration of Methods of Systems Analysis and Artificial Intelligence in Economics and Construction.

The discussion track on the problem of “Ideology of engineering complex systems in the conditions of increasing chaos of pre-singularity” (the moderator is the methodological director of the National Association of Enterprise Architects, a full member of the RMA Evgeny Zinder) attracted great interest. For example, a student of MIREA – Russian Technological University and junior specialist of the company “Uveon – Cloud Technologies” Nikolay Leonov presented evidence of the usefulness of using the XGBoost method for predicting security incidents in information systems.

Also giving presentations and participating in discussions were Sergey Vasiliev, a lecturer at the TOP Computer Academy, Roman Khursin, an analyst at Ravelin LLC, Yuri Lyamin, an associate professor at the Department of Applied Informatics and Security at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Elena Romanova, a senior lecturer at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Kirill Skripkin, an associate professor at the Lomonosov Moscow State University, and Maxim Smirnov, a member of the NAAP Council.

At the final plenary session, Boris Sokolov, Chief Researcher at the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, presented a report on the development and use of digital twins of complex objects based on the qualimetry of models and polymodel complexes. Professor Igor Arefyev and Associate Professor Olga Afanasyeva of the St. Petersburg Mining University spoke about the use of artificial intelligence to build cognitive models of weakly structured problems of system analysis. Professor Violetta Volkova, in collaboration with Yuri Cherny, Head of the Center for the Study of Informatics Problems at the Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, prepared a report entitled “A Look at the Problem of Big Data from the Point of View of A. A. Denisov’s Philosophy and Theory of the Information Field.”

The meeting in Taganrog was devoted to the topic “Cognitive Modeling of Complex Systems and Artificial Intelligence”. There, Zinaida Avdeeva, a senior research fellow at the V. A. Trapeznikov Institute of Control Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, expressed an important idea for complex open systems that forecasts should begin with an analysis of the current state of the system, reflected in regulatory documents, and presented a cognitive analysis of the main ones.

At the end of the conference, its participants proposed organizing a permanent seminar and information portal, where they could continue discussing the development directions of systems sciences, and primarily the problems of target setting, big data and artificial intelligence.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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MIL OSI Russia News –

July 9, 2025

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