Category: Machine Learning

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Scotland one of the “best places in the world” for start-ups

    Source: Scottish Government

    Techscaler supporting more entrepreneurs across Scotland.

    Start-up tech companies participating in the Scottish Government’s Techscaler business accelerator programme have raised more than £118 million of capital investment in the past two years.

    It comes from both private and public sources and is supporting businesses in sectors such as medical technology, artificial intelligence and space.

    Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes described Scotland as one of the best places in the world to launch a start-up tech company during a speech marking the publication of Techscaler’s Annual Report.  

    It also reveals that the number of companies involved in the programme almost doubled last year from 502 to 978, while the number of individual entrepreneurs more than doubled from 610 to 1,411. They were able to access benefits including mentoring, training and introductions to potential investors and customers.

    Further activity included two international pop-up hubs in Singapore and San Francisco to help companies penetrate global markets.

    Konversable, a Glasgow AI chatbot and messaging technology company which helps companies convert enquiries into sales, was introduced to potential investors and customers at Techscaler’s Singapore pop-up in October. The company secured £300,000 investment over the year.

    Deputy First Minister and Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said: 

    “The Techscaler programme – which I am deeply proud to have launched just two years ago – is contributing to Scotland’s reputation as one of the best places in the world to launch a tech start-up.

    “While this is a relatively young programme, what this report makes clear is that it is delivering results and helping entrepreneurs to unleash their ability to innovate, spearheading Scotland’s presence in expanding new markets.

    Edinburgh company CodeBase runs the Techscaler programme. CEO and co-founder Stephen Coleman said:

    “We’re proud of our collective achievements over the first two years of Techscaler, delivering strong support for our ambitious founders and startups both here in Scotland and increasingly as they target global markets, building on our position as a catalyst driving innovation, partnerships, and collaboration across the Scottish tech ecosystem.”

    Background

    Techscaler Annual Report

    Backed by £42 million of Scottish Government investment, Techscaler was founded in 2022 to help tech founders grow their businesses.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. Officially Joins Russell Microcap® Index

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our company,” or “MFH”) (Nasdaq: MFH), a digital fintech group, today announced its inclusion in the FTSE Russell Microcap® Index, marking a significant milestone in the Company’s growth trajectory.

    Inclusion in the Russell Microcap Index positions MFH among a select group of promising growth companies and enhances its visibility within the investment community. The Russell indexes are widely recognized as key benchmarks for investment managers and institutional investors, who rely on them for index funds and active investment strategies. As of the end of 2024, the Company has observed increased passive equity holdings from leading global financial institutions, including BlackRock, UBS Group AG, and Citigroup, which may be influenced, in part, by the Company’s inclusion in the Russell Microcap Index. The Company believes its inclusion in the Russell Microcap Index has positively impacted its shareholder structure and has contributed to increased recognition and credibility among institutional investors.

    Shi Qiu, CEO of Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc., said, “This milestone reflects our tremendous growth and highlights the strength of our business as we continue to expand in AI hardware intelligent manufacturing and advanced liquid cooling solutions. Our inclusion in the Russell Microcap Index validates our strategic direction and underscores the value we’re creating in AI hardware manufacturing sector.”

    Membership in the Russell Microcap Index, which remains in place for one year, is subject to annual or periodic reconstitution by FTSE Russell and depends on the Company meeting the requisite criteria at the time of such reconstitution. FTSE Russell determines membership for its Russell indexes primarily by objective, market-capitalization rankings, and style attributes.

    “We are honored to be recognized alongside other promising companies in the Russell Microcap Index,” continued Qiu. “This achievement opens up new opportunities for visibility and investment, and we look forward to the continued journey ahead as we strive to innovate and deliver value to our shareholders.”

    About Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc.
    Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. is a digital fintech company with subsidiaries specializing in distributed computing and financial brokerage business. In addition to our fintech operations, we are actively contributing to the evolution of AI hardware technology by providing secure, cutting-edge solutions in intelligent manufacturing and advanced liquid cooling systems. Our dedication to compliance, innovation, and operational excellence ensures that we remain a trusted partner in both the rapidly transforming digital financial landscape and the dynamic AI technology sector. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at https://mercurityfintech.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results.

    For more information, please contact:
    International Elite Capital Inc.
    Vicky Chueng
    Tel: +1(646) 866-7989
    Email: mfhfintech@iecapitalusa.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: International Petroleum Corporation to release 2024 Year-End Financial and Operational Results and to hold Capital Markets Day on February 11, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — International Petroleum Corporation (IPC) (TSX, Nasdaq Stockholm: IPCO) will publish its financial and operating results and related management’s discussion and analysis for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024, on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 07:30 CET, followed by an audiocast at 10:00 CET (09:00 GMT). IPC’s annual Capital Markets Day will also be held on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 as a webcast at 15:00 CET (14:00 GMT).

    Follow the 2024 year-end financial and operating results presentation starting at 10:00 CET (09:00 GMT) live on www.international-petroleum.com or using the link below:

    Presentation Link: https://ipc.videosync.fi/2025-02-11-q4

    Follow the Capital Markets Day presentation at 15:00 CET (14:00 GMT) live on www.international-petroleum.com or using the link below:

    Presentation Link: https://ipc.videosync.fi/2025-02-11-cmd

    International Petroleum Corp. (IPC) is an international oil and gas exploration and production company with a high quality portfolio of assets located in Canada, Malaysia and France, providing a solid foundation for organic and inorganic growth. IPC is a member of the Lundin Group of Companies. IPC is incorporated in Canada and IPC’s shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and the Nasdaq Stockholm under the symbol “IPCO”.

    For further information, please contact:

    Rebecca Gordon
    SVP Corporate Planning and Investor Relations
    rebecca.gordon@international-petroleum.com
    Tel: +41 22 595 10 50
    Or Robert Eriksson
    Media Manager
    reriksson@rive6.ch
    Tel: +46 701 11 26 15
         

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains statements and information which constitute “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” (within the meaning of applicable securities legislation). Such statements and information (together, “forward-looking statements”) relate to future events, including the Corporation’s future performance, business prospects or opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, unless otherwise indicated. IPC does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

    All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, forecasts, guidance, budgets, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “seek”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “forecast”, “predict”, “potential”, “targeting”, “intend”, “could”, “might”, “should”, “believe”, “budget” and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be “forward-looking statements”.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Banking: BaFin warns consumers about various websites advertising automated crypto trading bot

    Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English

    The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) warns consumers about a series of platforms advertising an AI-controlled algorithm for trading in financial instruments and cryptoassets. Specifically, the following providers are under investigation:

    • zivaprofit7.com – ZivaProfit7 Ai
    • velmocoin.com – Velmo Coin AI
    • zolintex.com – Zolintex AI
    • luxigain.com – LuxiGain AI
    • grabcapital4u.com – GrabCapitaL4u Ai
    • tivanafund.com – TivanaFund AI
    • brixogain.com – Brixo Gain AI
    • brixofund.com – BrixoFund AI
    • pamborich.com – Pamborich Ai
    • zonocash.com – Zono Cash AI
    • econarix.com – Econarix AI
    • zorbofund.com – ZorboFund AI
    • gaintomo.com – GAINTOMO AI
    • trovafund.com – TrovaFund AI
    • gliporich.com – GlipoRich AI
    • viznofund.com – ViznoFund AI
    • grivogain.com – GrivoGain AI

    Anyone offering financial or investment services or crypto-asset services in Germany requires a license from BaFin. However, some companies offer such services without the required license. Information on whether a particular company is authorized by BaFin can be found in the company database.

    The information provided by BaFin is based on Section 37 (4) of the German Banking Act (KWG) and Section 10 (7) of the German Crypto Markets Supervision Act (KMAG).

    Please be aware:

    BaFin, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BundeskriminalamtBKA) and the German state criminal police offices (Landeskriminalämter) recommend that consumers seeking to invest money online should exercise the utmost caution and do the necessary research beforehand in order to identify fraud attempts at an early stage.

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI: Net Asset Value

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    6 FEBRUARY 2025

    NORTHERN 2 VCT PLC

    UNAUDITED NET ASSET VALUE AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2024

    Northern 2 VCT PLC (“the Company”) is a Venture Capital Trust (“VCT”) launched in 1999 and managed by Mercia Fund Management Limited. The Company’s objective is to provide long-term tax-free returns to investors through a combination of dividend yield and capital growth, by investing in a portfolio of investments mainly comprising unquoted venture capital holdings. In order to maintain approval by HM Revenue & Customs as a VCT, the Company is required to comply on a continuing basis with the provisions of Section 274 of the Income Tax Act 2007.

    The unaudited net asset value per ordinary share as at 31 December 2024 was 58.6 pence (30 September 2024 (unaudited) 57.2 pence).

    The net asset value is stated before deducting the interim dividend of 1.7 pence per share in respect of the year ending 31 March 2025, which was paid to eligible shareholders on 22 January 2025.

    For the purposes of calculating the net asset value per share, quoted investments are carried at bid price as at 31 December 2024 and unquoted investments are carried at fair value as at 31 December 2024 as determined by the directors.

    New Investments:
    During the three months ended 31 December 2024 three new venture capital investments were completed.

    Name of company Business activity Amount
    invested
    £000
    Semble Technology

    Enterprise AI for automated surgical tray validation

    2,072
    Scalpel AI

    Practice management software for healthcare clinicians/clinics

    1,036
    Napo

    Pet insurance provider with a focus on preventative care and customer experience

    2,052

    In addition to the new investments above, £2,456,000 was invested in five existing portfolio companies during the quarter.

    Realisations:
    During the three months ended 31 December 2024 two venture capital investments were realised.

    Name of company Sale proceeds
    £000
    Original cost
    £000
    Carrying value at 30 September 2024
    £000
    Grip-UK (t/a The Climbing Hangar) 2,525 3,536 2,568
    musicMagpie plc 376 222 228

    The number of ordinary shares in issue at 31 December 2024 was 221,196,352. During the three months ended 31 December 2024, 1,979,367 shares were purchased for cancellation at a price of 54.34 pence per share

    Enquiries:

    James Sly / Sarah Williams, Mercia Asset Management PLC – 0330 223 1430
    Website:        www.mercia.co.uk/vcts

    The contents of the Mercia Asset Management PLC website and the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Mercia Asset Management PLC website (or any other website), are not incorporated into, nor forms part of, this announcement.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Oando’s Expansion in Africa’s Energy Sector to Take Center Stage at Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025 in Paris

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    PARIS, France, February 6, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Wale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive Officer will speak at the Invest in African Energy 2025 Forum in Paris this May. As one of Africa’s largest indigenous energy companies, Oando is experiencing significant growth, driven by its landmark acquisition of Eni’s Nigerian subsidiary last year and its recent expansion into Angola.

    In August 2024, Oando finalized the acquisition of a 100% shareholding in the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) from Eni for $783 million. This strategic move increased Oando’s participating interests in OMLs 60, 61, 62 and 63 from 20% to 40%, effectively doubling the company’s total reserves to approximately one billion barrels of oil equivalent. With plans to scale production to 100,000 barrels per day by 2028, the acquisition solidifies Oando’s position as a key player in Nigeria’s upstream sector.

    IAE 2025 (http://apo-opa.co/4aMELLc) is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 13-14, 2025 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

    Oando continues to strengthen its presence across Africa with a significant milestone in Angola. Through its upstream subsidiary, Oando Energy Resources (OER), the company has been awarded operatorship of Block KON 13 in the onshore Kwanza Basin. Following a competitive bidding process organized by Angola’s National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels, OER now holds a 45% participating interest and will lead the block’s development in partnership with Effimax and Sonangol. Strategically located in the prolific Kwanza Basin, Block KON 13 offers substantial exploration potential in both pre-salt and post-salt plays, with estimated prospective resources ranging between 770 million and 1.1 billion barrels of oil. Two exploration wells previously drilled to a depth of 3,000 meters have indicated the presence of oil and gas across various intervals.

    In addition to expanding its asset base, Oando is integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its drilling operations to enhance efficiency and decision-making. By leveraging AI, the company aims to optimize resource utilization and improve performance in upcoming projects. This initiative reflects Oando’s commitment to adopting innovative technologies to maintain its leadership in the energy sector.

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI: Capgemini and Peugeot Sport renew their partnership to tackle technological and sustainable challenges in sports performance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Capgemini and Peugeot Sport renew their partnership to tackle technological and sustainable challenges in sports performance

    Paris, February 6, 2025 – Capgemini has renewed its partnership with Peugeot Sport to continue developing the 9X8 Hypercar that is competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC). While enhancing the Hypercar’s performance through data with artificial intelligence (AI) at the heart of the partnership, the two companies also aim to strengthen their collaboration on reducing Peugeot Sport’s carbon footprint.

    Over the past two years, Capgemini teams have built a powerful data engineering platform to analyze information from both real and simulated races, as well as the associated parameters (driver, circuit, race conditions, etc.). The AI model powering the virtual sensors is tailored, compiled, and embedded in the PEUGEOT 9X8’s onboard computer to enhance decision-making and adjust the Hypercar’s behavior in real-time. Racing engineers have also significantly reduced the time required for processing and analysis—tasks that previously took a full day can now be completed in just ten minutes.

    Enhancing Hypercar 9×8 performance with generative AI
    The next step involves leveraging generative AI to analyze temporal sensor data to identify anomalies during the extended durations of tests or races. Generative AI will also be used to capture and structure the exchanges and interactions between drivers and race engineers, which, in the endurance championship context, can last several hours. These new insights will then be correlated with race data to extract valuable information aimed at optimizing the Hypercar’s performance.

    Decarbonizing motorsport
    Since 2022, Capgemini has been supporting Peugeot Sport, and more broadly Stellantis Motorsport, in its comprehensive decarbonization initiative, offering a proven methodology at every step of this journey. The first stage involved calculating the carbon footprint of the entire motorsport ecosystem: from vehicles on the track to parts and team logistics, as well as the organization of sporting events. Subsequently, around 30 concrete actions were identified to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, with annual assessments and adjustments as needed. After several theoretical phases, practical implementation is now underway, with all action plans deployed. Key performance indicators are closely monitored to measure progress, and goals are on track to be achieved, with emissions calculations updated annually.

    Examples of initiatives implemented in addition to FIA WEC’s measures include:

    • R&D teams adopting an eco-design approach for vehicles, incorporating environmental considerations during parts development processes and using alternative materials without compromising performance.
    • Supplier engagement as a key element of the roadmap. Primary suppliers are supported in their decarbonization efforts through discussions, calculation tools, and idea exchanges with the design office to optimize the entire supply chain.
    • Climate awareness workshops (“Climate Fresco”) held for employees to highlight the impact of daily actions.
    • Optimized travel arrangements, with a preference for maritime freight.
    • Deployment of renewable biofuel tanks (HVO-100) for the entire fleet of trucks and diesel utility vehicles, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 85% compared to fossil fuels.

    “The WEC Championship is an essential discipline for Team Peugeot TotalEnergies. The visibility and prestige of the 24 Hours of Le Mans make it a key event to showcase the advancements and improvements made by all actors in motorsport. Beyond the sporting event, we play a pioneering role in sustainability by developing tomorrow’s technologies. Today, AI has become a key element of our racing strategy, confirmed by improved results at the end of the 2024 season, particularly at Fuji and Bahrain,” said Jean-Marc Finot, Senior VP of Stellantis Motorsport. “Thanks to our partnership with Capgemini, we are able to closely monitor the key decarbonization indicators to ensure we stay on track with the ambitious goals we have set for 2030. Together, we are tackling a dual challenge: sports and sustainable performance.”

    “We are delighted to continue our collaboration to enhance Peugeot Sport’s performance, both in terms of sporting results and the environmental impact of motorsport, by providing the latest AI technologies and our expertise in decarbonization,” said Andrea Falleni, CEO of Capgemini in Southern Europe and Member of the Group Executive Board.

    The partnership between Peugeot Sport and Capgemini is part of Capgemini’s global sports sponsorship strategy, addressing two key objectives: firstly, partnering with major brands or sporting events worldwide (such as the Rugby World Cups for men and women or the Ryder Cup) to celebrate teamwork and boldness; and secondly, leveraging its expertise to provide cutting-edge technological tools to enhance performance and fan experiences, as seen during the 37th America’s Cup in 2024.

    About Capgemini
    Capgemini is a global business and technology transformation partner, helping organizations to accelerate their dual transition to a digital and sustainable world, while creating tangible impact for enterprises and society. It is a responsible and diverse group of 340,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong over 55-year heritage, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to unlock the value of technology to address the entire breadth of their business needs. It delivers end-to-end services and solutions leveraging strengths from strategy and design to engineering, all fuelled by its market leading capabilities in AI, cloud and data, combined with its deep industry expertise and partner ecosystem. The Group reported 2023 global revenues of €22.5 billion.
    Get the Future You Want | www.capgemini.com

    About Peugeot Sport
    Since its inception, Peugeot Sport has pushed the limits of performance and innovation in motorsport. Combining technological expertise, boldness, and passion, Peugeot Sport takes on the most demanding challenges in international competitions while adopting a sustainable and responsible approach.
    Whether through its FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) program with the PEUGEOT 9X8, its involvement in cutting-edge technology development, or its heritage marked by iconic victories, Peugeot Sport embodies French excellence in competition.

    With a constant spirit of innovation, Peugeot Sport is also a key player in the energy transition, developing mobility solutions that are more environmentally friendly.

    For more information, visit www.peugeot-sport.com
    Stay up to date with all Peugeot Sport news

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Baltic Horizon Fund publishes interest rate applicable to the bonds for the next interest period

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Baltic Horizon Fund publishes interest rate applicable to the fund’s 5-year bonds (ISIN: EE3300003235) for the next 3-months interest period which starts on 10 February 2025. The annual interest rate applicable to the bonds for the interest period as referred above is 8% + 2.529% (EURIBOR 3-months) totaling 10.529% per annum.

    For additional information, please contact:

    Tarmo Karotam
    Baltic Horizon Fund manager
    E-mail tarmo.karotam@nh-cap.com
    www.baltichorizon.com

    The Fund is a registered contractual public closed-end real estate fund that is managed by Alternative Investment Fund Manager license holder Northern Horizon Capital AS. 

    Distribution: GlobeNewswire, Nasdaq Tallinn, Nasdaq Stockholm, www.baltichorizon.com

    To receive Nasdaq announcements and news from Baltic Horizon Fund about its projects, plans and more, register on www.baltichorizon.com. You can also follow Baltic Horizon Fund on www.baltichorizon.com and on LinkedIn, FacebookX and YouTube.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Influencer Impressions Videos

    Source: Samsung

    The highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S25 Series has arrived, and we invited top South African influencers to put it to the test. From its cutting-edge features to the sleek design of a phone that sets a new standard as a true AI companion, watch as they share their first-hand experiences with this game-changing AI smartphone. Whether you’re curious about its performance, camera capabilities, or overall user experience, these videos will give you a preview of some of the top features and everything the Galaxy S25 Series has to offer. Check out the videos to see what these influencers think.
     
     

     

    View this post on Instagram

     
    A post by Gift Ndou (@Lachief_)

     

     

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    A post by Grant Hinds (@Granthinds)

     

     

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    A post by Nasty C (@nasty_csa)

     

     

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    A post by Tyron Tech (@tyron_tech)

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI China: Guideline to improve physical education

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

    China’s Ministry of Education has issued a new guideline to strengthen the physical education workforce in primary and secondary schools and improve students’ physical fitness, officials said.

    The notice, the first of its kind, aims to address shortages of physical education teachers, recruitment difficulties and the need to enhance professional competencies among educators, according to an official from the ministry’s department of teacher affairs.

    Under the new rules, full-time physical education teachers will have class limits: no more than five in primary schools, six in middle schools and eight in high schools. Schools are also encouraged to hire full-time or part-time specialists in football, basketball and volleyball through various recruitment methods.

    The document sets stricter qualifications for physical education teachers, requiring them to have a degree in physical education. Those without one must hold at least a national second-class athlete certificate. Specialized sports skills will be a key criterion in teacher assessments, it says.

    The guideline also encourages hiring outstanding retired athletes and military personnel with teaching qualifications, with a particular focus on recruiting retired football players.

    To improve professional competency, the ministry calls for optimizing the National Training Program for physical education teachers, with an emphasis on soccer, basketball, volleyball and traditional Chinese sports.

    Training programs should be tailored to teachers’ capabilities and education levels. Additionally, teachers will be expected to improve their digital literacy and integrate AI technologies into their instruction.

    The document also outlines measures to ensure physical education teachers receive equal treatment in evaluations, benefits and promotions compared to other subjects. After-class training, extracurricular activities and coaching for sports competitions will be included in their workload, and students’ physical health and competition results will be factored into teacher performance bonuses.

    Each county should have at least one full-time coach dedicated to developing high-level school sports clubs and teams, the notice states.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI: Teniz Capital to Lead Second Phase of Black Sea Trade and Development Bank Bond Placement on the Astana International Exchange

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Almaty, Kazakhstan, 6 February 2025 – Teniz Capital Investment Banking, a leading investment bank in Central Asia and the Middle East, will lead the second phase of bond placement for multilateral financial institution Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) on the Astana International Exchange (AIX).

    This follows a first tranche of 100 million USD, completed in 2024, in which Teniz Capital facilitated the transaction. 

    The second tranche will be directed to supporting BSTDB’s funding capacity and enhance investor participation in Central Asian markets.
     
    “Our objective is to open financial opportunities in the Caspian and Central Asia to Western investors. This second placement, which we expect will be closed quite soon, is a clear indicator of market interest in the region, and in its future economic growth,” the management committee of the entity said. 
     
    Founded in 1999, the BSTDB is an international financial institution based in Thessaloniki, Greece. The institution was created to accelerate regional development through financial instruments such as bond issuances. It has 11 member states, including Greece, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
     
    Teniz Capital employs 50 professionals, with its main headquarters in Almaty and additional offices in Astana’s International Finance Centre and Abu Dhabi.
     
    In 2023, Teniz Capital completed 13 bond transactions across in AIX as well the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange. These transactions included JSC AIFN Retam, Capitalleasing Group Ltd., Jet Group Ltd., Kisamos Shipping DMCC, several placements of Kazakhstan’s sovereign bonds, and underwriting complex, high-value transactions.
     
    Last year, on 29 August, the company announced the expansion of its operations with the launch of a sister company, Teniz Capital Brokerage Ltd.

    For further information, members of the media can contact teniz@definition.city

    This press release contains statements regarding the future of the company and its innovations. Statements regarding the future may be accompanied by words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “will”, “anticipate”, “pretend”, “power”, “plan”, “potential”, the use of future time and other terms of similar meaning. No undue reliance should be placed on these claims. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including uncertainty of the company’s commercial success, ability to protect our intellectual property rights, and other risks. These statements are based on current beliefs and forecasts and refer only to the date of this press release. The company assumes no obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements, regardless of whether new information, future events or any other circumstance arise.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: OP Financial Group’s Financial Statements Bulletin 1 January–31 December 2024: Excellent business performance continued – full-year operating profit EUR 2,486 million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OP Financial Group
    Financial Statements Bulletin
    Stock Exchange Release 6 February 2025 9.00 am EET

    Financial Statements Bulletin 1 January–31 December 2024: Excellent business performance continued – full-year operating profit EUR 2,486 million 

    • Operating profit increased by 21% to EUR 2,486 million (2,050).

    • Income from customer business, or net interest income, insurance service result and net commissions and fees, increased to EUR 3,805 million (3,605). Net interest income grew by 5% to EUR 2,796 million (2,654). Insurance service result increased by 136% to EUR 192 million (81) and net commissions and fees decreased by 6% to EUR 818 million (870).

    • Impairment loss on receivables was EUR 96 million (269), or 0.09% (0.26) of the loan and guarantee portfolio.

    • Investment income increased by 20% to EUR 465 million (389).

    • Total expenses grew by 3% to EUR 2,262 million (2,201). The cost/income ratio improved to 47% (49).

    • The loan portfolio was at the previous year’s level at EUR 98.9 billion (98.9), while deposits grew by 4% year on year to EUR 77.7 billion (74.5).

    • The CET1 ratio was 21.5% (19.2), which exceeds the minimum regulatory requirement by 8.1 percentage points. The changes in the EU Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR3), which took effect on 1 January 2025, are expected to cause a slight reduction in the capital adequacy of OP Financial Group.

    • Retail Banking segment’s operating profit rose by 4% to EUR 1,275 million (1,223). Net interest income grew by 3% to EUR 2,112 million (2,041). Impairment loss on receivables decreased by EUR 78 million to EUR 95 million (173). Net commissions and fees decreased by 10% to EUR 619 million (686). The cost/income ratio was 51% (49). The loan portfolio decreased by 0.3% year on year, to EUR 70.7 billion (70.9). Deposits increased by 3% to EUR 62.9 billion (61.2).

    Corporate Banking segment’s operating profit grew by 40% to EUR 572 million (408). Net interest income grew by 11% to EUR 657 million (591). Impairment loss on receivables decreased by EUR 96 million to EUR 0 million (96). Net commissions and fees increased by 4% to EUR 199 million (192). The cost/income ratio improved to 38% (41). In the year to December, the loan portfolio grew by 1% to EUR 28.3 billion (28.1). Deposits increased by 12% to EUR 15.4 billion (13.8).

    Insurance segment’s operating profit grew by 39% to EUR 578 million (414). The insurance service result increased by EUR 110 million to EUR 192 million (81). Investment income increased by 10% to EUR 382 million (347). The combined ratio reported by non-life insurance improved to 92.3% (93.8).

    Group Functions operating profit was EUR 19 million (-26). Net interest income increased by EUR 15 million to EUR 16 million (1).

    • OP Financial Group increased the OP bonuses to be earned by owner-customers for 2024 by 40% compared to the normal level of 2022. Additionally, owner-customers got daily banking services without monthly charges in 2024. Together, these benefits were estimated to add up to more than EUR 404 million in value for owner-customers in 2024. The benefits will be in force until the end of 2025.

    Outlook: OP Financial Group’s operating profit for 2025 is expected to be at a good level but lower than that for 2023 and 2024. For more detailed information on the outlook, see “Outlook”.

    OP Financial Group’s key indicators

    € million Q1–4/2024 Q1–4/2023 Change, %
    Operating profit, € million         2,486         2,050         21.3
    Retail Banking         1,275         1,223         4.3
    Corporate Banking         572         408         40.4
    Insurance         578         414         39.4
    Group Functions         19         -26
    New OP bonuses accrued to owner-customers, € million         -314         -275         14.1
    Total income**         4,844         4,520         7.2
    Total expenses         -2,262         -2,201         2.8
    Cost/income ratio, %**         46.7         48.7 -2.0*
    Return on equity (ROE), %         11.6         10.6 0.9*
    Return on equity, excluding OP bonuses, %         13.0         12.0 1.0*
    Return on assets (ROA), %         1.24         0.98 0.26*
    Return on assets, excluding OP bonuses, %         1.39         1.11 0.28*
      31 Dec 2024 31 Dec 2023 Change, %
    CET1 ratio, %*         21.5         19.2 2.3*
    Loan portfolio, € billion         98.9         98.9         0.0
    Deposits, € billion         77.7         74.5         4.3
    Ratio of non-performing exposures to exposures, %         2.64         2.94 -0.30*
    Ratio of impairment loss on receivables to loan and guarantee portfolio, %         0.09         0.26 -0.17*
    Owner-customers (1,000) 2,115 2,094         1.0

    Comparatives for the income statement items are based on the corresponding figures in 2023. Unless otherwise specified, figures from 31 December 2023 are used as comparatives for balance-sheet and other cross-sectional items.
    * Change in ratio, percentage point(s).
    ** OP bonuses to owner-customers, which were previously shown on a separate line in the income statement, have been divided under the following items based on their accrual: interest income, interest expenses, and commission income from mutual funds. The line ‘OP bonuses to owner-customers’ is no longer shown in the income statement. Comparative information has been adjusted accordingly. For more detailed information on the change, see Note 1 to the Half-year Financial Report 1 January–30 June 2024, Accounting policies and changes in accounting policies and presentation.

    Comments by the President and Group Chief Executive Officer:

    Uncertainty overshadowed the business environment – Finland’s economy began to recover as the year ended

    In 2024, the exceptionally tense geopolitical situation of previous years continued to predominate in Finland’s neighbouring regions. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine approached its third year and the Middle East conflict spilled over into new areas. A tectonic shift is underway in international politics and the global economy, creating uncertainty in the economy and our broader business environment.

    Although the world economy grew by 3% last year, Europe’s grew by just over 1%. Finland’s economy contracted for the second year running. However, the economy began to recover gradually as the year ended and OP Financial Group expects Finland’s GDP to grow by a couple of per cent in 2025.

    Construction and the related sectors were particularly affected by the sluggish economy. Risks in the real estate sector remained high and the number of bankruptcies increased substantially on the previous year.

    Inflation in Finland fell markedly, from 3.6% to 0.7%, on the year before. On the other hand, unemployment rose, reaching 8.9% in December. Market interest rates fell almost continuously from early 2024 and the Euribor rates were clearly lower by the year’s end.

    Despite the pickup in late 2024, home sale volumes and demand for home loans fell considerably year on year. Home prices continued their downward trend.

    The fall in market rates boosted the stock markets, raising share prices on several stock exchanges. However, Nasdaq Helsinki’s stock indices ended 2024 in slightly negative territory for the year as a whole.

    OP Financial Group had an excellent year – strong earnings enable outstanding benefits for owner-customers

    OP Financial Group performed extremely well and operating profit increased by 21% year on year, to EUR 2,486 million in 2024.

    Our excellent earnings will enable us to continue providing our over 2.1 million owner-customers with considerable benefits in 2025. As in 2024, our owner-customers will get daily banking services without monthly charges and accrue 40% extra OP bonuses compared to the normal level of 2022. This is how we will help to ease the strain on households in these economically challenging times. The total value of higher benefits on OP bonuses and daily services will be around EUR 400 million in 2025, which is a significant overall financial benefit.

    Being customer-owned, OP Financial Group will continue to share its financial success through a range of financial and other benefits for its owner-customers.

    Income from OP Financial Group’s customer business grew to a record level of more than EUR 3.8 billion. The improvement in the insurance service result was particularly strong, being 136% higher than a year earlier. Growth in net interest income slowed to 5% and net commissions and fees decreased by 6% year on year, chiefly due to the benefit (provided for owner-customers) of zero monthly charges for daily banking services. Income from investment activities grew considerably from 2023’s level and OP Financial Group’s total income reached over EUR 4.8 billion – 7% higher than a year earlier.

    OP Financial Group’s costs grew by 3% year on year, due to rising personnel costs and higher investments in ICT development. Compared to the previous year, its cost/income ratio improved by two percentage points to 47%, an excellent level even in international terms.

    All three business segments performed extremely well

    All three business segments performed extremely well. The Retail Banking segment’s operating profit rose by 4% year on year, to EUR 1,275 million. Insurance recorded an operating profit of EUR 578 million, growing by 39% compared to a year ago. Corporate Banking’s operating profit was EUR 572 million, up by 40% over the previous year.

    Strong capital adequacy and excellent liquidity provide security and stability in an uncertain business environment

    OP Financial Group’s CET1 ratio improved again, to 21.5%, exceeding the minimum regulatory requirement by 8.1 percentage points. OP Financial Group is one of the most financially solid large banks in Europe. Excellent profitability, strong capital adequacy and liquidity are critical factors for banks and insurance companies, building trust among customers, partners and other stakeholders. In OP Financial Group, these factors are at an excellent level, providing the Group with an even stronger basis than before for meeting future challenges.

    Deposits grew substantially and the loan portfolio stopped shrinking – customers’ loan repayment capacity remained good

    OP Financial Group’s deposit portfolio grew by more than 4% from 2023. Household, corporate and institutional deposits were on an upward trend at the end of the year. OP Financial Group’s market share of deposits rose to over 40%.

    By late 2024, OP Financial Group’s loan portfolio had reached the same level as at the end of 2023. After a long decline, the loan portfolio began to grow again in the early autumn. OP Financial Group maintained its strong market position in the home loan and corporate loan markets. Our market share of home loans was 39%. For corporate loans, we had a market share of 38%.

    OP Financial Group’s home loan customers made home loan repayments punctually and meticulously in 2024. The situation was eased by the fall in market rates. The number of loan modification applications was lower than in recent years. The number of corporate loans under special monitoring declined in comparison to last year. Non-performing exposures decreased from 2.9% to 2.6%. Impairment loss on receivables decreased markedly year on year.

    Wealth management continued to grow rapidly throughout the year

    We aim to coach our customers in making better financial choices. Wealth management is one of our growth focus areas – we intend to make a clear growth leap in this business in the coming years.

    The number of OP Financial Group unitholders rose to over 1.4 million. Moreover, the number of new systematic investment agreements increased by a third. Mutual fund investors were particularly attracted by international and sustainability-themed investment opportunities. Sustainability is a priority for younger investors in particular. At EUR 111 billion in value at the year’s end, customers’ investment assets managed by OP Financial Group grew by 8%.

    OP-mobile was used more than 700 million times – use of artificial intelligence is growing fast

    OP Financial Group’s use of digital services grew substantially again. Personal and corporate customers increasingly use digital channels for banking and insurance. Last year, customers logged in to OP-mobile around 708 million times – an average of 59 million times per month. OP-mobile already has more than 1.7 million active users.

    We moved, with increasing speed, into using artificial intelligence to ease our customers’ daily lives and help our employees in their work.

    In June, we launched OP Aina, a personal assistant on OP-mobile. OP Aina helps our customers with a range of banking and insurance matters on a 24/7 basis. It is the first financial service in Finland to use artificial intelligence and alerts. Our customers have eagerly adopted the service, which already had around 6.25 million service interactions by the end of 2024. We use it to provide customers with even more personalised and readily available services than before.

    Cybersecurity and well-functioning digital services are at the core of our operations

    OP Financial Group’s digital services functioned extremely well all year, despite the rapidly growing number of denial of service attacks.

    We continued our significant investments in cybersecurity to ensure that our customers’ money and data remain secure under all circumstances. Our customers were subjected to a high number of phishing and scam attempts throughout the year, and we have taken active measures to protect them even more effectively from such threats.

    OP Financial Group fulfils its corporate responsibilities as one of Finland’s largest corporate taxpayers

    OP Financial Group is of major direct and indirect importance to Finland’s economic development. In accordance with our mission, we aim to create sustainable prosperity, security and wellbeing for our owner-customers and operating region.

    Being one of Finland’s largest payers of corporate tax, we contributed almost EUR 400 million for 2023 – over 5% of all corporate tax paid in the period.

    We want to point the way towards futures filled with hope for people living in Finland. The success of Finland and all those who live here is our number one priority now and in the future.

    In good shape going into 2025

    OP Financial Group is in great shape to support its customers as the Finnish economy slowly recovers. We provide competitive banking and insurance services for a range of needs.

    My warm thanks to all our customers for the trust you have shown in OP Financial Group in 2024. We want to continue being worthy of your trust in the year that has just begun. I would also like to thank our employees and governing bodies for the excellent work they did last year.

    Timo Ritakallio
    President and Group CEO

    January–December

    OP Financial Group’s operating profit was EUR 2,486 million (2,050), up by 21.3% or EUR 436 million year on year. Income from customer business (net interest income, net commissions and fees and the insurance service result) increased by a total of 5.6% to EUR 3,805 million (3,605). The cost/income ratio improved to 46.7% (48.7). New OP bonuses accrued to owner-customers, which are included in earnings, increased by 14.0% to EUR 307 million.

    Net interest income grew by 5.3% to EUR 2,796 million. Net interest income reported by the Retail Banking segment increased by 3.5% to EUR 2,112 million and that by the Corporate Banking segment increased by 11.3% to EUR 657 million. OP Financial Group’s loan portfolio was at the previous year’s level at EUR 98.9 billion, while deposits grew by 4.3% year on year, to EUR 77.7 billion. Household deposits increased by 2.8% year on year, to EUR 47.8 billion. New loans drawn down by customers during the reporting period totalled EUR 22.2 billion (22.0).

    Impairment loss on loans and receivables, which reduces earnings, totalled EUR 96 million (269). A year ago, expected credit losses concerning the real estate and construction sector increased the impairment loss on receivables. Final credit losses totalled EUR 200 million (77). In 2024, OP Financial Group enhanced the recognition process for final credit losses. After a loan has been transferred for legal collection, the loan principal is written down to the value of collateral. During the fourth quarter, a total of EUR 125 million of such credit losses were recognised. Correspondingly, stage 3 expected credit losses reversed totalled EUR 93 million. At the end of the reporting period, loss allowance was EUR 824 million (929), of which management overlay accounted for EUR 77 million (109). Non-performing exposures accounted for 2.6% (2.9) of total exposures. Impairment loss on loans and receivables accounted for 0.1% (0.3) of the loan and guarantee portfolio.

    Net commissions and fees decreased by 6.0% to EUR 818 million. Owner-customers have received daily banking services without monthly charges since October 2023. This contributed to the decrease in payment transfer net commissions and fees. Net commissions and fees for payment transfer services decreased by EUR 56 million to

    EUR 291 million, and those for residential brokerage by EUR 6 million to EUR 63 million.

    Insurance service result increased by EUR 110 million to EUR 192 million. Insurance service result includes EUR 529 million (485) in operating expenses. Non-life insurance net insurance revenue, including the reinsurer’s share, grew by 6.1% to EUR 1,760 million. Net claims incurred after the reinsurer’s share grew by 4.4% to EUR 1,116 million. The combined ratio reported by non-life insurance improved to 92.3% (93.8).

    Investment income (net investment income, net insurance finance expenses and income from financial assets held for trading) increased by a total of 19.5% to EUR 465 million. Investment income grew as a result of the increase in the value of equity investments in particular. Net investment income together with net finance income describe investment profitability in the insurance business. The combined return on investments at fair value of OP Financial Group’s insurance companies was 7.6% (3.4).

    Net income from financial assets recognised at fair value through profit or loss, or notes and bonds, shares and derivatives, totalled EUR 1,975 million (1,706). Net income from investment contract liabilities totalled EUR 851 million (642). Net insurance finance expenses totalled EUR 727 million (722).

    In banking, net income from financial assets held for trading decreased by 19.1% to EUR 44 million due to the decrease in interest income from notes and bonds.

    Other operating income increased to EUR 44 million (40).

    Total expenses grew by 2.3% to EUR 2,262 million. Personnel costs rose by 12.1% to EUR 1,081 million. The increase was affected by headcount growth and pay increases. OP Financial Group’s personnel increased by approximately 1,000 year on year. The number of employees increased in areas such as sales, customer service, service development, risk management and compliance. Depreciation/amortisation and impairment loss on PPE and intangible assets decreased by 35.5% to EUR 146 million.

    A year ago, impairment loss recognised mainly for information systems and property in own use totalled EUR 60 million. Other operating expenses increased by 2.4% to EUR 1,036 million. ICT costs totalled EUR 514 million (460). Development costs were EUR 349 million (294) and capitalised development expenditure EUR 58 million (62). Charges of financial authorities fell by EUR 61 million to EUR 16 million. The EU’s Single Resolution Board (SRB) did not collect stability contributions from banks for 2024. In 2023, OP Financial Group paid a total of EUR 62 million in stability contributions.

    At EUR 307 million (269), OP bonuses for owner-customers are included in earnings and are divided under the following items based on their accrual: EUR 160 million (150) under interest income, EUR 82 million (67) under interest expenses, EUR 48 million (38) under commission income from mutual funds, and EUR 17 million (15) under the insurance service result.

    Income tax amounted to EUR 499 million (408). OP Financial Group paid EUR 397 million in corporate tax for 2023. The effective tax rate for the reporting period was 20.1% (19.9). Comprehensive income after tax totalled EUR 2,067 million (1,719).

    OP Financial Group’s equity amounted to EUR 18.1 billion (16.3). Equity included EUR 3.3 billion (3.3) in Profit Shares, terminated Profit Shares accounting for EUR 0.4 billion (0.4).

    OP Financial Group’s funding position and liquidity are strong. The Group’s LCR was 193% (199), and its NSFR was 129% (130).

    Outlook

    Finland’s economy contracted in 2024. However, the economy began to recover as the year progressed and preliminary figures suggest that GDP grew in the second half compared to the same period in 2023. Slower inflation and lower interest rates provide a basis for the recovery to continue. Risks associated with the economic outlook are still higher than usual. The escalation of geopolitical crises or a rise in trade barriers may affect capital markets and the economic environment.

    OP Financial Group’s operating profit for 2025 is expected to be at a good level but lower than that for 2023 and 2024.

    The most significant uncertainties affecting OP Financial Group’s earnings performance are associated with developments in the business environment, changes in the interest rate and investment environment and developments in impairment loss on receivables. All forward-looking statements in this Financial Statements Bulletin expressing the management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions are based on the current view on developments in the economy, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements.

    Press conference

    OP Financial Group’s financial performance will be presented to the media by President and Group Chief Executive Officer Timo Ritakallio in a press conference on 6 February 2025 at 11am at Gebhardinaukio 1, Vallila, Helsinki.

    Media enquiries: OP Corporate Communications, tel. +358 10 252 8719, viestinta@op.fi

    OP Corporate Bank plc and OP Mortgage Bank will publish their own financial statements bulletins.

    Time of publication of 2024 reports:

    Report by the Board of Directors (incl. Sustainability Report) and Financial Statements 2024 Week 11
    OP Financial Group’s Corporate Governance Statement 2024 Week 11
    OP Financial Group’s Annual Report 2024 Week 11
    OP Amalgamation Pillar 3 Disclosures 2024 Week 11
    OP Financial Group’s Remuneration Report for Governing Bodies 2024 Week 11
    Remuneration Policy for Governing Bodies at OP Financial Group Week 11

    Schedule for Interim Reports and Half-year Financial Report in 2025:

    Interim Report 1 January–31 March 2025 7 May 2025
    Half-year Financial Report 1 January–30 June 2025 30 July 2025
    Interim Report 1 January–30 September 2025 28 October 2025
    OP Amalgamation Pillar 3 Disclosures 31 March 2025 Week 19
    OP Amalgamation Pillar 3 Disclosures 30 June 2025 Week 33
    OP Amalgamation Pillar 3 Disclosures 30 September 2025 Week 45

    Helsinki, 6 February 2025

    OP Cooperative
    Board of Directors

    For additional information, please contact:

    Timo Ritakallio, President and Group CEO, tel. +358 10 252 4500
    Mikko Timonen, Chief Financial Officer, tel. +358 10 252 1325
    Piia Kumpulainen, Chief Communications Officer, tel. +358 10 252 7317

    www.op.fi 

    DISTRIBUTION 
    Nasdaq Helsinki Oy 
    Euronext Dublin (Irish Stock Exchange) 
    LSE London Stock Exchange 
    Major media
    op.fi  

    OP Financial Group is Finland’s largest financial services group, with more than two million owner-customers and over 14,000 employees. We provide a comprehensive range of banking and insurance services for personal and corporate customers. OP Financial Group consists of OP cooperative banks, its central cooperative OP Cooperative, and the latter’s subsidiaries and affiliates. Our mission is to promote the sustainable prosperity, security and wellbeing of our owner-customers and operating region. Together with our owner-customers, we have been building Finnish society and a sustainable future for 120 years now. www.op.fi

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: ING posts full-year 2024 net profit of €6,392 million and outstanding commercial growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ING posts full-year 2024 net profit of €6,392 million and outstanding commercial growth

    Full-year profit before tax of €9,300 million, supported by growing customer base and increase in lending and deposits
    Mobile primary customer base rises by 1.1 million in 2024 to 14.4 million
    Net core lending growth of €28 billion, or 4%, and net core deposits growth of €47 billion (7%)
    Total income of €22.6 billion; double-digit growth in fee income, surpassing €4 billion for the first time
    Full-year return on equity of 13.0%; proposed final cash dividend of €0.71 per share
     
    4Q2024 profit before tax of €1,771 million with a CET1 ratio of 13.6%
    Increase of 434,000 mobile primary customers in the fourth quarter, with growth in all markets
    Total income resilient year-on-year, supported by continuously strong fee income
    Risk costs remain below our through-the-cycle average, reflecting strong asset quality
    CET1 ratio decreases to 13.6% following the shareholder distribution announced in October
     

    CEO statement

    “In 2024, we have made very good progress in the implementation of our strategy. We have accelerated growth, diversified our income, provided superior value to customers and continued to play a leading role in supporting our clients’ sustainable transition,” said ING CEO Steven van Rijswijk. “We’re pleased with our strong results and are on track to make the targets as communicated on our Capital Markets Day in June. We have continued to invest in the growth of our business, resulting in a larger customer base and higher revenues, while continuously executing our plans to drive operational efficiencies.

    “We have increased the number of our mobile primary customers by 1.1 million, resulting in a total of 14.4 million mobile primary customers, with Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Poland especially contributing to the growth. Core lending has also grown across all markets, by €28 billion, with particularly strong growth of €19 billion in our mortgage portfolio, especially in Germany and the Netherlands. Our deposit base has risen by €47 billion, again with contributions from all Retail countries and our Wholesale business. In Wholesale Banking, we have seen strong results from Financial Markets and we have continued investing in our front office and building our product foundations.

    “Total income has increased to a record €22.6 billion and we have posted a net result of €6.4 billion, maintaining a high level after a very strong 2023. Fee income has increased 11% year-on-year, following an increase in both assets under management and in customer trading activity in Retail. Fee income growth in Wholesale Banking was mainly driven by a higher number of capital markets issuance deals for our clients.

    “Sustainability is a priority for our clients and for ING. We have increased our sustainable volume mobilised to €130 billion, up from €115 billion in 2023, showing strong progress against our 2027 target of €150 billion per annum. During the year, we have engaged with more than 1,600 of our Wholesale Banking clients on their transition plans. In Retail Banking, including in Germany, the Netherlands and Australia, we have supported our customers with sustainable mortgages, renovation loans and digital tools, allowing them to identify possible energy upgrades to their homes and connecting them with accredited home renovators.

    “For the coming year, we remain vigilant as we foresee ongoing geopolitical volatility and a fragmented economic outlook. We are confident that we have the right strategy to deliver value to all of our stakeholders by growing our customer base, continuing to diversify our income and supporting clients in their sustainable transitions. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our shareholders for their continued support, our clients for their continued trust and our employees for their hard work and collaboration.”

     
    Further information
    All publications related to ING’s Full year and 4Q 2024 results can be found at the quarterly results page on ING.com. For more on investor information, go to www.ing.com/investors.

    A short ING ON AIR video with CEO Steven van Rijswijk discussing our FY/4Q2024 results is available on Youtube.

    For further information on ING, please visit www.ing.com. Frequent news updates can be found in the Newsroom or via the @ING_news feed on X. Photos of ING operations, buildings and its executives are available for download at Flickr.

     
    Investor conference call, Media meeting and webcasts
    Steven van Rijswijk, Tanate Phutrakul and Ljiljana Čortan will discuss the results in an Investor conference call on 6 February 2025 at 9:00 a.m. CET. Members of the investment community can join the conference call at +31 20 708 5074 (NL), or +44 330 551 0202 (UK) (registration required via invitation) and via live audio webcast at www.ing.com.

    Steven van Rijswijk, Tanate Phutrakul and Ljiljana Čortan will also discuss the results in a media meeting on 6 February 2024 at 11:00 a.m. CET. Journalists are welcome at ING’s Cedar office, Bijlmerdreef 106, Amsterdam. Alternatively, they can dial-in in listen-only mode via +31 20 708 5073 (NL), or +44 330 551 0200 (UK) – quote ING Media Call 4Q2024 when prompted by the operator. The meeting can also be followed via live audio webcast at www.ing.com.

     
    Investor enquiries
    E: investor.relations@ing.com

    Press enquiries

    T: +31 20 576 5000
    E: media.relations@ing.com

     
    ING Profile
    ING is a global financial institution with a strong European base, offering banking services through its operating company ING Bank. The purpose of ING Bank is: empowering people to stay a step ahead in life and in business. ING Bank’s more than 60,000 employees offer retail and wholesale banking services to customers in over 100 countries.

    ING Group shares are listed on the exchanges of Amsterdam (INGA NA, INGA.AS), Brussels and on the New York Stock Exchange (ADRs: ING US, ING.N).

    ING aims to put sustainability at the heart of what we do. Our policies and actions are assessed by independent research and ratings providers, which give updates on them annually. ING’s ESG rating by MSCI was reconfirmed by MSCI as ‘AA’ in August 2024 for the fifth year. As of December 2023, in Sustainalytics’ view, ING’s management of ESG material risk is ‘Strong’. Our current ESG Risk Rating, is 17.2 (Low Risk). ING Group shares are also included in major sustainability and ESG index products of leading providers. Here are some examples: Euronext, STOXX, Morningstar and FTSE Russell.

    Important legal information
    Elements of this press release contain or may contain information about ING Groep N.V. and/ or ING Bank N.V. within the meaning of Article 7(1) to (4) of EU Regulation No 596/2014 (‘Market Abuse Regulation’).

    ING Group’s annual accounts are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the European Union (‘IFRS- EU’). In preparing the financial information in this document, except as described otherwise, the same accounting principles are applied as in the 2023 ING Group consolidated annual accounts. The Financial statements for 2024 are in progress and may be subject to adjustments from subsequent events. All figures in this document are unaudited. Small differences are possible in the tables due to rounding.

    Certain of the statements contained herein are not historical facts, including, without limitation, certain statements made of future expectations and other forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Actual results, performance or events may differ materially from those in such statements due to a number of factors, including, without limitation: (1) changes in general economic conditions and customer behaviour, in particular economic conditions in ING’s core markets, including changes affecting currency exchange rates and the regional and global economic impact of the invasion of Russia into Ukraine and related international response measures (2) changes affecting interest rate levels (3) any default of a major market participant and related market disruption (4) changes in performance of financial markets, including in Europe and developing markets (5) fiscal uncertainty in Europe and the United States (6) discontinuation of or changes in ‘benchmark’ indices (7) inflation and deflation in our principal markets (8) changes in conditions in the credit and capital markets generally, including changes in borrower and counterparty creditworthiness (9) failures of banks falling under the scope of state compensation schemes (10) noncompliance with or changes in laws and regulations, including those concerning financial services, financial economic crimes and tax laws, and the interpretation and application thereof (11) geopolitical risks, political instabilities and policies and actions of governmental and regulatory authorities, including in connection with the invasion of Russia into Ukraine and the related international response measures (12) legal and regulatory risks in certain countries with less developed legal and regulatory frameworks (13) prudential supervision and regulations, including in relation to stress tests and regulatory restrictions on dividends and distributions (also among members of the group) (14) ING’s ability to meet minimum capital and other prudential regulatory requirements (15) changes in regulation of US commodities and derivatives businesses of ING and its customers (16) application of bank recovery and resolution regimes, including write down and conversion powers in relation to our securities (17) outcome of current and future litigation, enforcement proceedings, investigations or other regulatory actions, including claims by customers or stakeholders who feel misled or treated unfairly, and other conduct issues (18) changes in tax laws and regulations and risks of non-compliance or investigation in connection with tax laws, including FATCA (19) operational and IT risks, such as system disruptions or failures, breaches of security, cyber-attacks, human error, changes in operational practices or inadequate controls including in respect of third parties with which we do business and including any risks as a result of incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise flawed outputs from the algorithms and data sets utilized in artificial intelligence (20) risks and challenges related to cybercrime including the effects of cyberattacks and changes in legislation and regulation related to cybersecurity and data privacy, including such risks and challenges as a consequence of the use of emerging technologies, such as advanced forms of artificial intelligence and quantum computing (21) changes in general competitive factors, including ability to increase or maintain market share (22) inability to protect our intellectual property and infringement claims by third parties (23) inability of counterparties to meet financial obligations or ability to enforce rights against such counterparties (24) changes in credit ratings (25) business, operational, regulatory, reputation, transition and other risks and challenges in connection with climate change and ESG-related matters, including data gathering and reporting (26) inability to attract and retain key personnel (27) future liabilities under defined benefit retirement plans (28) failure to manage business risks, including in connection with use of models, use of derivatives, or maintaining appropriate policies and guidelines (29) changes in capital and credit markets, including interbank funding, as well as customer deposits, which provide the liquidity and capital required to fund our operations, and (30) the other risks and uncertainties detailed in the most recent annual report of ING Groep N.V. (including the Risk Factors contained therein) and ING’s more recent disclosures, including press releases, which are available on www.ING.com.

    This document may contain ESG-related material that has been prepared by ING on the basis of publicly available information, internally developed data and other third-party sources believed to be reliable. ING has not sought to independently verify information obtained from public and third-party sources and makes no representations or warranties as to accuracy, completeness, reasonableness or reliability of such information.

    Materiality, as used in the context of ESG, is distinct from, and should not be confused with, such term as defined in the Market Abuse Regulation or as defined for Securities and Exchange Commission (‘SEC’) reporting purposes. Any issues identified as material for purposes of ESG in this document are therefore not necessarily material as defined in the Market Abuse Regulation or for SEC reporting purposes. In addition, there is currently no single, globally recognized set of accepted definitions in assessing whether activities are “green” or “sustainable.” Without limiting any of the statements contained herein, we make no representation or warranty as to whether any of our securities constitutes a green or sustainable security or conforms to present or future investor expectations or objectives for green or sustainable investing. For information on characteristics of a security, use of proceeds, a description of applicable project(s) and/or any other relevant information, please reference the offering documents for such security.

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    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sergei Sobyanin: Moscow is developing digital services in the cultural sphere

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Moscow has created an ecosystem of digital services that simplify interactions between city residents and cultural institutions. These include a single library card, a service for renting spaces in city cultural institutions, a ticket system on the mos.ru portal, and others. Sergei Sobyanin spoke about new functions and the development of digital services in the cultural sphere in his Telegram channel.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @Mos_Sobyanin

    Unified library card

    Since 2018, apply single library card can be done in person at the city library. In 2021, the mos.ru portal launched an electronic service, “Obtaining a single library card,” with which users can obtain a digital version of the document. As of 2024, Muscovites have already issued about 1.2 million library cards. It is convenient to use the digital version of the single library card in the My ID mobile app.

    A single library card can be linked to a school card “Moskvenok”. In this case, access to the funds of the capital’s libraries will be provided by the usual school key card. In addition, the ticket can be linked to a Muscovite card. Since 2021, readers have been finding, booking the books they need and extending their use using the service “Moscow Libraries” on the mos.ru portal. Here you can also view a list of events taking place in the capital’s reading rooms. And a recommendation system using artificial intelligence technologies will offer the user a selection of literature based on his tastes and booking history.

    In 2024, Muscovites were given the opportunity to pick up publications from book machines — contactless street book distribution points. They were placed in 10 city parks. You can pick up a book from a book machine using a single library card. Residents of the capital have already received more than 2.8 thousand publications in this way.

    Muscovites received over 6.6 million publications with a single library card in 2024DIT reminded about useful functions of the service “Moscow Libraries”

    Portal “Discover Moscow”

    Information portal “Get to Know Moscow” was created in 2013 and became one of the first digital projects telling about the sights and history of the city. Today the portal presents 407 museums, 2341 buildings, 702 monuments, 490 memorial sites, 287 routes around the city, 32 virtual tours and 134 online quests.

    The portal operates on the principle of a digital encyclopedia: each registered user can offer information about an object, which is verified before publication, and audiovisual elements.

    The portal hosts contests and thematic quizzes. The “Poster” section contains a schedule of events held in Moscow’s cultural institutions.

    The portal has mobile applications for Android and iOS. In 2024, a new type of content appeared in the mobile application “Discover Moscow” – users can see in augmented reality (AR) mode how buildings and structures that have not survived to this day would look in modern urban development. For example, the Red Gate, the Sukharev Tower, the building of the eighth Stalinist skyscraper and other historical architectural objects.

    The portal “Learn Moscow” published an online quiz for the 270th anniversary of the founding of Moscow State UniversityIn 2024, the portal “Discover Moscow” was visited about six million times

    City venue rental service

    Since 2021, Muscovites can rent premises in city cultural institutions on the mos.ru portal to hold lectures, master classes, educational classes and other events. Today, the service “Together with culture” offers more than 1.5 thousand premises in 42 cultural institutions. Since the project’s creation, Muscovites have booked the capital’s venues more than 43 thousand times.

    The service is used by both business representatives and ordinary citizens. In 2024, it was most often used by individuals, who mainly booked premises for master classes, meetings and trainings. Legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, as a rule, organized concerts, held rehearsals, seminars and lectures.

    More than 20 thousand events were held on the sites of the “Together with Culture” service in 2024The Moscow Department of Information Technologies told which sites can be rented in the “Together with Culture” service for events with children

    Online services for enrolling in children’s art schools and clubs

    In the summer of 2024, the mos.ru portal upgraded its online registration service for educational programs at children’s art schools, as well as for clubs organized in cultural centers, libraries, and parks. During the admissions campaign, about 10 thousand educational programs and clubs were available for registration. During the service’s operation, Muscovites have submitted about 700 thousand applications for enrollment of children in additional education institutions.

    Mosbilet system

    Mosbilet was launched in the fall of 2020. With this system, you can buy tickets to museums and theaters, rent and pay for city skating rinks, swimming pools and picnic areas. Today, 43 percent of tickets for events at city cultural institutions are purchased through this system, all of which are sold without a markup. Last year alone, more than 7.4 million tickets were issued through the system. It is expected that by the end of 2025, Mosbilet will be able to purchase tickets to all city cultural institutions.

    How to use QR codes for tickets to events in Moscow cultural institutionsPlan your leisure time and buy tickets: what else can the “Posters” section on mos.ru help with?

    Ticket purchase service via Mos ID

    In December 2024, a service for selling tickets to events in Moscow cultural institutions via Mos ID, an account on the mos.ru portal, was launched. Buying tickets through the city ticket system Mosbilet using a standard or full mos.ru account simplifies the process of entering data into the electronic ticket sales form: there is no need to enter the last name, first name, email address and phone number manually. Ticket QR codes are generated and displayed in the city mobile applications “My Moscow”, “Moscow State Services” and “My id”, as well as in your personal account on mos.ru. They can be shown at the entrance instead of a paper ticket. From March 15, 2025, when entering using a QR code from the application, visitors will not be required to present a document entitling them to do so.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is account to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect the Position of Mil-Sosi or Its Clients.

    HTTPS: //vv.mos.ru/mayor/tkhemes/12350050/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI: Societe Generale: Fourth quarter & 2024 full year results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESULTS AT 31 DECEMBER 2024

    Press release                                                        
    Paris, 6 February 2025

    2024 RESULTS ABOVE ALL GROUP TARGETS
    GROUP NET INCOME OF EUR 4.2 BILLION, +69% vs. 2023

    Annual revenues of EUR 26.8 billion, up by +6.7% vs. 2023, above the ≥+5% target set for 2024, driven in particular by the strong rebound in net interest income in France and by an excellent performance in Global Banking and Investor Solutions with revenues above EUR 10 billion

    Cost-to-income ratio of 69.0%, below the target of <71% set for 2024, thanks to tight control of costs, which are stable vs. 2023

    Cost of risk at 26 basis points, at the lower end of the 2024 guidance range

    Profitability (ROTE) of 6.9%, above the target of >6% expected for 2024

    CET1 ratio of 13.3% at end-2024, around 310 basis points above regulatory requirement

    +75% INCREASE IN DISTRIBUTION TO SHAREHOLDERS VS. 2023

    Proposed distribution of EUR 1,740 million1, equivalent to EUR 2.18 per share1, composed of:

    • a cash dividend of EUR 1.09 per share to be proposed to the General Meeting
    • a share buyback programme of EUR 872 million, equivalent to EUR 1.09 per share1. ECB approval has been obtained to launch the programme, due to start on 10 February 2025
    • Increase of the payout ratio to 50% of net income2

    2025 FINANCIAL TARGETS, STRONG CAPITAL, EXECUTION DISCIPLINE

    Revenue growth of more than +3%3 vs. 2024

    Decrease in costs above -1%3 vs. 2024

    Improvement of the cost-to-income ratio, less than 66% in 2025

    Cost of risk between 25 and 30 basis points in 2025

    Increase of the ROTE, more than 8% in 2025

    CET1 ratio above 13% post Basel IV throughout the year 2025

    With a solid CET1 ratio ahead of the capital trajectory, we are proposing to improve the distribution policy with:

    • an overall distribution payout ratio of 50% of net income2
    • a balanced distribution between cash dividends and share buybacks

    Slawomir Krupa, the Group’s Chief Executive Officer, commented:
    “In 2024, our performance improves materially. All our targets are exceeded and ahead of plan. Strong capital build-up, strong and sustainable business growth, strong cost control and risk management, and a material progress in our integration projects led to the doubling of the earnings per share. Against this strong backdrop, we are improving both the 2024 distribution and our distribution policy. I would like to thank the entire Societe Generale team for their dedication and remarkable commitment, every single day, to serving our clients and our Bank.
    We will continue to focus in 2025 on the relentless execution of our strategy, improving our performance even further.”

    1. GROUP CONSOLIDATED RESULTS
    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 Change 2024 2023 Change
    Net banking income 6,621 5,957 +11.1% +12.5%* 26,788 25,104 +6.7% +5.7%*
    Operating expenses (4,595) (4,666) -1.5% -0.7%* (18,472) (18,524) -0.3% -1.6%*
    Gross operating income 2,026 1,291 +57.0% +61.3%* 8,316 6,580 +26.4% +26.6%*
    Net cost of risk (338) (361) -6.4% -4.9%* (1,530) (1,025) +49.3% +48.6%*
    Operating income 1,688 930 +81.6% +87.4%* 6,786 5,555 +22.2% +22.5%*
    Net income/expense from other assets (11) (21) +48.9% +45.2%* (77) (113) +31.4% +26.3%*
    Income tax (413) (302) +36.6% +40.5%* (1,601) (1,679) -4.7% -4.9%*
    Net income 1,273 612 x 2.1 x 2.1* 5,129 3,449 +48.7% +49.6%*
    O.w. non-controlling interests 233 183 +27.0% +33.6%* 929 957 -3.0% -9.3%*
    Group net income 1,041 429 x 2.4 x 2.5* 4,200 2,492 +68.6% +73.2%*
    ROE 5.8% 1.5%     6.1% 3.1% +0.0% +0.0%*
    ROTE 6.6% 1.7%     6.9% 4.2% +0.0% +0.0%*
    Cost to income 69.4% 78.3%     69.0% 73.8% +0.0% +0.0%*

    Asterisks* in the document refer to data at constant perimeter and exchange rates

    The Board of Directors of Societe Generale, which met on 5 February 2025 under the chairmanship of Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, examined the Societe Generale Group’s results for Q4 24 and endorsed the 2024 financial statements.

    Net banking income 

    Net banking income stood at EUR 6.6 billion, up by +11.1% vs. Q4 23.

    Revenues of French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance were up by +15.5% vs. Q4 23 and totalled EUR 2.3 billion in Q4 24. Net interest income increased in Q4 24 (+36% vs. Q4 23), in line with the latest estimates. Assets under management in Private Banking and Insurance increased by +7% each in Q4 24 vs. Q4 23. Lastly, BoursoBank showed strong growth momentum with more than 460,000 new clients in the quarter, allowing to reach a client base of 7.2 million clients at end-December 2024, above the target of 7 million clients set for end-2024. In addition, BoursoBank posted a positive contribution to Group net income in 2024 for the second year in a row.

    Global Banking and Investor Solutions registered a +12.4% increase in revenues relative to Q4 23. Revenues amounted to EUR 2.5 billion for the quarter, driven by strong momentum across all businesses. Global Markets grew by 9.8% in Q4 24 vs. Q4 23. Revenues from the Equities business were up by +10%, reaching a record level for a fourth quarter. They were driven by favourable market conditions, particularly after the result of the presidential elections in the United States. Fixed Income and Currencies were up by +9% owing to solid commercial activity in financing and intermediation across all asset classes. In Financing and Advisory, solid commercial momentum was recorded in structured finance and the performance of M&A and advisory continued to rebound. Likewise, Global Transaction & Payment Services posted a +26% increase in revenues vs. Q4 23, driven by a sustained commercial development across all businesses, particularly in correspondent banking.

    Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services’ revenues were up by +2.0% vs. Q4 23, mainly due to an increase in margins at Ayvens. International Retail Banking recorded a -3.6% fall in revenues vs. Q4 23 at EUR 1.0 billion, due to a scope effect related to the asset disposals finalised in Africa (Morocco, Chad, Congo, Madagascar). Revenues were up +3.4% at constant perimeter and exchange rates. Revenues from Mobility and Financial Services were up by +8.3% vs. Q4 23 mainly due to non-recuring items in Q4 23 and improved margins at Ayvens.

    The Corporate Centre recorded revenues of EUR -159 million in Q4 24.

    Over 2024, net banking income increased by +6.7% vs. 2023.

    Operating expenses 

    Operating expenses came out to EUR 4,595 million in Q4 24, down by -1.5% vs. Q4 23.
    They include a scope effect of around EUR 46 million related to the integration of Bernstein’s cash equity operations and a decrease in transformation costs of EUR 26 million. Excluding these items, operating expenses were down by nearly -2% in Q4 24 vs. Q4-23 owing to the effect of the cost saving measures implemented across all business lines.

    The cost-to-income ratio stood at 69.4% in Q4 24, significantly lower than in Q4 23 (78.3%).

    Over 2024, operating expenses remained relatively stable (-0.3% vs. 2023), thanks from rigorous cost management. The cost-to-income ratio stood at 69.0% (vs. 73.8% in 2023), a level below the target of 71% for 2024.

    Cost of risk

    The cost of risk fell to 23 basis points over the quarter (or EUR 338 million). This includes a EUR 386 million provision for non-performing loans (around 26 basis points) and a reversal of a provision on performing loans for EUR -48 million.

    At end-December, the Group’s provisions on performing loans amounted to EUR 3,119 million, stable relative to 30 September 2024. The EUR -453 million contraction relative to 31 December 2023 is mainly owing to the application of IFRS 5.

    The gross non-performing loan ratio stood at 2.81%4,5 at 31 December 2024, significantly down vs. end of September 2024 (2.95%). The net coverage ratio on the Group’s non-performing loans stood at 81%6 at 31 December 2024 (after taking into account guarantees and collateral).

    Net profits from other assets

    The Group recorded a net loss of EUR -11 million in Q4 24, mainly related to the accounting impacts of finalised asset sales, such as the disposals of our activities in Morocco and Madagascar.

    Group net income

    Group net income stood at EUR 1,041 million for the quarter, equating to a Return on Tangible Equity (ROTE) of 6.6%.

    Over the year, Group net income stood at EUR 4,200 million, equating to a Return on Tangible Equity (ROTE) of 6.9%.

    Shareholder distribution

    The Board of Directors approved the distribution policy for the 2024 fiscal year, aiming to distribute EUR 2.18 per share, equivalent to EUR 1,740 million, of which EUR 872 million in share buyback7. A cash dividend of EUR 1.09 per share will be proposed at the General Meeting of Shareholders on 20 May 2025. The dividend will be detached on 26 May 2025 and paid out on 28 May 2025.

    1. AN ESTABLISHED ESG STRATEGY FROM WHICH TO STEP FORWARD

    In 2024, Societe Generale accelerated the execution of its ESG roadmap, particularly with respect to the contribution to the environmental transition:

    • The Group now covers ~70% of companies’8 financed emissions, with 10 alignment targets for the carbon-intensive sectors. It has already reduced its oil and gas upstream exposure by more than 50% since the end of 20199
    • In Q2 24 and ahead of schedule, the Group reached its target of EUR 300 billion for sustainable finance planned for the period 2022-2025. A new target of EUR 500 billion, complementing the work carried out as part of the portfolio alignment, was announced for the period 2024-2030. This will help increase the orientation of financial flows towards decarbonization activities.

    The Group has broadened the scope of actions to prepare for a sustainable future by supporting new players and new technologies:

    • The EUR 1 billion investment for the transition, announced during the Capital Markets Day, has entered its operationalization phase
    • A new partnership with the EIB to unlock up to EUR 8 billion in the wind industry supply chain in Europe was signed in Q4 24.

    At the same time, ESG risk management continues to be strengthened, enhancing forward-looking assessments of environmental risk materiality and further integrating environmental, social and governance risks into the risk framework.
    Lastly, the Group is moving forward with its ambitions as a responsible employer: at the end of 2024, the “Group Leaders Circle” (Top 250) had ~30% women executives10 and ~30% international members. As announced during the Capital Markets Day, the EUR 100 million envelope commitment to reduce the gender pay gap was launched in 2023.

    1. THE GROUP’S FINANCIAL STRUCTURE

    At 31 December 2024, the Group’s Common Equity Tier 1 ratio stood at 13.3%11, around 310 basis points above the regulatory requirement. Likewise, the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) was well ahead of regulatory requirements at 156% at end-December 2024 (145% on average for the quarter), and the Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) stood at 117% at end-December 2024.

    All liquidity and solvency ratios are well above the regulatory requirements.

      31/12/2024 31/12/2023 Requirements
    CET1(1) 13.3% 13.1% 10.24%
    Fully-loaded CET1 13.3% 13.1% 10.24%
    Tier 1 ratio (1) 16.1% 15.6% 12.17%
    Total Capital(1) 18.9% 18.2% 14.73%
    Leverage ratio(1) 4.34% 4.25% 3.60%
    TLAC (% RWA)(1) 29.7% 31.9% 22.31%
    TLAC (% leverage)(1) 8.0% 8.7% 6.75%
    MREL (% RWA)(1) 34.2% 33.7% 27.58%
    MREL (% leverage)(1) 9.2% 9.2% 6.23%
    End of period LCR 156% 160% >100%
    Period average LCR 145% 155% >100%
    NSFR 117% 119% >100%
    In EURbn 31/12/2024 31/12/2023
    Total consolidated balance sheet 1,574 1,554
    Shareholders’ equity (IFRS), Group share 70 66
    Risk-weighted assets 390 389
    O.w. credit risk 327 326
    Total funded balance sheet 952 970
    Customer loans 463 497
    Customer deposits 614 618

    At 31 December 2024, the parent company had issued EUR 43.2 billion in medium/long-term debt under its 2024 funding program. The subsidiaries had issued EUR 4.7 billion. In all, the Group has issued a total of EUR 47.9 billion.

    At 10 January 2025, the parent company 2025 funding program was executed at 47% for vanilla notes.

    The Group is rated by four rating agencies: (i) FitchRatings – long-term rating “A-”, stable outlook, senior preferred debt rating “A”, short-term rating “F1”; (ii) Moody’s – long-term rating (senior preferred debt) “A1”, negative outlook, short-term rating “P-1”; (iii) R&I – long-term rating (senior preferred debt) “A”, stable outlook; and (iv) S&P Global Ratings – long-term rating (senior preferred debt) “A”, stable outlook, short-term rating “A-1”.

    1. FRENCH RETAIL, PRIVATE BANKING AND INSURANCE
    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 Change 2024 2023 Change
    Net banking income 2,267 1,963 +15.5% 8,657 8,053 +7.5%
    Of which net interest income 1,091 801 +36.2% 3,868 3,199 +20.9%
    Of which fees 1,028 948 +8.5% 4,108 3,975 +3.3%
    Operating expenses (1,672) (1,683) -0.7% (6,634) (6,756) -1.8%
    Gross operating income 596 280 x 2.1 2,024 1,297 +56.0%
    Net cost of risk (115) (163) -29.6% (712) (505) +41.0%
    Operating income 481 118 x 4.1 1,312 792 +65.6%
    Net profits or losses from other assets (2) 5 n/s 6 9 -35.1%
    Group net income 360 90 x 4.0 991 596 +66.2%
    RONE 9.1% 2.3%   6.3% 3.9%  
    Cost to income 73.7% 85.7%   76.6% 83.9%  

    Commercial activity

    SG Network, Private Banking and Insurance 

    The SG Network’s average outstanding deposits amounted to EUR 232 billion in Q4 24, down by -1% on Q4 23, with strong shift of inflows into investment products and savings life insurance.

    The SG Network’s average loan outstandings contracted by -4% vs. Q4 23 to EUR 194 billion, but -2.5% excluding PGE (state guaranteed loans). Outstanding loans to corporate and professional clients grew vs. Q3 24 excluding state guaranteed PGE loans, and individual clients lending experienced an increased commercial momentum.

    The average loan to deposit ratio came to 83.6% in Q4 24, down by 2.6 percentage points relative to Q4 23.

    Private Banking activities saw their assets under management12 maintain a record level of EUR 154 billion in Q4 24, up by +7% vs. Q4 23. Net gathering stood at EUR 6.3 billion in 2024, the annual net asset gathering pace (net new money divided by AuM) being at +4% in 2024. Net banking income came to EUR 348 million over the quarter, a decrease of -2% vs. Q4 23. It stands at EUR 1,469 million for 2024, unchanged from 2023.

    Insurance, which covers activities in and outside France, posted a very strong commercial performance. Life insurance outstandings increased sharply by +7% vs. Q4 23 to reach a record EUR 146 billion at                end-December 2024. The share of unit-linked products remained high at 40%. Savings Life insurance gross inflows amounted to EUR 3.4 billion in Q4 24, and EUR 18.3 billion for 2024, up by +42% vs. 2023.

    Personal protection and P&C premia were up by +3% vs. Q4 23 (+5% at constant perimeter).

    BoursoBank 

    BoursoBank’s growth momentum continued with more than 460K new clients in the fourth quarter of 2024. BoursoBank reached almost 7.2 million clients in December 2024, above 2024 target.

    Thanks notably to its comprehensive banking offer and recognized among the “Digital Leaders”13, the Bank has a low attrition rate (~3% in 2024), still down vs. 2023.

    BoursoBank continued its profitable growth trajectory in 2024 with a cost per client down by -17.0% vs. 2023 with an expanding client base, more than 1.3 million net clients over 12 months (+22.4% vs. 2023).

    Loans outstanding improved by +5.4% relative to Q4 23, at EUR 16 billion in Q4 24.

    Average outstanding in savings including deposits and financial savings were +15.5% higher vs. Q4 23 at EUR 64 billion. Deposits outstanding totalled EUR 39 billion in Q4 24, posting another strong increase of +15.4% vs. Q4 23, driven by interest-bearing savings. Average life insurance outstandings, at EUR 13 billion in Q4 24, rose by +10.2% vs. Q4 23 (o/w 48% in unit-lined products, +3.8 percentage points vs. Q4 23). The activity continued to register strong gross inflows over the quarter (+50.4% vs. Q4 23, 65% unit-linked products).

    For the second year in a row, BoursoBank recorded a positive contribution to Group net income in 2024.

    At end of 2025, BoursoBank aims to exceed 8 million clients.

    Net banking income

    Over the quarter, revenues amounted to EUR 2,267 million (including PEL/CEL provision), up by +15% compared with Q4 23 and up by +1% compared with Q3 24. Net interest income grew by +36% vs. Q4 23 and +3% vs. Q3 24. Fee income rose by +9% relative to Q4 23.

    Over the year, revenues reached EUR 8,657 million, up by +8% compared with 2023 (including PEL/CEL provision). Net interest income was up by +21% vs. 2023. Fees increased by +3% relative to 2023.

    Operating expenses

    Over the quarter, operating expenses came to EUR 1,672 million, down -1% compared to Q4 23. The cost-to-income ratio reached 73.7% in Q4 24 and improved by 12 percentage points vs. Q4 23.

    Over the year, operating expenses totalled EUR 6,634 million, decreasing by -2% vs. 2023.                                         The cost-to-income ratio stood at 76.6% and improved by 7.3 percentage points compared with 2023.

    Cost of risk

    Over the quarter, the cost of risk amounted to EUR 115 million, or 20 basis points, down compared with Q3 24 (30 basis points).

    Over the year, the cost of risk totalled EUR 712 million, or 30 basis points.

    Group net income

    Over the quarter, Group net income totalled EUR 360 million. RONE stood at 9.1% in Q4 24.

    Over the year, Group net income totalled EUR 991 million. RONE stood at 6.3% for the year.

    1. GLOBAL BANKING AND INVESTOR SOLUTIONS
    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 Change 2024 2023 Change
    Net banking income 2,457 2,185 +12.4% +11.6%* 10,122 9,642 +5.0% +4.8%*
    Operating expenses (1,644) (1,601) +2.7% +2.0%* (6,542) (6,788) -3.6% -3.7%*
    Gross operating income 812 584 +39.0% +37.9%* 3,580 2,854 +25.4% +25.0%*
    Net cost of risk (97) (38) x 2.5 x 2.5* (126) (30) x 4.2 x 4.3*
    Operating income 715 546 +31.0% +30.1%* 3,455 2,824 +22.3% +21.9%*
    Group net income 627 467 +34.4% +33.0%* 2,788 2,280 +22.2% +21.7%*
    RONE 16.6% 12.2% +0.0% +0.0%* 18.4% 14.8% +0.0% +0.0%*
    Cost to income 66.9% 73.3% +0.0% +0.0%* 64.6% 70.4% +0.0% +0.0%*

    Net banking income

    Global Banking & Investor Solutions delivered an excellent fourth quarter, with revenues up by +12.4% compared with Q4 23, at EUR 2,457 million.

    Over 2024, revenues reached a record14 level of EUR 10,122 million, up by +5.0% vs. FY23, owing to excellent momentum across all business lines.

    Global Markets and Investor Services recorded a sharp rise in revenues over the quarter vs Q4 23 of +9.8% to EUR 1,493 million. Over 2024, they totalled EUR 6,557 million, up by +4.5% vs. FY 2023. This growth is the result of solid performance across all activities.

    Global Markets posted both a record fourth quarter and a record1 year with revenues, respectively, of EUR 1,332 million, up +9.5% vs. Q4 23, and EUR 5,884 million, up +5.6% vs. 2023, in a market environment that remains conducive.

    The Equities business delivered an excellent performance, with both a record year and fourth quarter. In Q4 24, revenues amounted to EUR 831 million, a steady increase of +10.0% vs. Q4 23, benefiting from a strong commercial dynamic post US elections especially in flow, listed products and financing activities. Over 2024, revenues increased sharply by +12.2% versus 2023 to EUR 3,569 million.

    Fixed Income and Currencies grew by +8.8% to EUR 501 million in Q4 24, thanks to a solid performance across all products, with an increased client engagement across Corporates and Financial Institutions following the impact of the US elections on rates and currencies. In addition, European rates and currencies franchise outperformed, together with solid secured financing opportunities in the Americas. Over 2024, revenues decreased slightly by -3.2% to EUR 2,315 million.

    Securities Services’ revenues were sharply up by +12.4% versus Q4 23 at EUR 162 million but increased by +4.8% excluding the impact of equity participations. The business continued to reap the benefit of a positive fee generation trend and robust momentum in fund distribution, especially in France and Italy. Over 2024, revenues were down by -4.0%, but up by +2.8% excluding equity participations. Assets under Custody and Assets under Administration amounted to EUR 4,921 billion and EUR 623 billion, respectively.

    The Financing and Advisory business posted revenues of EUR 964 million, up by +16.7% vs. Q4 23. Over 2024, revenues totalled EUR 3,566 million, up by +5.8% vs. 2023.

    The Global Banking & Advisory business grew steadily by +13.7% compared with Q4 23 with a double digit increase in fees vs. Q4 23 driven by strong origination and distribution volumes in Fund Financing and Structured Finance. The rebound in M&A and Advisory continued in the fourth quarter with a strong increase in revenues. This is the second best quarter ever in terms of revenues, close to record Q4 22. Over 2024, revenues grew by +3.2% vs. 2023.

    The Global Transaction & Payment Services business once again delivered an excellent performance compared with Q4 23. The sharp increase in revenues of +26.1% was driven by solid commercial momentum in all activities, as well as a high level of fee generation, led by a strong performance in correspondent banking. Over 2024, revenues saw a steady increase of +13.9%. This represents a record year and fourth quarter.

    Operating expenses

    Operating expenses came out to EUR 1,644 million for the quarter, including around EUR 32 million in transformation costs. They are up by +2.7% relative to Q4 23. The cost-to-income ratio came to 66.9% in Q4 24.

    Over 2024, operating expenses decreased by -3.6% compared with 2023 and the cost-to-income ratio came to 64.6%.

    Cost of risk

    Over the quarter, the cost of risk was EUR 97 million, or 24 basis points vs. 9 basis points in Q4 23.

    Over 2024, the cost of risk was EUR 126 million, or 8 basis points.

    Group net income

    Group net income recorded strong growth, up by +34.4% vs. Q4 23 to EUR 627 million. Over 2024, Group net income rose sharply by +22.2% to EUR 2,788 million.

    Global Banking and Investor Solutions reported significant RONE of 16.6% over the quarter and 18.4% over 2024.

    1. MOBILITY, INTERNATIONAL RETAIL BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES
    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 Change 2024 2023 Change
    Net banking income 2,056 2,016 +2.0% +6.7%* 8,458 8,507 -0.6% -3.8%*
    Operating expenses (1,240) (1,281) -3.2% +0.8%* (5,072) (4,760) +6.6% +1.7%*
    Gross operating income 816 734 +11.1% +17.0%* 3,386 3,747 -9.6% -10.9%*
    Net cost of risk (133) (137) -2.5% +2.2%* (705) (486) +45.1% +43.5%*
    Operating income 682 598 +14.2% +20.4%* 2,681 3,261 -17.8% -19.1%*
    Net income/expense from other assets (2) (12) +86.1% +84.3%* 96 (11) n/s n/s
    Non-controlling interests 203 152 +33.1% +39.6%* 826 826 -0.1% -7.1%*
    Group net income 314 284 +10.5% +16.1%* 1,270 1,609 -21.1% -20.0%*
    RONE 12.0% 11.0%     12.2% 16.6%    
    Cost to income 60.3% 63.6%     60.0% 56.0%    

    (2)()

    Commercial activity

    International Retail Banking

    International Retail Banking15 activity remained strong in Q4 24 with outstanding loans at EUR 59 billion, up by +3.4%* vs. Q4 23 and deposits at EUR 74 billion, up by +3.9%* vs. Q4 23.

    Europe continues to post good commercial performance for both entities in individual and corporate client segments. With EUR 43 billion in Q4 24, outstanding loans increased by 4.9%* vs. Q4 23, across segments in Romania and more particularly in home loans in the Czech Republic. Outstanding deposits totalled EUR 55 billion in Q4 24, up by +3.8%* vs. Q4 23, mostly driven by Romania.

    In the Africa, Mediterranean Basin and Overseas France network, outstanding loans were stable* vs. Q4 23, with EUR 16 billion in Q4 24, on the back of the good performance in retail. Outstanding deposits of EUR 20 billion in Q4 24 increased by 4.0%* vs. Q4 23, mainly driven by sight deposits in retail.

    Mobility and Financial Services

    Overall, Mobility and Financial Services maintained a good commercial performance.

    Ayvens’ earning assets totalled EUR 53.6 billion at end-December 2024, a +2.9% increase vs. end-December 2023.

    Consumer Finance posted outstandings of EUR 23 billion in Q4 24, still down by -4.0% vs. Q4 23.

    With EUR 15 billion in Q4 24, Equipment Finance outstandings slightly decreased by -1.4% vs. Q4 23.

    Net banking income

    Over the quarter, Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services’ revenues rose by +2.0% vs. Q4 23 to EUR 2,056 million in Q4 24.

    Over the year, revenues were stable compared with 2023 at EUR 8,458 million.

    International Retail Banking revenues reached EUR 1,029 million, up by +3.4%* vs. Q4 23. Over 2024, revenues amounted to EUR 4,161 million, up by 3.8%* vs. 2023.

    Revenues in Europe, which amounted to EUR 539 million in Q4 24, rose by +6.4%* vs. Q4 23, driven by the +3.5%* increase in net interest income for both KB in Czech Republic and BRD in Romania. Fee income increased strongly over the quarter in the Czech Republic, up by +29.5%* vs. Q4 23. Over 2024, revenues improved by +2.8%* vs. 2023 at EUR 2,028 million.

    The Africa, Mediterranean Basin and French Overseas network maintained a sustained level of revenues in Q4 24 of EUR 490 million, stable* vs. Q4 23, mainly driven by fee growth. Over 2024, revenues improved by +4.8%* vs. 2023 at EUR 2,133 million.

    Overall, revenues from Mobility and Financial Services were up by 8.3% vs. Q4 23 at EUR 1,026 million. They remained stable vs. 2023, at EUR 4,298 million in 2024.

    At Ayvens, net banking income stood at EUR 707 million in Q4 24, a sharp increase of +16,3% vs. Q4 23 as reported, and of +2.0% adjusted for non-recurring items16. The amount of margins stood at 541 basis points, generating revenues up +12%1 vs. T4-23. The used car sales markets are gradually normalising, as expected, with an average Used Car Sale (UCS) result per unit of EUR 1,2671 per unit this quarter, vs. EUR 1,4201 in Q3 24 and EUR 1,7061 in Q4 23. In 2024, Ayvens posted an increase in revenues of +1.2% vs. 2023 (at EUR 3,015 million), with an increase in underlying margins.

    The Consumer Finance entities posted revenues of EUR 216 million in Q4 24, still down by -4.2% vs. Q4 23. These are stabilizing from Q3 24, with an improvement in the margin for new production. Revenues from the Equipment Finance business was down this quarter by -9.3% vs. Q4 23, with EUR 103 million in Q4 24. In 2024, overall revenues for both businesses decreased by -4.0% vs. 2023.

    Operating expenses

    Over the quarter, operating expenses remained contained at EUR 1,240 million (-3.2% vs. Q4 23, stable* at constant perimeter and exchange rates). The cost-to-income ratio stood at 60.3% in Q4 24 vs. 63.6% in Q4 23.

    Over the year, operating expenses came to EUR 5,072 million, up by +6.6% vs. 2023. They include transformation costs of around EUR 200 million.

    International Retail Banking recorded an increase in costs of +4.8%* vs. Q4 23 (down by -2.1% at current perimeter and exchange rates, to EUR 577 million in Q4 24), still including the new bank tax in Romania, implemented since January 2024.

    Mobility and Financial Services costs reached EUR 663 million in Q4 24, down by -4.2% vs. Q4 23.

    Cost of risk

    Over the quarter, the cost of risk amounted to EUR 133 million or 32 basis points, which was considerably lower than in Q3 24 (48 basis points).

    Over the year, the cost of risk normalised to a level of 42 basis points, compared with 32 basis points in 2023.

    Group net income

    Over the quarter, Group net income came out to EUR 314 million, up by +10.5% vs. Q4 23. RONE stood at 12.0% in Q4 24. RONE was 16.3% in International Retail Banking, and 9.1% in Mobility and Financial Services in Q4 24.

    Over 2024, Group net income came out to EUR 1,270 million, down by -21.1% vs. 2023. RONE stood at 12.2% in 2024. RONE was 16.4% in International Retail Banking, and 9.4% in Mobility and Financial Services in 2024.

    1. CORPORATE CENTRE
    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 Change 2024 2023 Change
    Net banking income (159) (207) +23.4% +24.4%* (450) (1,098) +59.0% +59.6%*
    Operating expenses (39) (101) -61.8% -61.8%* (224) (220) +1.6% +1.4%*
    Gross operating income (197) (308) +36.0% +36.5%* (674) (1,318) +48.9% +49.5%*
    Net cost of risk 7 (23) n/s n/s 12 (4) n/s n/s
    Net income/expense from other assets (7) (15) +51.3% +51.3%* (179) (111) -61.3% -61.4%*
    Income tax (37) (45) -17.9% -16.6%* 81 (130) n/s n/s
    Group net income (261) (412) +36.7% +37.0%* (848) (1,994) +57.5% +57.8%*

    The Corporate Centre includes:

    • the property management of the Group’s head office,
    • the Group’s equity portfolio,
    • the Treasury function for the Group,
    • certain costs related to cross-functional projects, as well as several costs incurred by the Group that are not re-invoiced to the businesses.

    Net banking income

    Over the quarter, the Corporate Centre’s net banking income totalled EUR -159 million, vs. EUR  – 207 million in Q4 23.

    Over the year, the Corporate Centre’s net banking income totalled EUR -450 million, vs. EUR – 1,098 million in 2023. It includes the booking in Q3 24 of exceptional proceeds received of approximately EUR 0.3 billion17.

    Operating expenses

    Over the quarter, operating expenses totalled EUR -39 million, vs. EUR -101 million in Q4 23.

    Over the year, operating expenses totalled EUR -224 million, vs. EUR -220 million in 2023.

    Net losses from other assets

    Pursuant notably to the application of IFRS 5, the Group booked in Q4 24 various impacts from ongoing disposals of assets.

    Group net income

    Over the quarter, the Corporate Centre’s Group net income totalled EUR -261 million, vs. EUR -412 million in Q4 23.

    Over the year, the Corporate Centre’s Group net income totalled EUR -848 million, vs. EUR -1,994 million in 2023.

    To be noted that starting from 2025, normative return to businesses will be based on a 13% capital allocation.

          8.   2024 AND 2025 FINANCIAL CALENDAR

    2025 Financial communication calendar
    April 30, 2025 First quarter 2025 results
    May 20, 2025 2024 Combined General Meeting
    May 26, 2025 Dividend detachment
    May 28, 2025 Dividend payment
    July 31, 2025 Second quarter and first half 2025 results
    October 30, 2025          Third quarter and nine months 2025 results
    The Alternative Performance Measures, notably the notions of net banking income for the pillars, operating expenses, cost of risk in basis points, ROE, ROTE, RONE, net assets and tangible net assets are presented in the methodology notes, as are the principles for the presentation of prudential ratios.

    This document contains forward-looking statements relating to the targets and strategies of the Societe Generale Group.

    These forward-looking statements are based on a series of assumptions, both general and specific, in particular the application of accounting principles and methods in accordance with IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) as adopted in the European Union, as well as the application of existing prudential regulations.

    These forward-looking statements have also been developed from scenarios based on a number of economic assumptions in the context of a given competitive and regulatory environment. The Group may be unable to:

    – anticipate all the risks, uncertainties or other factors likely to affect its business and to appraise their potential consequences;

    – evaluate the extent to which the occurrence of a risk or a combination of risks could cause actual results to differ materially from those provided in this document and the related presentation.

    Therefore, although Societe Generale believes that these statements are based on reasonable assumptions, these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including matters not yet known to it or its management or not currently considered material, and there can be no assurance that anticipated events will occur or that the objectives set out will actually be achieved. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, overall trends in general economic activity and in Societe Generale’s markets in particular, regulatory and prudential changes, and the success of Societe Generale’s strategic, operating and financial initiatives.

    More detailed information on the potential risks that could affect Societe Generale’s financial results can be found in the section “Risk Factors” in our Universal Registration Document filed with the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (which is available on https://investors.societegenerale.com/en).

    Investors are advised to take into account factors of uncertainty and risk likely to impact the operations of the Group when considering the information contained in such forward-looking statements. Other than as required by applicable law, Societe Generale does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements. Unless otherwise specified, the sources for the business rankings and market positions are internal.

          9.   APPENDIX 1: FINANCIAL DATA

    GROUP NET INCOME BY CORE BUSINESS

    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 Variation 2024 2023 Variation
    French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance 360 90 x 4.0 991 596 +66.2%
    Global Banking and Investor Solutions 627 467 +34.4% 2,788 2,280 +22.2%
    Mobility, International Retail Banking & Financial Services 314 284 +10.5% 1,270 1,609 -21.1%
    Core Businesses 1,301 841 +54.7% 5,048 4,486 +12.5%
    Corporate Centre (261) (412) +36.7% (848) (1,994) +57.5%
    Group 1,041 429 x 2.4 4,200 2,492 +68.6%

    MAIN EXCEPTIONAL ITEMS

    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 12M24 12M23
    Net Banking Income – Total exceptional items 0 41 287 (199)
    One-off legacy items – Corporate Centre 0 41 0 (199)
    Exceptional proceeds received – Corporate Centre 0 0 287 0
             
    Operating expenses – Total one-off items and transformation charges (76) (102) (613) (765)
    Transformation charges (76) (102) (613) (730)
    Of which French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance 7 18 (132) (312)
    Of which Global Banking & Investor Solutions (32) (64) (236) (167)
    Of which Mobility, International Retail Banking & Financial Services (51) (56) (199) (251)
    Of which Corporate Centre 0 0 (47) 0
    One-off items 0 0 0 (35)
    Of which French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance 0 0 0 60
    Of which Global Banking & Investor Solutions 0 0 0 (95)
             
    Other one-off items – Total (7) (115) (74) (820)
    Net profits or losses from other assets (7) (15) (74) (112)
    Of which Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services 0 0 86 0
    Of which Corporate Centre (7) (15) (160) (112)
    Goodwill impairment – Corporate Centre 0 0 0 (338)
    Provision of Deferred Tax Assets – Corporate Centre 0 (100) 0 (370)

    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

    In EUR m   31/12/2024 31/12/2023
    Cash, due from central banks   201,680 223,048
    Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss   526,048 495,882
    Hedging derivatives   9,233 10,585
    Financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income   96,024 90,894
    Securities at amortised cost   32,655 28,147
    Due from banks at amortised cost   84,051 77,879
    Customer loans at amortised cost   454,622 485,449
    Revaluation differences on portfolios hedged against interest rate risk   (292) (433)
    Insurance and reinsurance contracts assets   615 459
    Tax assets   4,687 4,717
    Other assets   70,903 69,765
    Non-current assets held for sale   26,426 1,763
    Investments accounted for using the equity method   398 227
    Tangible and intangible fixed assets   61,409 60,714
    Goodwill   5,086 4,949
    Total   1,573,545 1,554,045
    In EUR m   31/12/2024 31/12/2023
    Due to central banks   11,364 9,718
    Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss   396,614 375,584
    Hedging derivatives   15,750 18,708
    Debt securities issued   162,200 160,506
    Due to banks   99,744 117,847
    Customer deposits   531,675 541,677
    Revaluation differences on portfolios hedged

    against interest rate risk

      (5,277) (5,857)
    Tax liabilities   2,237 2,402
    Other liabilities   90,786 93,658
    Non-current liabilities held for sale   17,079 1,703
    Insurance and reinsurance contracts liabilities   150,691 141,723
    Provisions   4,085 4,235
    Subordinated debts   17,009 15,894
    Total liabilities   1,493,957 1,477,798
    Shareholder’s equity  
    Shareholders’ equity, Group share  
    Issued common stocks and capital reserves   21,281 21,186
    Other equity instruments   9,873 8,924
    Retained earnings   33,863 32,891
    Net income   4,200 2,493
    Sub-total   69,217 65,494
    Unrealised or deferred capital gains and losses   1,039 481
    Sub-total equity, Group share   70,256 65,975
    Non-controlling interests   9,332 10,272
    Total equity   79,588 76,247
    Total   1,573,545 1,554,045

          10.    APPENDIX 2: METHODOLOGY

    1 –The financial information presented for the fourth quarter and full year 2024 was examined by the Board of Directors on February 5th, 2025 and has been prepared in accordance with IFRS as adopted in the European Union and applicable at that date. The audit procedures carried out by the Statutory Auditors on the consolidated financial statements are in progress.

    2 – Net banking income

    The pillars’ net banking income is defined on page 42 of Societe Generale’s 2024 Universal Registration Document. The terms “Revenues” or “Net Banking Income” are used interchangeably. They provide a normalised measure of each pillar’s net banking income taking into account the normative capital mobilised for its activity.

    3 – Operating expenses

    Operating expenses correspond to the “Operating Expenses” as presented in note 5 to the Group’s consolidated financial statements as at December 31st, 2023. The term “costs” is also used to refer to Operating Expenses. The Cost/Income Ratio is defined on page 42 of Societe Generale’s 2024 Universal Registration Document.

    4 – Cost of risk in basis points, coverage ratio for non-performing loan outstandings

    The cost of risk is defined on pages 43 and 770 of Societe Generale’s 2024 Universal Registration Document. This indicator makes it possible to assess the level of risk of each of the pillars as a percentage of balance sheet loan commitments, including operating leases.

    In EURm   Q4 24 Q4 23 2024 2023
    French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance Net Cost Of Risk 115 163 712 505
    Gross loan Outstandings 233,298 240,533 235,539 246,701
    Cost of Risk in bp 20 27 30 20
    Global Banking and Investor Solutions Net Cost Of Risk 97 38 126 30
    Gross loan Outstandings 160,551 168,799 162,749 169,823
    Cost of Risk in bp 24 9 8 2
    Mobility, International Retail Banking & Financial Services Net Cost Of Risk 133 137 705 486
    Gross loan Outstandings 167,911 164,965 167,738 150,161
    Cost of Risk in bp 32 33 42 32
    Corporate Centre Net Cost Of Risk (7) 23 (12) 4
    Gross loan Outstandings 25,730 23,075 24,700 20,291
    Cost of Risk in bp (11) 40 (5) 2
    Societe Generale Group Net Cost Of Risk 338 361 1,530 1,025
    Gross loan Outstandings 587,490 597,371 590,725 586,977
    Cost of Risk in bp 23 24 26 17

    The gross coverage ratio for non-performing loan outstandings is calculated as the ratio of provisions recognised in respect of the credit risk to gross outstandings identified as in default within the meaning of the regulations, without taking account of any guarantees provided. This coverage ratio measures the maximum residual risk associated with outstandings in default (“non-performing loans”).

    5 – ROE, ROTE, RONE

    The notions of ROE (Return on Equity) and ROTE (Return on Tangible Equity), as well as their calculation methodology, are specified on pages 43 and 44 of Societe Generale’s 2024 Universal Registration Document. This measure makes it possible to assess Societe Generale’s return on equity and return on tangible equity.
    RONE (Return on Normative Equity) determines the return on average normative equity allocated to the Group’s businesses, according to the principles presented on page 44 of Societe Generale’s 2024 Universal Registration Document.
    Group net income used for the ratio numerator is the accounting Group net income adjusted for “Interest paid and payable to holders if deeply subordinated notes and undated subordinated notes, issue premium amortisation”. For ROTE, income is also restated for goodwill impairment.
    Details of the corrections made to the accounting equity in order to calculate ROE and ROTE for the period are given in the table below:

    ROTE calculation: calculation methodology

    End of period (in EURm) Q4 24 Q4 23 2024 2023
    Shareholders’ equity Group share 70,256 65,975 70,256 65,975
    Deeply subordinated and undated subordinated notes (10,526) (9,095) (10,526) (9,095)
    Interest payable to holders of deeply & undated subordinated notes, issue premium amortisation(1) (25) (21) (25) (21)
    OCI excluding conversion reserves 757 636 757 636
    Distribution provision(2) (1,740) (995) (1,740) (995)
    Distribution N-1 to be paid
    Equity end-of-period for ROE 58,722 56,500 58,722 56,500
    Average equity for ROE 58,204 56,607 57,223 56,396
    Average Goodwill(3) (4,192) (4,068) (4,108) (4,011)
    Average Intangible Assets (2,883) (3,188) (2,921) (3,143)
    Average equity for ROTE 51,129 49,351 50,194 49,242
             
    Group net Income 1,041 430 4,200 2,493
    Interest paid and payable to holders of deeply subordinated notes and undated subordinated notes, issue premium amortisation (199) (215) (720) (759)
    Cancellation of goodwill impairment 338
    Adjusted Group net Income 842 215 3,480 2,073
    ROTE 6.6% 1.7% 6.9% 4.2%

    181920

    RONE calculation: Average capital allocated to Core Businesses (in EURm)

    In EURm Q4 24 Q4 23 Change 2024 2023 Change
    French Retail , Private Banking and Insurance 15,731 15,445 +1.9% 15,634 15,454 +1.2%
    Global Banking and Investor Solutions 15,129 15,247 -0.8% 15,147 15,426 -1.8%
    Mobility, International Retail Banking & Financial Services 10,460 10,313 +1.4% 10,433 9,707 +7.5%
    Core Businesses 41,320 41,006 +0.8% 41,214 40,587 +1.5%
    Corporate Center 16,884 15,601 +8.2% 16,009 15,809 +1.3%
    Group 58,204 56,607 +2.8% 57,223 56,396 +1.5%

    6 – Net assets and tangible net assets

    Net assets and tangible net assets are defined in the methodology, page 45 of the Group’s 2024 Universal Registration Document. The items used to calculate them are presented below:
    2122

    End of period (in EURm) 2024 2023 2022
    Shareholders’ equity Group share 70,256 65,975 66,970
    Deeply subordinated and undated subordinated notes (10,526) (9,095) (10,017)
    Interest of deeply & undated subordinated notes, issue premium amortisation(1) (25) (21) (24)
    Book value of own shares in trading portfolio 8 36 67
    Net Asset Value 59,713 56,895 56,996
    Goodwill(2) (4,207) (4,008) (3,652)
    Intangible Assets (2,871) (2,954) (2,875)
    Net Tangible Asset Value 52,635 49,933 50,469
           
    Number of shares used to calculate NAPS(3) 796,498 796,244 801,147
    Net Asset Value per Share 75.0 71.5 71.1
    Net Tangible Asset Value per Share 66.1 62.7 63.0

    7 – Calculation of Earnings Per Share (EPS)

    The EPS published by Societe Generale is calculated according to the rules defined by the IAS 33 standard (see page 44 of Societe Generale’s 2024 Universal Registration Document). The corrections made to Group net income in order to calculate EPS correspond to the restatements carried out for the calculation of ROE and ROTE.
    The calculation of Earnings Per Share is described in the following table:

    Average number of shares (thousands) 2024 2023 2022
    Existing shares 801,915 818,008 845,478
    Deductions      
    Shares allocated to cover stock option plans and free shares awarded to staff 4,402 6,802 6,252
    Other own shares and treasury shares 2,344 11,891 16,788
    Number of shares used to calculate EPS(4) 795,169 799,315 822,437
    Group net Income (in EUR m) 4,200 2,493 1,825
    Interest on deeply subordinated notes and undated subordinated notes (in EUR m) (720) (759) (596)
    Adjusted Group net income (in EUR m) 3,480 1,735 1,230
    EPS (in EUR) 4.38 2.17 1.50

    2324
    8 – The Societe Generale Group’s Common Equity Tier 1 capital is calculated in accordance with applicable CRR2/CRD5 rules. The fully loaded solvency ratios are presented pro forma for current earnings, net of dividends, for the current financial year, unless specified otherwise. When there is reference to phased-in ratios, these do not include the earnings for the current financial year, unless specified otherwise. The leverage ratio is also calculated according to applicable CRR2/CRD5 rules including the phased-in following the same rationale as solvency ratios.

    9 – Funded balance sheet, loan to deposit ratio

    The funded balance sheet is based on the Group financial statements. It is obtained in two steps:

    • A first step aiming at reclassifying the items of the financial statements into aggregates allowing for a more economic reading of the balance sheet. Main reclassifications:

    Insurance: grouping of the accounting items related to insurance within a single aggregate in both assets and liabilities.
    Customer loans: include outstanding loans with customers (net of provisions and write-downs, including net lease financing outstanding and transactions at fair value through profit and loss); excludes financial assets reclassified under loans and receivables in accordance with the conditions stipulated by IFRS 9 (these positions have been reclassified in their original lines).
    Wholesale funding: Includes interbank liabilities and debt securities issued. Financing transactions have been allocated to medium/long-term resources and short-term resources based on the maturity of outstanding, more or less than one year.
    Reclassification under customer deposits of the share of issues placed by French Retail Banking networks (recorded in medium/long-term financing), and certain transactions carried out with counterparties equivalent to customer deposits (previously included in short term financing).
    Deduction from customer deposits and reintegration into short-term financing of certain transactions equivalent to market resources.

    • A second step aiming at excluding the contribution of insurance subsidiaries, and netting derivatives, repurchase agreements, securities borrowing/lending, accruals and “due to central banks”.

    The Group loan/deposit ratio is determined as the division of the customer loans by customer deposits as presented in the funded balance sheet.

    NB (1) The sum of values contained in the tables and analyses may differ slightly from the total reported due to rounding rules.
    (2) All the information on the results for the period (notably: press release, downloadable data, presentation slides and supplement) is available on Societe Generale’s website:
    www.societegenerale.com in the “Investor” section.

    Societe Generale

    Societe Generale is a top tier European Bank with more than 126,000 employees serving about 25 million clients in 65 countries across the world. We have been supporting the development of our economies for 160 years, providing our corporate, institutional, and individual clients with a wide array of value-added advisory and financial solutions. Our long-lasting and trusted relationships with the clients, our cutting-edge expertise, our unique innovation, our ESG capabilities and leading franchises are part of our DNA and serve our most essential objective – to deliver sustainable value creation for all our stakeholders.

    The Group runs three complementary sets of businesses, embedding ESG offerings for all its clients:

    • French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance, with leading retail bank SG and insurance franchise, premium private banking services, and the leading digital bank BoursoBank.
    • Global Banking and Investor Solutions, a top tier wholesale bank offering tailored-made solutions with distinctive global leadership in equity derivatives, structured finance and ESG.
    • Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services, comprising well-established universal banks (in Czech Republic, Romania and several African countries), Ayvens (the new ALD I LeasePlan brand), a global player in sustainable mobility, as well as specialized financing activities.

    Committed to building together with its clients a better and sustainable future, Societe Generale aims to be a leading partner in the environmental transition and sustainability overall. The Group is included in the principal socially responsible investment indices: DJSI (Europe), FTSE4Good (Global and Europe), Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Refinitiv Diversity and Inclusion Index, Euronext Vigeo (Europe and Eurozone), STOXX Global ESG Leaders indexes, and the MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index (World and Europe).

    For more information, you can follow us on Twitter/X @societegenerale or visit our website societegenerale.com.


    1 Based on the number of shares in circulation at 31 December 2024 excluding own shares, subject to usual approvals from the General Meeting
    2 Reported Group net income, after deduction of interest on deeply subordinated notes and undated subordinated notes, restated from non-cash items that have no impact on CET1 ratio
    3 Excluding assets sold
    4 Ratio calculated according to EBA methodology published on 16 July 2019
    5 Ratio excluding loans outstanding of companies currently being disposed of in compliance with IFRS 5 (in particular Société Générale Equipment Finance, SG Marocaine de Banques and La Marocaine Vie)
    6 Ratio of S3 provisions, guarantees and collaterals over gross outstanding non-performing loans
    7 The share buyback programme and the subsequent capital reduction, aim also, and in priority, at fully offsetting the dilutive impact of the future capital increase as part of the next Group Employee Share Ownership Plan, the principle of which was adopted by the Board of Directors on February 5, 2025
    8 Scopes 1 & 2 of corporate clients’ financed emissions
    9Target: -80% upstream exposure reduction by 2030 vs. 2019, with an intermediary step in 2025 at -50% vs. 2019
    10 The target is to have at least 35% of women executives by 2026
    11Including IFRS 9 phasing
    12France and International (including Switzerland and the United Kingdom)
    13 Banking App #1 in France and #2 worldwide based on Sia Partners International Mobile Banking Benchmark in October 2024
    14 At comparable business model in the post Global Financial Crisis (GFC) regulatory regime

    15 Including entities reported under IFRS 5, excluding entities sold in Morocco and Madagascar in December 2024
    16 Excluding non-recurring items on either margins or UCS (mainly linked to fleet revaluation at EUR 107m in Q4 23 vs. EUR 0m in Q4 24, prospective depreciation at EUR -191m in Q4 23 vs. EUR -87m in Q4 24, hyperinflation in Turkey at EUR -27m in Q4 23 vs. EUR -40m in Q4 24 and MtM of derivatives at EUR -137m in Q4 23 vs. EUR -2m in Q4 24)

    17 As stated in Q2 24 results press release
    18 Interest net of tax
    19 Based on the 2024 proposed distribution, subject to usual approvals of the General Meeting
    20 Excluding goodwill arising from non-controlling interests
    21 Interest net of tax
    22 Excluding goodwill arising from non-controlling interests
    23 The number of shares considered is the number of ordinary shares outstanding at the end of the period, excluding treasury shares and buybacks, but including the trading shares held by the Group (expressed in thousand of shares)
    24 The number of shares considered is the average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period, excluding treasury shares and buybacks, but including the trading shares held by the Group

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Australia: (WIP) New industry standards for online safety: what service providers need to know

    Source: Allens Insights

    Deadline to carry out risk assessments is fast approaching 8 min read

    Certain online service providers must complete a risk assessment and implement required compliance measures by 21 June 2025. This relates to the following types of material:

    • child sexual exploitation
    • pro-terrorism
    • extreme crime and violence (Class 1A material)
    • crime and violence
    • drug-related material (Class 1B material).

    This is required by two industry standards referred to as the Phase 1 Standards:

    • Online Safety (Relevant Electronic Services)—Class 1A and Class 1B Material) Industry Standard 2024 (the RES Standard); and
    • Online Safety (Designated Internet Services—Class 1A and Class 1B Material) Industry Standard 2024 (the DIS Standard).

    In this Insight, we cover who needs to carry out a risk assessment and the obligations that two new industry standards impose.

    Key takeaways

    How did we get here?

    The Act provides for industry bodies to develop new codes to regulate Class 1 and Class 2 materials. The industry bodies (including the Communications Alliance, Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, Digital Industry Group, and Interactive Games and Entertainment Association) adopted a two-phase approach to develop these codes.

    During phase 1, industry bodies drafted eight codes to regulate Class 1A and Class 1B material. Six of these industry codes were registered in 2023, and they apply to the following sections of the online industry: social media services, app distribution services, hosting services, internet carriage services, equipment providers and search engine services. The other two codes were not registered because the Commissioner was not satisfied that they provided appropriate community safeguards. As a result, the Commissioner developed and registered the RES Standard and DIS Standard.

    Development of the phase 2 industry codes have been underway since July 2024, with public consultation concluding on 22 November 2024. These codes are intended to deal with class 1C and class 2 materials, which includes online pornography and other high-impact material.

    Phase 1 Standards

    The Phase 1 Standards apply to two sections of the online industry—providers of RESs and DISs

    RES DIS

    A service that enables end-users in Australia to communicate with other end-users by:

    • email
    • instant messaging
    • SMS
    • MMS
    • chat services

    as well as:

    • services that enable end-users to play online games with each other; and
    • online dating services.

    Note: A service that meets the definition of a RES will be required to comply with the RES Standard, regardless of whether it also meets the definition of another industry section.5

    A service that:

    • allows end-users in Australia to access material using internet carriage services; or
    • delivers material to persons who have the appropriate equipment for receiving that material via an internet carriage service.

    Note: This is a very broad category that includes many apps and websites, as well as file and photo storage services, and some services that deploy or distribute generative artificial intelligence models.6 A DIS is expressly not:

    • a social media service;
    • a RES;
    • an on-demand program service; or
    • other specified and exempt services.7

    A service that meets the definition of a DIS will be required to comply with the DIS Standard, unless the service’s predominant purpose is more closely aligned with another industry code or industry standard.8

    The RES Standard and DIS Standard classifies certain service providers as ‘pre-assessed’ or ‘defined’ categories. A service provider that falls within either the pre-assessed or defined categories is not required to conduct its own risk assessment. Instead, it is deemed to either fall within a particular risk tier, or it has a unique risk profile such that no specific risk tier is attributed to it.

    Service providers that are not captured in the table below must conduct their own risk assessment or default to assigning the service a Tier 1 risk profile.9

    RES Standard DIS Standard

    Pre-assessed category:

    • Communication relevant electronic service
    • Gaming service with communication functionality
    • Dating service

    Pre-assessed category:

    • High impact DIS
    • Classified DIS
    • General purpose DIS
    • Enterprise DIS

    Defined category:

    • Telephony RES
    • Enterprise RES
    • Gaming service with limited communication functionality

    Defined category:

    • End-user managed hosting service
    • High impact generative AI DIS
    • Model distribution platform

    The risk assessment must be undertaken by a person with the relevant skills, experience and expertise to carry it out.10  

    The Phase 1 Standards require certain matters to be taken into account, so far as they are relevant to the service, to determine the overall risk tier for it.11 These are summarised below. Depending on the nature of a service and the context it operates in, service providers are likely to have additional risk factors to consider beyond the ones below.

    Applicability to RES or DIS Matters to be taken into account for risk assessment
    Both RES and DIS
    • Predominant purpose of the service
    • Functionality of the service12
    • Extent to which material posted on, generated by or distributed using the service will be available to end-users of the service in Australia
    • Terms of use for the service
    • Terms of arrangements under which the provider acquires content to be made available on the service
    • Ages of end-users and likely end-users of the service
    • Outcomes of the forward-looking analysis conducted under section 8(4) of the RES Standard and DIS Standard
    • Safety by design guidance and tools published or made available by a government agency or a foreign or international body
    • Risk to the online safety of end-users in Australia in relation to material generated by artificial intelligence.
    DIS only
    • Manner in which material is created or contributed to in connection with the service
    • Whether the service includes chat, messaging or other communications functionality
    • Risk that any generative AI features of the service will be used to generate high-impact materials
    • Design features and controls deployed to mitigate the risks related to material generated by AI and high-impact materials generated by generative AI features of the service

    Obligations that flow from risk assessment

    The Phase 1 Standards impose a range of obligations depending on the service provider’s risk tier arising from the risk assessment (ie Tier 1, Tier 2 or Tier 3), or the type of service it is pre-assessed or defined to be if it has a unique risk profile (eg Telephony RES, High impact generative AI DIS or dating service).

    A high-level summary of the obligations that may be applicable to certain RESs and DISs include:

    • Implement, enforce and publish relevant terms of use.
    • Ensure that there are systems in place to address circumstances where there is a breach of terms in respect of class 1A and class 1B material, including processes to report such material to an enforcement authority if it represents a serious and immediate threat to a person in Australia.
    • Implement a system for disrupting access and distribution of class 1A materials through the RES or DIS.
    • Implement a system to detect and remove class 1A materials that is accessible through the RES or DIS.
    • Implement reporting arrangements to ensure compliance with the Phase 1 Standards.
    • Ensure that features and settings that would minimise the risk of class 1A or class 1B material are incorporated before material changes are made to the service.
    • Ensure end-users can effectively control associated communication functions.
    • Implement policies, procedures and mechanisms to report or make complaints, and to respond to complaints.
    • Notify the Commissioner of proposed changes to the features and functions of the service, unless the change will not significantly increase the relevant risk.
    • Cooperate with and report to the Commissioner as required.

    What’s next?

    The Commissioner has stated that no enforcement action will be taken in the first six months of the Phase 1 Standards coming into effect, apart from in exceptional circumstances—eg in response to serious or deliberate non-compliance. The initial focus will be on working with industry bodies and service providers to raise awareness of their obligations under the Phase 1 Standards.13

    The Commissioner has a range of enforcement options under the Act to address non-compliance with the Phase 1 Standards. These include:

    • a formal warning
    • an enforceable undertaking
    • an injunction
    • an infringement notice
    • civil penalty proceedings or a court order requiring a service provider to cease its service.

    Notably, failure to comply with the Phase 1 Standards may, currently, result in a penalty of up to $49.5 million.14 Service providers should promptly take proactive measures to ensure they are complying with their obligations under the Phase 1 Standards (including conducting a risk assessment if necessary) to avoid enforcement action by the Commissioner, which may commence from 22 June 2025.

    Service providers should also be aware that new regulation of the access and exposure to class 1C and class 2 material is forthcoming. The Commissioner will undertake an assessment of whether the draft phase 2 industry codes meet the statutory requirements when they are submitted for registration, which must be no later than 28 February 2025.

    Review of Online Safety Act

    On 4 February 2025, the Government tabled the statutory review of the Online Safety Act (the Report). This independent review was initially delivered to the Government in October 2024 and makes 67 recommendations aimed at strengthening Australia’s online safety framework.

    Key recommendations in the Report include:

    • Legislating a statutory digital duty of care that is intended to place the onus on digital platforms to prevent online harms.
    • Raising the civil penalties for breaches of the Act (ie the maximum penalty to be increased to the greater of 5% of global annual turnover or $50 million).
    • Empowering the Commissioner with stronger investigative, information-gathering and enforcement powers, such as the power to require certain providers of online service to undertake compliance audits at their own expense.
    • Requiring providers of services with the greatest reach or risk to provide an annual transparency report and publish a summarised version on its website.

    There is currently no proposed legislation (or timetable for legislation) to implement the recommendations, but the Government has said it will continue to carefully consider all recommendations put forward in the Report and respond in due course. With the federal election looming, the Government’s (and Opposition’s) response to online safety reform is a key area to watch.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Remarks to the Business Council of Australia Dinner

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    Thanks to Bran for the invitation, Geoff for the introduction and to you all for being here.

    It’s a pleasure to be back for this annual gathering on Ngunnawal and Ngambri land. I acknowledge, as Geoff did, elders, customs and traditions.

    I know I speak for Mark, Katy, Don, Chris, Murray and Andrew when I say our attendance is a symbol of our appreciation for your engagement with us on economic policy.

    It’s also another chance to thank you for the jobs and opportunities you create around Australia.

    And from a personal point of view, to thank you for the opportunity we have to catch up every month or 2 with the board or other small groups, to compare notes.

    This bigger gathering is timely in political terms with an election due by May.

    It’s also timely from an economic perspective.

    We’ve seen really important data released in the last month, a new administration in the US making some big announcements, some volatility in markets as well.

    I want to focus almost exclusively on economics tonight.

    Because 2 inflation readings and the jobs figures have brought the soft landing we have been working towards into sharper focus.

    Last week’s CPI data saw underlying inflation fall to a 3‑year low and headline inflation fall to an almost 4‑year low.

    That represents the sharpest moderation in a parliamentary term since inflation targeting began.

    Even more extraordinary that we’ve made this substantial and sustained progress on inflation at the same time as we’ve seen the creation of more than 1.1 million new jobs.

    I put it this way because I think we’re on the cusp of achieving something remarkable, together.

    Inflation is down, unemployment is still low, and, unlike most of our peers, we’ve avoided even one negative quarter of growth.

    You’d know and appreciate how unusual this is in historical terms and in contemporary global experience as well.

    Every other time we’ve gone through an inflation spike, it’s been followed by higher unemployment.

    On other occasions and now in most other advanced economies progress on inflation has been paid for with much higher unemployment and negative quarters of growth.

    Since the start of 2022 every major advanced economy, and two-thirds of the OECD, has gone backwards at least once.

    We’ve made as much or more progress on inflation without paying that price.

    Before I get carried away here let me acknowledge 3 important truths.

    Australians are still under very substantial if not severe financial pressure – we get that.

    Our economy is not productive enough – more on that shortly.

    And our economy is barely growing – an inevitable consequence of higher interest rates and global pressures.

    In this soft economy there have still been some remarkable developments we shouldn’t dismiss or diminish:

    The lowest average unemployment rate for any government in 50 years.

    Stronger employment growth than any major advanced economy.

    Four in every 5 of the 1.1 million jobs created in the private sector.

    More jobs created in the market sector than any first‑term government on record.

    Record labour force participation.

    The strongest rate of real wage growth since 2020 – and now 4 consecutive quarters of annual real wage growth.

    The narrowest gender pay gap on record.

    Unemployment at 4 per cent and inflation below 3 per cent at the same time, for the first time in half a century.

    The highest level of business investment in over a decade, in the last financial year.

    25,000 new businesses created each month this term, the highest average on record.

    27 share market record highs since the election –

    25 per cent growth in household wealth via super and shares as a result.

    The biggest nominal improvement in the budget in a Parliamentary term.

    The first back‑to‑back surpluses in almost 2 decades.

    We know the job’s not done and the economy is not yet what we want it to be but there is progress to be proud of too.

    I run through this list not to take the credit, but to share it.

    Because our exceptionalism is the result of governments, employers and employees all doing their bit.

    This is the soft landing we’ve been planning and preparing for.

    We decided we’d rather deliver a soft landing than clean up after a hard one.

    It’s why our economic plan was always about fighting inflation without ignoring risks to growth.

    Public demand has played a role in keeping the economy from going backwards over the past 2 years.

    But we know that the best kind of strong and sustainable economic growth means growth led by the private sector.

    When I’ve said this on many occasions before, I’ve seen it written up as some kind of reluctant admission, but I think it’s just common sense.

    Our economy is at its best when it’s private companies powering growth and propelling us forward.

    This is what guides our productivity agenda.

    It has 5 pillars:

    Creating a more dynamic and resilient economy.

    Building a skilled and adaptable workforce.

    Harnessing data and digital technology.

    Delivering quality care more efficiently.

    Investing in cheaper, cleaner energy and the net zero transformation.

    We’ve asked the Productivity Commission for a big piece of work on each pillar, deliberately timed for the second half of this year to inform whoever wins the election.

    But we haven’t been waiting for those inquiries to land.

    We’ve already put in place some substantial and under‑recognised policy:

    Abolishing 500 nuisance tariffs.

    Introducing comprehensive competition reforms.

    The biggest overhaul to merger settings in 50 years.

    Better designing and informing our capital markets.

    Reforming our foreign investment framework.

    A $900 million National Productivity Fund.

    Record investment in skills.

    The Universities Accord.

    Finishing the NBN.

    Investing in quantum computing.

    Reforming the NDIS.

    Unlocking tens of billions in private investment via the Capacity Investment Scheme.

    Realising net zero industrial opportunities through a Future Made in Australia –

    Like our green hydrogen, critical minerals, and green aluminium production incentives.

    This list isn’t exhaustive but it’s indicative and I use it to make this point:

    There was a big focus on productivity in this first term and there will be an even bigger focus in a second, should we win one.

    Let me give you a couple of examples.

    Take regulation.

    Here I pay tribute to all the work Katy has been driving to harmonise standards, streamline accreditation and make it easier to export Australian goods.

    This year, we’ll also stand up our single front door for investors –

    And I can let you know tonight I’ve asked Danielle Wood to look into how we can further streamline regulation as part of the inquiries the PC are doing on our 5 pillars.

    This is all aimed at making it easier to invest, easier to hire, easier to trade and easier to do business in Australia.

    Historically, more than half of our productivity growth has come from working smarter – combining our skills and capital resources in more efficient and innovative ways.

    Here it’s AI and the digital economy where we see huge opportunities.

    You only need to look at the events of the last few weeks to get a sense of the scale and breadth of the sweeping change AI presents.

    From the Americans announcing the $800 billion Stargate AI project one day –

    To Chinese start‑up DeepSeek causing $1 trillion to be wiped from Nvidia’s market cap – the biggest one‑day rout in the history of the US share market.

    It’s clear AI will become a bigger part of our economy and lives.

    How we respond will shape the future.

    Australia is among the top 5 global destinations for the data centre infrastructure AI depends on.

    Our reputation and software development know‑how also means we’re a priority market for AI app development.

    Already 70 per cent of Australian businesses have implemented AI and another 20 odd per cent are planning to in the next year.

    It’s a big focus for us now and will be over the coming years.

    Ed has already done a lot of work on how we get the policy settings right – including how to make sure AI is deployed safely and sustainably.

    Our focus with AI is also on the huge gains on offer, not just the guardrails.

    We want to continue to build and foster innovation, so more workers and more businesses adapt and adopt AI to their advantage.

    And also give investors clarity and certainty to invest in AI infrastructure in Australia with confidence.

    That will be a big focus our National AI Capability Plan for Australia.

    We want you to bring forward your ideas, your innovation and your ambition to shape that plan.

    We’ll always listen when you do –

    We read with interest the BCA’s 2025 election platform this week, with technology, AI and deregulation all featuring.

    Because we know to make the momentous changes happening in the digital economy, energy transformation, services sector, geopolitics and demographics work for us, your ideas and insights will be key.

    The patterns of history tell us what happens when our relationship is at its best.

    Those of you who have heard me speak a lot will recognise my obsession with our fourth economy.

    Let me put this in some broader context.

    You all spend as much time in airport bookshops as me.

    And you’re all probably bigger readers than I am when it comes to investing and market cycles.

    So I know you’d all be familiar with people like Ray Dalio, George Friedman, or Neil Howe and William Strauss.

    They’re all grappling with a similar question:

    Where do we fit in the bigger sweep of economic history and how should that inform our strategy?

    In the US, 80‑year historical cycles lead from one kind of society and economy to the next.

    For Australia it’s more like 40‑years.

    Every 4 decades or so from the 1900s we have transformed our economy.

    From largely agrarian at the start of the 20th century.

    To one that was industrial and protected after the Second World War.

    And then unshackled and opened up to the world in the 1980s.

    Every time one of these 3 economies has taken shape the private sector has been at the forefront of the transformation.

    In the 1900s it was the wool and wheat industries.

    In the 1940s it was manufacturing, underpinned by trade agreements which supported our domestic and export industries.

    And 40 years later, it was the services and financial sector – new drivers of growth unlocked as Labor dismantled the tariff wall and floated the dollar.

    The BCA itself came to life during one of these seismic shifts – following Bob’s National Economic Summit in 1983.

    It’s 4 decades since we unleashed our third economy –

    And we’re now building a fourth, transformed by technology and powered by cleaner and cheaper energy.

    An economy that ensures Australians are primary beneficiaries of all the churn and change occurring around the world.

    Over the last 15 years, we’ve seen 3 major economic shocks, war, and tensions in our region.

    At the same time as the big 5 shifts identified in our Intergenerational Report transform the world.

    From globalisation to fragmentation;

    From hydrocarbons to renewables;

    From information technology to AI;

    From a younger population to an older one;

    And changes to our industrial base.

    All this is shaped by a pronounced slowdown in China, a new administration in the US with new priorities, and an uncertain outlook for Europe and the Middle East.

    The fourth economy is about how we make Australia an island of opportunity and prosperity in a sea of uncertainty.

    Modernising our economy, managing pressures, and maximising our advantages.

    We see a powerful and pre-eminent place for the private sector in the future we will build together.

    Propelling our growth and pushing us forward.

    Innovating and investing.

    Employing and upskilling.

    Our political opponents want to pick fights with you on cultural issues and take the country backwards, divided.

    We want to work with you on the economy to take the country forwards, together.

    We know we wouldn’t be approaching this soft landing without you.

    And we know that we can’t build Australia’s fourth economy without you either.

    For all these reasons I’m looking forward to the discussion tonight.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Address to OECD International Workshop on Rigorous Impact Evaluation Approaches including Randomised Controlled Trials

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    As is customary in Australia, I acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, on whose lands I am recording these remarks, and all First Nations people joining this international workshop.

    Thank you to our OECD Public Management and budgeting colleagues, Jon Blondal, Andrew Blazey and the team for helping to coordinate this event and offering me the opportunity to provide this opening address. This event is being run by the OECD in collaboration with the Australian Centre for Evaluation in the Department of the Treasury. The Australian Government is delighted to be contributing to global efforts to advocate for better evidence. And we are keen to connect with international endeavours that promote its generation, synthesis and sharing in public policy.

    Today, I want to discuss how countries can collaborate to better create and use evidence. This is a substantial reform. Indeed, I argue that randomised trials and better use of evidence isn’t just another worthy public policy tweak. It’s bigger than that. Much bigger. Effectively using evidence to make policy decisions is a public administration reform on par with the biggest changes in good government that humanity has put into place. It is the seventh phase of good government.

    Let’s take a quick moment to run through the major milestones in the history of public administration.

    Six big reforms in the history of public administration

    Throughout history, there have been 6 big reforms in public administration.

    The first was the rise of bureaucracy and professionalised governance. It was during the 18th and 19th centuries that public administration shifted from patronage and informal systems to emphasising impartiality, specialisation, and accountability. Democratic institutions and a robust civil society provided the conditions for an independent and accountable civil service.

    The second big reform occurred in the early 20th century. The efficiency revolution – scientific management of public administration that focused on efficiency and rational organisation – was inspired by industrial principles.

    In response to economic crises and post‑WWII recovery, we saw the rise of the third big reform – the welfare state and the expansion of government responsibilities in social welfare, healthcare and economic planning.

    The fourth big reform in public administration in the late 20th century was market‑oriented governance. We saw governments adopt private‑sector practices like outsourcing, performance metrics, and competition.

    Concerns about accountability also carried through to the fifth big historic reform – the era of digital transformation and e‑governance. The early 21st century saw technology revolutionise public administration. It enabled data‑driven decision‑making and citizen engagement.

    Building on the lessons learnt during the digital transformation, the past decade has seen the move towards adaptive governance – the sixth big reform in public administration. Top‑down processes were swapped out for more flexible, collaborative and cross‑sector approaches that embrace ‘long‑term systems thinking’ to address interconnected crises such as climate change (Brunner and Lynch 2017).

    Each of these 6 big reforms from the past 3 centuries has helped to reshape government and improve citizens’ lives.

    The seventh big reform in public administration: randomised trials

    Today I want to argue that we are on the cusp of a seventh big reform in public administration.

    It will involve the widespread adoption of randomised trials as a means of testing policies by providing a counterfactual.

    This reform should include the synthesis of quality evidence about what works, and what doesn’t, to provide public administrators with irrefutable knowledge that can improve people’s lives.

    Let’s consider a couple of examples to see how this might work in practice.

    Eye care is often a neglected field of public health in developing economies.

    In rural Bangladesh, a randomised trial of providing free reading glasses involved more than 800 adults with jobs requiring close attention to detail, such as tea pickers, weavers, and seamstresses (Jacobs 2024). The study found that when workers were given free reading glasses, they earned 33 per cent more than those who were not given glasses (Sehrin et al. 2024).

    Speaking to The New York Times, Dr Nathan Congdon, one of the authors of the study findings, said that ‘…what makes the results especially exciting is the potential to convince governments that vision care interventions are as inexpensive, cost‑effective and life‑changing as anything else that we can offer in healthcare’ (Jacobs 2024).

    As well as garnering evidence on what does work, the widespread adoption of randomised trials must also include quality evidence about what doesn’t work.

    In 2014, the US state of Massachusetts launched a 4‑year intervention program called the Juvenile Justice Pay for Success Initiative (Patrick DL 2014). The program aimed to reduce recidivism and improve employment outcomes in young men who were at high risk of re‑offending (Third Sector 2024).

    The initiative involved an experimental financial contract called ‘Pay For Success’ – also known as a social impact bond. Funders assumed the US$27 million up‑front financial risk. And the government would only refund the cost of the program if a third‑party evaluator and validator determined that the initiative achieved a reduction in the number of days the young men spent in jail, and improvements in their employment and job readiness (Patrick DL 2014).

    At the end of the 4‑year program, a randomised trial found no discernible effects on reincarceration or employment (Coalition for Evidence‑Based Policy 2025). Neither the recidivism nor employment outcomes were sizable enough to trigger the repayment under the pay‑for‑success contract (Roca et al. 2025).

    Why randomised trials should be prioritised over other forms of evaluation

    When the evaluation of a social program does not produce the hoped‑for results, it’s difficult to avoid feelings of disappointment.

    But this has been the reality for some time.

    We know from the history of large, well‑conducted randomised trial evaluations that only a small percentage find that the intervention being evaluated produces a meaningful improvement over the status quo.

    As Peter Rossi attested in his 1987 Iron Law of Evaluation, ‘The expected value of any net impact assessment of any large‑scale social program is zero’ (Arnold Ventures 2018a).

    But here’s the light on the hill.

    The ‘iron law’ applies to most fields of research. That includes medicine, where 50–80 per cent of positive results from initial clinical studies are overturned by a subsequent randomised trial (Arnold Ventures 2018a).

    In medicine, the move towards randomised trials continues to save lives and stop unnecessary interventions.

    For every new treatment such as AIDS drugs, the HPV vaccine and genetic testing – medicine has discarded old ones, like bloodletting, gastric freezing and tonsillectomy (Leigh 2018).

    The willingness to test cures against placebos, or the best available alternative, is how we make progress. In public policy, we can do the same. If it works, we use it; if not, it’s back to the lab.

    The central goal of evaluation: finding interventions that work

    The key is having a big, ambitious goal to strive towards.

    I propose the primary goal of government evaluation should be to find interventions that work.

    More specifically – to build a body of programs backed by strong, replicated randomised trial evidence of important, lasting improvements in people’s lives.

    In other words, evidence that provides policymakers with confidence that if another jurisdiction were to implement the program faithfully in a similar population, it would improve people’s lives in a meaningful way.

    Imagine being able to confidently draw from a codified body of social programs and interventions that your jurisdiction could test, deploy and regulate.

    In the United States, the Coalition for Evidence‑Based Policy points towards Saga Education, a high‑dosage mathematics tutoring program for year 9 and 10 students in low‑income US schools that underwent 3 rigorous randomised trials. This program produced sizable, statistically significant effects on students’ maths scores on the district tests at the end of the tutoring year (Arnold Ventures 2024a). I’ll come back to this program a bit later.

    Similarly, the Coalition for Evidence‑Based Policy points to 2 job‑training programs for low‑income adults that were both shown to increase long‑term earnings by 20 to 40 per cent. These programs focused on the fast‑growing IT and financial services sectors, where jobs are well paid, and employees are in high demand (Arnold Ventures 2022a and 2022b).

    Finding interventions that work should be evaluators’ central goal. It is the only plausible path by which rigorous evaluations will improve the human condition. If we don’t allocate spending based on rigorous evidence, it is hard to see how governments can make progress on critical social problems.

    Here in Australia, a think tank study examined a sample of 20 Australian Government programs conducted between 2015 and 2022 (Winzar et al. 2023).

    Their report concluded that 95 per cent of the programs, which had a total expenditure of over A$200 billion, were not properly evaluated. And its analysis of Australian state and territory government evaluations reported similar results.

    The researchers noted that the problems with evaluation started from the outset of program and policy design. They also estimated that fewer than 1.5 per cent of government evaluations use a randomised design (Winzar et al. 2023).

    This finding echoes the Australian Productivity Commission’s 2020 report into the evaluation of Indigenous programs (Productivity Commission 2020).

    This report concluded that ‘both the quality and usefulness of evaluations of policies and programs affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are lacking’, and that ‘Evaluation is often an afterthought rather than built into policy design’ (Productivity Commission 2020).

    Finding what works: using strong signals from prior research

    If we accept that the central goal of evaluation is to find interventions that work, there are important implications for researchers and research funders.

    It means that it makes sense to evaluate an intervention, using a large randomised trial, only if there is a strong signal in prior research.

    Examples of prior research could include a pilot randomised trial, a high‑quality quasi‑experiment, or a randomised trial of a related program.

    This is the approach that Arnold Ventures is taking in the US via the Coalition for Evidence‑Based Policy, the US nonprofit relaunched under the leadership of Jon Baron (Coalition for Evidence‑Based Policy n.d.).

    Rigorous testing enabled Arnold Ventures to create a growing body of proven interventions in education and training (Coalition for Evidence‑Based Policy n.d.). It’s an approach also being used by the US Department of Education in its Investing in Innovation Fund, which was recently renamed the Education Innovation and Research Program. It has yielded a much higher success rate in identifying interventions with true effectiveness. In 2019, robust evidence standards used by the Fund (as it was at the time) resulted in positive impacts for 40 to 50 per cent of its larger grants.

    Compare this to the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, which had a much lower hit rate of success – just 17 per cent – for its larger grants (Arnold Ventures 2019).

    Arnold Ventures (2018b) proposes a strategy for policy and researchers that involves 3 tiers of evidence – top, middle and low.

    Expand the implementation of programs backed by strong (‘top tier’) evidence of sizable, sustained effects on important life outcomes.

    Fund and/or conduct rigorous evaluations of programs backed by highly promising (‘middle tier’) evidence, to hopefully move them into the top tier.

    Build the pipeline of promising programs through modest investments in the development and initial testing of many diverse approaches (as part of a ‘lower tier’).

    This is about systematising our use of evidence: a familiar approach in medicine, but one that has not been standard practice for all policymakers.

    It is about producing tangible proof that randomised policy trials improve lives, in that way that we already have tangible proof that randomised medical trials save lives.

    As a specific example of this kind of approach, in the US state of Maryland, a partnership between Arnold Ventures and the state government is already scaling‑up proven programs.

    In August last year, the high‑dosage maths tutoring program for 9th and 10th graders I mentioned earlier (Saga Education) and ASSISTments – an educational tool for mathematics – received scale‑up funding under the US$20 million Maryland Partnership for Proven Programs with Arnold Ventures (Arnold Ventures 2024b).

    In the UK, the development of the What Works Network is a world‑leading achievement which owes credit to the network of evidence‑based policymakers. That includes the extraordinary David Halpern, who will be speaking on the panel shortly (for an excellent snapshot of his recommendations for the coming decade, see Halpern 2023).

    Across health and housing, education and employment, hundreds of UK randomised trials have been conducted. For a practitioner, policymaker or curious member of the British public, it is now easier than ever to see what we know, and what we do not (Leigh 2024a).

    For example, the Education Endowment Foundation has run literally hundreds of randomised trials in the education sector. It uses these findings, alongside rigorous evaluations conducted outside the UK, to advocate for evidence‑based education policies (Education Endowment Foundation n.d.).

    The Education Endowment Foundation has commissioned 316 research projects (208 of which are randomised trials). Sixty per cent of schools in England have taken part in a randomised trial funded by the Foundation. Seventy per cent of school leaders use the Education Endowment Foundation’s teaching and learning toolkit when making their funding decisions on spending for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

    Here in Australia, we are committed to taking a stronger approach towards evidence‑based policymaking.

    In July 2023 we established the Australian Centre for Evaluation in the Department of the Treasury.

    The main role of the centre is to collaborate with other Australian Government departments to conduct rigorous evaluations, including randomised trials. Such agreements have already been forged with federal agencies responsible for employment, health, education and social services.

    Led by Eleanor Williams, armed with a modest budget of A$2 million per year and just over a dozen staff, the Centre operates on smarts and gentle persuasion, not mandates or orders (Leigh 2024b).

    No agency is forced to use the services of the Australian Centre for Evaluation, but all are encouraged to do so. This reflects the reality that evaluation, unlike audit, isn’t something that can be done as an afterthought. A high‑quality impact evaluation needs to be built into the design of a program from the outset (Leigh 2024b).

    The centre takes an active role in considering aspects that are relevant to all evaluations, such as rigorous ethical review and access to administrative microdata. The Australian Bureau of Statistics is playing a pivotal role in brokering access to administrative data for policy experiments.

    Collaboration with evaluation researchers outside of government is critical, too. Thanks to a joint initiative by the Centre and the Australian Education Research Organisation, we now have the Impact Evaluation Practitioners Network, which is bringing together government and external impact evaluators.

    The centre has several randomised trials currently underway, and I await the results with interest.

    In the next month, the centre will release a Randomised Controlled Trial Showcase Report, featuring examples of public policy‑related trials in Australia.

    Another organisation doing extraordinarily thorough research across the whole of social policy and the social sciences is the nonprofit Campbell Collaboration.

    For example, the Campbell Countering Violent Extremism evidence synthesis program is a global research initiative that is attracting attention here in Australia. The program originated from a 5‑country partnership of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US (Campbell Collaboration n.d.). Professor Lorraine Mazerolle from the University of Queensland is one of the principal investigators on the program (Campbell Collaboration n.d.).

    Creating an experimenting society

    Bringing a ‘what works’ philosophy to social policy is vital to helping the most vulnerable.

    And it is by no means a new idea. It follows the path forged by the prominent social scientist Donald Campbell.

    He is of course, the ‘Campbell’ in the Campbell Collaboration, which was named after him to honour his substantial contributions to social science and methodology.

    Over 50 years ago, Dr Campbell wrote Methods for the Experimenting Society, outlining his vision for helping governments to produce better‑informed policies and social interventions via research and evaluation (Campbell 1991).[1]

    In this paper, Campbell forewarns policymakers of the ‘over‑advocacy trap’, where advocates of a new social program or policy make exaggerated claims about its effectiveness in order to get it adopted (Campbell 1991). He effectively highlights the tension between the need for strong advocacy to get social programs funded and adopted, and the need for rigorous evaluation to determine their true effectiveness (Campbell 1991).

    Thirty years after Dr Campbell wrote Methods for the Experimenting Society, the US Department of Education was allocating over a billion US dollars each year to an after‑school program called the 21st Century Community Learning Center initiative.

    The program, which was initiated in 1998, saw children attending the centres for up to 4 hours of after‑school programs, where they partook in everything from tutoring to drama to sports. It attracted high‑profile advocates, including the former Californian governor and Mr Universe, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

    It’s no wonder then, that a randomised trial by Mathematica in 2003 startled everyone with its findings (Haskins 2009). Attending the after‑school program raised a child’s likelihood of being suspended from school (Leigh 2018). And there was no evidence that the after‑school program improved academic outcomes.

    The program’s prominent advocates had fallen head‑first into the over‑advocacy trap.

    Overcoming denial with collaboration and momentum

    American political scientist Ron Haskins commented on how easy it was for Schwarzenegger to flex his celebrity muscle to overcome a negative evaluation. ‘The lesson here, yet again, is that good evidence does not speak for itself in the policy process and is only one – sometimes a rather puny – element in a policy debate’ (Haskins 2009).

    Overcoming denial in the face of irrefutable evidence requires continuous collaboration and sustained momentum. In 2025 and beyond, we will need both to reach the tipping point on the widespread use of rigorous impact evaluation across public policy. It will be harder to run roughshod over good evidence if OECD nations continue to collaborate – both internally with non‑profit researchers outside of government, and externally with other nations.

    Philanthropic foundations in the UK, US and other OECD nations have a strong track record in supporting randomised policy trials. Initiatives such as the Maryland Partnership for Proven Programs and Arnold Ventures, which I mentioned earlier, demonstrate that the ‘what works’ philosophy in social policy is gaining traction.

    Here in Australia, the Paul Ramsay Foundation launched a A$2.1 million open grant round in 2024. Its structure is similar to a successful model that the Laura and John Arnold Foundation has deployed in the United States over the past decade (Leigh 2024c).

    The grants, which last for 3 years and are valued at up to A$300,000 each, will support up to 7 experimental evaluations conducted by non‑profits with a social impact mission. For example, improving education outcomes for young people with disabilities, reducing domestic and family violence, or helping jobless people find work (Paul Ramsay Foundation 2024).

    The Australian Centre for Evaluation supported the open grant round, and is helping to connect grantees with administrative data relevant to the evaluation, and I am excited to see what we learn from these studies (Leigh 2024b).

    One of the most appealing advantages of well‑conducted randomised trials is that they resonate well with 3 democratic principles: non‑arbitrariness, revisability and public justification (Tanasoca and Leigh 2023).

    This gives us good democratic reasons to seek out such evidence for policymaking. Indeed, the more democratic a regime is, the more likely it is to conduct randomised trials (Tanasoca and Leigh 2023).

    Recall the first big public administration reform – the growth of a professionalised civil service – rested on the development of democratic institutions. Nobel laureates Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson call this the ‘red queen effect’, in which societies offering more public goods also need to offer more democratic social power (Acemoglu and Robinson 2019).

    The seventh reform – randomised trials and evidence‑based policymaking – takes us further along the corridor. Things are not true simply because politicians assert them. Policies must be backed by evidence, and citizens must be able to test and trust that evidence.

    Democracies are on this journey together, and international collaboration is vital to reaching the tipping point.

    This is not about the performative use of words like ‘evaluation’ and ‘evidence’. It is about raising the quality and quantity of evidence, which is one reason that I keep referring to randomised trials. I acknowledge the work of the OECD towards achieving the goal of institutionalising rigorous evaluation across public policy areas, as per the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Public Policy Evaluation (OECD 2022).

    The second annual update of the Global Commission on Evidence also confirms the many signs of momentum towards the Commission’s 3 implementation priorities to formalise and strengthen domestic evidence‑support systems, enhance and leverage the global evidence architecture, and put evidence at the centre of everyday life (Global Commission on Evidence 2024).

    Conclusion

    We’re here because we care about good government. And because we understand that evaluation and evidence science are not fields in their infancy.

    Just as we don’t put homeopathy on the same level as science‑based medicine, it is a mistake to think that evidence‑free policy is on a par with evidence‑based policy.

    OECD governments have decades of experience about how to identify evidence gaps, put policies to the test, and implement the most effective programs (Leigh 2024a).

    Policymaking by focus groups and gut‑feel alone is the modern‑day equivalent of bloodletting and lobotomies in medicine (Leigh 2024a). Which is why the seventh big reform to public administration must focus on finding interventions that work. And on building a body of programs backed by strong, replicated randomised trial evidence of important, lasting improvements in people’s lives.

    This goal requires OECD nations to get behind the momentum of the Global Commission on Evidence.

    This will have massive benefits. It will save lives. It will save dollars. And it will make government work better.

    So let’s make it happen.


    My thanks to officials in the Australian Centre for Evaluation for valuable drafting assistance, and to Jon Baron, President and CEO of the Coalition for Evidence‑Based Policy, and David Halpern CBE, President Emeritus at the Behavioural Insights Team, for valuable discussions that helped shape this speech.

    References

    Acemoglu D and Robinson JA (2019) The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty, Penguin, New York.

    Arnold Ventures (21 March 2018a) ‘How to solve U.S. social problems when most rigorous program evaluations find disappointing effects (part one in a series)’, Straight Talk on Evidence, accessed 15 January 2025.

    Arnold Ventures (13 April 2018b) ‘How to solve U.S. social problems when most rigorous program evaluations find disappointing effects (part 2 – a proposed solution)’, Straight Talk on Evidence, accessed 15 January 2025.

    Arnold Ventures (18 June 2019) ‘Evidence‑Based Policy ‘Lite’ Won’t Solve U.S. Social Problems: The Case of HHS’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program’, Straight Talk on Evidence, accessed 15 January 2025.

    Arnold Ventures (26 October 2022a) ‘Year Up’, Social Programs That Work, accessed 15 January 2025.

    Arnold Ventures (21 March 2022b) ‘Per Scholas Employment/Training Program for Low-Income Workers’, Social Programs That Work, accessed 15 January 2025.

    Arnold Ventures (11 July 2024a) ‘Saga Math Tutoring’, Social Programs That Work, accessed 15 January 2025.

    Arnold Ventures (28 August 2024b) Governor Moore Announces $20 Million in Grants for Education Programs, First Awards Under Maryland Partnership for Proven Programs with Arnold Ventures [media release], Arnold Ventures, accessed 16 January 2025.

    Australian Education Research Organisation (n.d.), About us, Australian Education Research Organisation website, accessed 22 January 2025.

    Brunner R and Lynch A (2017) ‘Adaptive Governance’, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Science, doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190228620.013.601.

    Campbell Collaboration (n.d.) Our work, Campbell Collaboration website, accessed 16 January 2025.

    Campbell Collaboration (n.d.) About the CVE programme, Campbell Collaboration website, accessed 21 January 2025.

    Campbell DT (1991) ‘Methods for the Experimenting Society’, Evaluation Practice, 12(3):223–260.

    Education Endowment Foundation (n.d.) How we work, Education Endowment Foundation website, accessed 22 January 2025.

    Global Commission on Evidence to Address Societal Challenges (2024), ‘Global Evidence Commission update 2024: Building momentum in strengthening domestic evidence‑support systems, enhancing the global evidence architecture, and putting evidence at the centre of everyday life’ [PDF 5MB], McMaster Health Forum, Hamilton, accessed 17 January 2025.

    Halpern D (2023) ‘Foreword’, in Sanders M and Breckon J (eds) The What Works Centres: Lessons and Insights from an Evidence Movement, Bristol University Press, Bristol.

    Haskins R (17–18  August 2009) ‘Chapter 3 With a scope so wide: using evidence to innovate, improve, manage, budget’ [roundtablee presentation] Strengthening Evidence‑based Policy in the Australian Federation, Session 1 Evidence‑based policy: Its principles and development Canberra, accessed 16 January 2025.

    Jacobs A (4 April 2024) ‘Glasses Improve Income, Not Just Eyesight’, The New York Times, accessed 15 January 2025.

    Leigh A (2018) Randomistas: How Radical Researchers Changed Our World, Black Inc, Melbourne.

    Leigh A (3 October 2024a) ‘Address to the UK Evaluation Task Force, 9 Downing Street, London’ [presentation], London, accessed 15 January 2025.

    Leigh A (17 June 2024) ‘Address to the Australian Evaluation Showcase, Canberra’ [presentation], Australian Evaluation Showcase, Canberra, accessed 15 January 2025.

    Leigh A (28 November 2024c) ‘Address to 10th Annual Social Impact Measurement Network Australia Awards’ [presentation], 10th Annual Social Impact Measurement Network Australia Awards, Virtual, accessed 17 January 2025.

    OECD (Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development) (2022) Recommendation of the Council on Public Policy Evaluation, Adopted on 06/07/2022, OECD Legal Instruments, OECD/LEGAL/0478, accessed 17 January 2025.

    Patrick DL (29 January 2014) Massachusetts Launches Landmark Initiative to Reduce Recidivism Among At‑Risk Youth [media release], Commonwealth of Massachusetts, accessed 14 January 2025.

    Paul Ramsay Foundation (17 June 2024) ‘Experimental evaluation open grant round’, Paul Ramsay Foundation, accessed 17 January 2025.

    Productivity Commission (2020) Indigenous Evaluation Strategy: Background Paper, Australian Government.

    Roca Inc., Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Third Sector Capital Partners (30 August 2024) Final Report: the Massachusetts Juvenile Justice Pay for Success project, accessed 14 January 2025.

    Sehrin F, Jin L, Naher K, Chandra Das N, Chan VF, Li DF, Bergson S, Gudwin E, Clarke M, Stephan T and Congdon N (2024) ‘The effect on income of providing near vision correction to workers in Bangladesh: The THRIVE (Tradespeople and Hand‑workers Rural Initiative for a Vision‑enhanced Economy) randomized controlled trial’, PLOS ONE, 19(4):e0296115, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0296115.

    Tanasoca A and Leigh A (2024) ‘The Democratic Virtues of Randomized Trials’, Moral Philosophy and Politics, 22(1):113–140, doi:10.1515/mopp‑2022–0039.

    Winzar C, Tofts‑Len S, Corpu E (2023) Disrupting disadvantage 3: Finding what works, Committee for Economic Development of Australia, Melbourne, accessed 16 January 2025.

    Footnotes

    [1] Campbell’s paper was written around 1971 and used in presentations to the Eastern Psychological Association and the American Psychological Association. It was revised and first published in 1988 (see Campbell 1991).

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Calls On The Trump Administration To Immediately End Suppression Of The CDC’s Morbidity And Mortality Weekly Report

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    February 05, 2025
    Durbin releases new report that highlights the health harms from federal freeze of the MMWR, a critical scientific update which has been released by the CDC every week since 1961 until now
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released a staff report that examines the impact of the Trump Administration’s federal communications freeze on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). The report reveals new findings about information that has been stifled by the cessation of the MMWR, including timely bird flu updates, and provides important assessments from public health leaders about the consequences of the Trump Administration’s freeze.
    Since January 13, 1961, CDC has—without fail—published weekly issues of the MMWR, the agency’s routine update to doctors, health departments, researchers, and the public about infectious disease outbreaks, emerging health findings, and urgent new health care updates. Information from the MMWR provides timely research and analyses of public health threats, including the latest reports from the CDC’s disease detectives. For decades, the weekly report published every Thursday, and provided unbiased, science-based information to identify critical new information for the health care community.  
    On the report’s release, Durbin released the following statement:
    “Viruses do not take a break because the President slaps a gag order on our public health agencies. Outbreaks are not contained because scientists are ordered to stop talking about them. Doctors, health care providers, and the public all benefit from the release of critical and timely health information. Without it, we will see preventable suffering and death,” said Durbin. “The Trump Administration must immediately resume the timely, objective, and scientific publication of the CDC’s MMWR reports, without any political meddling, by releasing the next MMWR issue tomorrow.”
    Key findings and takeaways from Durbin’s report include:
    Critical quotes and testimonials from public health practitioners in local communities who were co-authors on two separate studies that had been slated to be published in the January 23, 2025, issue of the MMWR before it was blocked;
    Analyses from former CDC officials, leading epidemiologists, and disease prevention experts about the impact of the MMWR moratorium, including impacts for the historic ongoing tuberculosis outbreak underway in Kansas, the avian influenza, and fentanyl crisis.
    Halting the publication of MMWRs has occurred in tandem with an unprecedented purge of public health data from the CDC’s website, which occurred within the last week and removed extensive collections of datasets used by researchers and public health officials to address vaccinations, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, tuberculosis, suicide, tobacco use, violence, and other health threats. The tampering of this data was ostensibly to comply with President Trump’s Executive Order to remove mentions of gender, accessibility, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. These actions could have profound consequences for public health interventions. 
    On February 4, 2025, a federal lawsuit was filed by a group of physicians seeking to restore the websites and data removed from the CDC’s website, among other sources, arguing that the purge creates a “dangerous gap” in information available to track diseases and diagnose their patients.
    For a PDF copy of Durbin’s report, click here.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Reusable rockets, air taxis and ‘autonomous autos’ are the future: WIPO

    Source: United Nations 4

    Economic Development

    Air taxis, “autonomous autos” and reusable rockets are just some of the future transport solutions that inventors all over the world are striving to make a reality, while patents for combustion engines are “flatlining”, the UN intellectual property agency (WIPO) said on Thursday.

    Latest information gleaned from patent filings featuring in WIPO’s Technology Trends report on the Future of Transportation, offers a tempting glimpse of a not-so distant and enticing future where there’s less traffic pollution, fewer snarl-ups and air travel to the other side of the world – made possible in just a few hours.

    Analysis of patents shows that inventors are working hard to ensure that how we get around tomorrow is cleaner and better than today,” maintained WIPO, which said that patent filings for future transportation solutions have grown by 700 per cent over the last two decades, from 15,000 inventions in 2003 to 120,000 in 2023.

    Autonomous ships and smart ports are revolutionizing transportation at sea; electric vehicles, high-speed trains and smart traffic management systems are driving change on land,” WIPO insisted.

    “Vertical take-off and landing aircraft are offering new ways to travel by air, while reusable rockets and satellite technology are pushing what is possible beyond the earth’s atmosphere.”

    Driving this trend is the recognition that transportation accounts for more than one-third of CO2 emissions globally, which has encouraged the development of sustainable technologies that reduce the environmental impact of transportation.

    These include the adoption of electrified propulsion, the shift to renewable energy sources and the promotion of public and shared transport options.

    Digitalization is also revolutionizing the transportation sector, WIPO insists, pointing to the rise of autonomous driving, “which is projected to generate from $300 billion to $400 billion in revenue by 2035”.

    Patently true

    According to the Geneva-based UN agency, intellectual property supports this kind of groundbreaking innovation – such as wireless charging for electric vehicles – by encouraging investment in research and development.

    Competition is fierce as firms jostle for access to rare earth minerals, while AI is also taking centre stage, WIPO says.

    “The report also shows flatlining growth in patenting activity for legacy products like the internal combustion engine and other fossil fuel-based systems” such as catalytic converters, the UN agency noted.

    Its data indicated that more than 1.1 million inventions have reshaped transportation since 2000, introducing the prospect of sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel-based systems such as renewable energy cells, air taxis and self-piloting cargo ships.

    In the driver’s seat of this travel transformation are China, Japan, the US, South Korea and Germany, which represent the world’s top inventors. Land transportation patents dominate global filings, at 3.5 times more than for air, sea and space combined. The US, meanwhile, has filed the most international patents.

    The largest area of growth in patenting is related to sustainable propulsion – such as batteries for electric vehicles or hydrogen fuel cells – which represent efforts to ensure that people and goods are moved around in a “cleaner, more climate-friendly fashion”.

    Experts with an eye on imaginative transport solutions for the future say that AI is also poised to play a key role. They point to the rise of autonomous driving, although infrastructure has not adapted swiftly enough for such vehicles to take over, the WIPO report notes.

    Drone dilemma

    The scarcity of minerals, meanwhile, will determine whether the world can massively adopt electric cars – vehicles that report co-author Christopher Harrison says may not be miracle solutions for private owners.

    “Having these rare and limited raw earth minerals in an electric vehicle for personal use that’s been utilized only a few per cent of the day is not an effective use of those tools,” he told journalists.

    In the air sector, drones will continue their sky-high ascension.

    I would not like to look up at a sky full of drones delivering pizzas or a pair of gloves to my house and causing visual and noise pollution,” said Robert Garbett, the founder of Drone Major Group, cited in the WIPO report.

    “If a delivery is to a remote location that is really hard to get to, people will be more likely to accept it as a beneficial solution,” he added, citing emergency medicine as an example.

    According to WIPO, transport patent growth in China has been strong given its recent dominance of the electric vehicle market. But other countries have also contributed with strong patent filings activity including Sweden, Italy, India and Canada.

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI China: China likely to achieve 5% growth this year

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China is expected to maintain its annual economic growth target at around 5 percent for 2025, the same as last year’s goal, in a bid to shore up market expectations in the face of tepid domestic demand and rising trade protectionism, analysts and executives said.

    The world’s second-largest economy has vowed to enhance countercyclical adjustments, including a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy, and provide a strong underpinning for achieving its annual goals, they added.

    Though China’s GDP target will only be officially disclosed during the National People’s Congress session in March, the anticipation for the unchanged growth target comes as China’s major economic hubs — like Beijing and Shanghai as well as the provinces of Guangdong and Zhejiang — have announced GDP growth goals in the vicinity of 5 percent for the year.

    Aside from Qinghai’s relatively lower target of around 4.5 percent, most other provincial-level regions have also set their growth goals at around 5 percent or slightly above 5 percent.

    Notably, the Xizang autonomous region has set the most ambitious growth objective, targeting over 7 percent with an aim to reach 8 percent. Chongqing, along with the provinces of Hainan and Hubei as well as the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, have set their growth goals at around 6 percent for this year.

    “The country is expected to aim for a GDP expansion of around 5 percent, as China is committed to achieving the goal of doubling per capita GDP by 2035, which requires an implied growth rate of no less than 4.6 percent,” said Zhang Ming, deputy director of the Institute of Finance and Banking, which is part of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

    The growth target will also help boost confidence and expectations in the current context of relatively subdued sentiment and provides a framework for policymakers to coordinate resources, Zhang said.

    Moreover, based on data from 2020 to 2024, every 1 percentage point increase in GDP has the potential to create around 2.61 million new urban jobs. A growth rate of around 5 percent could generate over 13 million new jobs, which would significantly alleviate employment pressure, said China Minsheng Bank.

    Through ramping up the intensity of countercyclical adjustments, China can harness its underlying growth potential to meet its 5 percent GDP growth target for 2025, even in the face of potential economic headwinds, said Wen Bin, chief economist at China Minsheng Bank.

    “With external demand likely to face trade barriers tipped by certain economies, China will need to direct its efforts toward unlocking the potential of domestic consumption as the main engine of economic growth,” Wen said.

    China’s consumer goods trade-in programs, which have driven a more than 1 percentage point increase in the annual growth of the country’s total retail sales last year, are set to cover a broader range of consumer goods and offer even more attractive incentives in 2025.

    “China is likely to double the funding for its consumer goods trade-in initiatives this year to 300 billion yuan ($41 billion),” said Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International.

    This significant increase in funding is expected to drive a substantial boost in consumption, with Wang forecasting an additional 750 billion yuan in spending in 2025, equivalent to a 1.5 percentage point acceleration in the growth rate of the total retail sales of consumer goods.

    China’s economic growth is poised to outshine the global average this year, underpinned by the dynamism of its innovation-driven private sector and the rapid expansion of future-oriented industries, said Ernesto Torres Cantu, head of international at Citi.

    This dynamism in the private sphere is a key factor behind China’s robust economic performance and the positive sentiment surrounding Chinese companies, he said.

    Meanwhile, such future-oriented industries as artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, green energy and humanoid robots will keep driving the country’s growth forward for years to come, with their impact also being felt worldwide, he added.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s top legislator holds talks with ROK official

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, holds talks with Woo Won-shik, National Assembly Speaker of the Republic of Korea (ROK), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 5, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China’s top legislator Zhao Leji held talks with Woo Won-shik, National Assembly Speaker of the Republic of Korea (ROK), in Beijing on Wednesday.

    Zhao, chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said China and the ROK are close in geography and culture, and enjoy convenient conditions for exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

    Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China-ROK relations have developed rapidly and achieved fruitful results, which has brought benefits to both sides and their peoples and also promoted regional stability and development, he said.

    China is willing to work with the ROK to strengthen high-level exchanges and strategic communication, make good use of the dialogue and communication mechanisms between government and political parties of the two countries, and enhance mutual understanding and trust, Zhao added.

    “Taking the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as an opportunity, the two countries will speed up the second phase of negotiations on the FTA and strive to reach an agreement at an early date,” Zhao said.

    Zhao noted that the legislative bodies of China and the ROK have maintained close exchanges and cooperation for a long time, playing an important role in promoting the development of bilateral relations.

    He said the NPC of China is willing to work with the ROK National Assembly to uphold the tradition of friendship and make good use of regular exchange mechanisms and other platforms to enhance communication and exchanges between high-level legislative bodies, special committees, friendship groups, NPC deputies and parliamentarians, so as to create a sound policy and legal environment for bilateral cooperation in various fields.

    “We will encourage more young people to participate in bilateral exchanges and build strength for China-ROK friendship from generation to generation,” Zhao added.

    Woo Won-shik said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have made remarkable cooperative achievements in political, economic, cultural and other fields. The ROK and China will host the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting this year and next year respectively. He expressed hope that the two sides will support each other and further deepen bilateral cooperation.

    Adhering to the one-China principle, the ROK hopes to expand bilateral cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, enterprise investment, biomedicine and artificial intelligence, maintain the stability of industrial and supply chains, expand cultural exchanges and continuously enhance the friendly feelings between the two peoples, Woo Won-shik added.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas man arrested for possessing child pornography while working as school bus driver in Fairbanks

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    The FBI is seeking additional information.

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Texas man was arrested early this week on criminal charges related to his alleged possession of child pornography while temporarily working in Fairbanks.

    According to court documents, in December 2024, the Fairbanks Police Department (FPD) received information that a USB drive found in the business center of a Fairbanks hotel allegedly contained child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).

    FPD provided the USB drive to the FBI Anchorage Field Office to process for forensic review. On Jan. 30, 2025, federal agents successfully imaged and extracted the USB drive and found information linking it to Scott O’Toole, 60, of Joshua, Texas. Agents also found images on the drive allegedly depicting child sexual abuse. Within 24 hours of the FBI’s review of the USB drive, law enforcement identified and located O’Toole in Texas, and arrested him shortly thereafter.

    Court documents further allege that federal agents learned O’Toole was on Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY) to Fairbanks as a school bus driver between November and December 2024, and that he stayed at the hotel where the USB drive was found. Shortly after the USB drive was discovered, O’Toole returned to Texas.

    O’Toole is currently charged with one count of possession of child pornography in the District of Alaska. If convicted, O’Toole faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Vogel of the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case, with assistance from FPD and the Texas State Troopers. If anyone has information concerning O’Toole’s alleged actions in Alaska, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander is prosecuting the case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska thanks their colleagues in the Eastern District of Texas for their coordination on this case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: King, Intel Colleagues Sound Alarm About “DOGE” Risk to National Security and American Privacy in Letter to White House

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI),  joined his committee colleagues to sound the alarm on the new national security risks that present themselves with the current operations of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In a letter to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, the Senators write about the risks to national security by allowing unvetted DOGE staff and representatives to access classified and sensitive government materials.
    The Committee members demanded that the administration provide details to Congress about how DOGE staff and representatives are being vetted, which systems, records and information are being shared, and what steps the administration is taking to safeguard them from misuse or disclosure.
    “According to press reports, DOGE inspectors already have gained access to classified materials, including intelligence reports, at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), sensitive government payment systems, including for Social Security and Medicare, at the Treasury Department, and federal personnel data from the Office of Personnel Management. Further, as of today the scope of DOGE’s access only seems to be expanding, as reports indicate DOGE has now entered the Department of Labor and other agencies,” the Senators wrote. “No information has been provided to Congress or the public as to who has been formally hired under DOGE, under what authority or regulations DOGE is operating, or how DOGE is vetting and monitoring its staff and representatives before providing them seemingly unfettered access to classified materials and Americans’ personal information.”
    The Senators added, “As you know, information is classified to protect the national security interests of the United States. Government employees and contractors only receive access to such information after they have undergone a rigorous background investigation and demonstrated a ‘need to know.’ Circumventing these requirements creates enormous counterintelligence and security risks. For example, improper access to facilities and systems containing security clearance files of Intelligence Community personnel puts at risk the safety of the men and women who serve this country. In addition, unauthorized access to classified information risks exposure of our operations and potentially compromises not only our own sources and methods, but also those of our allies and partners. If our sources, allies, and partners stop sharing intelligence because they cannot trust us to protect it, we will all be less safe.”
    “Unclassified government systems also contain sensitive data, the unintended disclosure of which could result in significant harm to individuals or organizations, including financial loss, identity theft, and exposure of medical and other private personal information. The U.S. Treasury payment systems, in particular, are used to disburse trillions of dollars each year, and contain everyday Americans’ personal information, such as Social Security numbers, home addresses, and bank accounts. Allowing DOGE access to this information raises unprecedented risks to Americans’ private personal and financial information,” the Senators continued.
    They concluded, “Such unregulated practices with our government’s most sensitive networks render Americans’ personal and financial information, and our classified national secrets, vulnerable to ransomware and cyber-attacks by criminals and foreign adversaries. The recent unprecedented Salt Typhoon and Change Healthcare attacks that affected tens of millions of Americans further underscore the importance of rigorously fortifying our government systems.”
    Joining King on the letter are Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).
    The full text of the letter is available here and below.
    +++
    Dear Ms. Wiles,
    We write to express our grave concern with the illegal actions currently being undertaken by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which risk exposure of classified and other sensitive information that jeopardizes national security and violates Americans’ privacy. The January 20 Executive Order establishes DOGE under the Executive Office of the President with DOGE Teams established by Agency Heads within their respective agencies, and requires the Administrator of DOGE to report to the White House Chief of Staff. According to press reports, DOGE inspectors already have gained access to classified materials, including intelligence reports, at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), sensitive government payment systems, including for Social Security and Medicare, at the Treasury Department, and federal personnel data from the Office of Personnel Management. Further, as of today the scope of DOGE’s access only seems to be expanding, as reports indicate DOGE has now entered the Department of Labor and other agencies.
    No information has been provided to Congress or the public as to who has been formally hired under DOGE, under what authority or regulations DOGE is operating, or how DOGE is vetting and monitoring its staff and representatives before providing them seemingly unfettered access to classified materials and Americans’ personal information.
    As you know, information is classified to protect the national security interests of the United States. Government employees and contractors only receive access to such information after they have undergone a rigorous background investigation and demonstrated a “need to know.”  Circumventing these requirements creates enormous counterintelligence and security risks. For example, improper access to facilities and systems containing security clearance files of Intelligence Community personnel puts at risk the safety of the men and women who serve this country. In addition, unauthorized access to classified information risks exposure of our operations and potentially compromises not only our own sources and methods, but also those of our allies and partners.If our sources, allies, and partners stop sharing intelligence because they cannot trust us to protect it, we will all be less safe.
    Unclassified government systems also contain sensitive data, the unintended disclosure of which could result in significant harm to individuals or organizations, including financial loss, identity theft, and exposure of medical and other private personal information. The U.S. Treasury payment systems, in particular, are used to disburse trillions of dollars each year, and contain everyday Americans’ personal information, such as Social Security numbers, home addresses, and bank accounts. Allowing DOGE access to this information raises unprecedented risks to Americans’ private personal and financial information.
    Moreover, there are strict cybersecurity controls for accessing federal networks, which DOGE does not seem to be following, including by reportedly connecting personal devices to sensitive government systems. Such unregulated practices with our government’s most sensitive networks render Americans’ personal and financial information, and our classified national secrets, vulnerable to ransomware and cyber-attacks by criminals and foreign adversaries. The recent unprecedented Salt Typhoon and Change Healthcare attacks that affected tens of millions of Americans further underscore the importance of rigorously fortifying our government systems.
    The Executive Branch cannot operate without regard to rules, regulations, or Congressional oversight. The American people, and our intelligence officials, deserve to know that their information is being appropriately safeguarded. We therefore respectfully request written responses to the following questions by February 14, 2025:
    Provide a list of personnel operating under DOGE, their position or role, and their duties. 
    Pursuant to the Executive Order, DOGE teams are to be established by Agency Heads within their respective agencies. Provide a list of each agency that has established a DOGE team, and the agency personnel overseeing such team.
    Under what authorities is DOGE conducting its operations?
    Who is overseeing DOGE’s operations?
    Provide a list of each agency DOGE has requested information from.
    Provide a list of all unclassified systems, records, or other information DOGE has requested and/or gained access to. 
    Provide a list of all classified systems, records, or other information DOGE has requested and/or gained access to.
    Do DOGE staff or representatives have access to any Intelligence Community systems, networks, or other information? If so, please specify the extent of such access.
    Under what authority is DOGE requesting and/or gaining access to classified information?
    What security clearances have been provided to DOGE staff or representatives, and who has authorized such clearances?
    What processes have been followed prior to granting security clearances to DOGE staff or representatives?
    What vetting for potential conflicts of interest has been conducted prior to granting clearances or access to government systems, records, or other information to DOGE staff or representatives?
    Provide a list of each DOGE staff or representative who has requested and/or gained access to classified information, what clearance each such individual holds, and who authorized each security clearance. 
    Who is supervising and/or monitoring DOGE employee access to classified information?
    What processes have been followed prior to granting DOGE staff or representatives access to sensitive government systems and networks, and who has authorized such access?
    Who is supervising and/or monitoring DOGE employee access to sensitive government systems and networks?
    Has DOGE briefed you, the White House Chief of Staff, on the counterintelligence and other risks of DOGE staff or representatives accessing classified and other sensitive information? If so, please specify the date of the briefing and those in attendance.
    Has DOGE briefed you, the White House Chief of Staff, on the counterintelligence and other risks of DOGE staff or representatives accessing government networks and systems? If so, please specify the date of the briefing and those in attendance.
    Has the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and/or the Central Intelligence Agency been briefed on the counterintelligence and other risks of DOGE staff or representatives accessing Treasury’s payment systems? If so, please specify the date of the briefing and those in attendance. 
    Has the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and/or the Central Intelligence Agency been briefed on the counterintelligence and other risks of DOGE staff or representatives accessing USAID’s classified and other sensitive information, including security clearance files? If so, please specify the date of the briefing and those in attendance.
    What actions if any has the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and/or the Central Intelligence Agency taken to ensure DOGE employee access does not create counterintelligence risks?
    What actions if any has the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and/or the Central Intelligence Agency taken to ensure DOGE employee access does not compromise classified or other sensitive intelligence and/or personal information of intelligence community officials? 
    To underscore, DOGE seems to have unimpeded access to some of our nation’s most sensitive information, including classified materials and the private personal and financial information of everyday Americans. In light of such unprecedented risks to our national and economic security, we expect your immediate attention and prompt response.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Details Harm Caused By Trump’s Blanket Funding Freeze, Ongoing Chaos

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Murray shared many WA stories and concerns she heard following President Trump’s blanket funding freeze
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is helping lead Senate Democrats in holding the Senate floor for a full 30 hours ahead of a final confirmation vote on Russell Vought to serve as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Senator Murray delivered an hour-long floor speech and her remarks below touch specifically on last week’s Monday night OMB budget memo that froze virtually all federal grants and how communities and organizations across America still cannot access funds that are meant to be unfrozen and fully accessible by now.
    “The calls just keep coming—even now that OMB reversed course. The chaos has not died down—the questions, the uncertainty, the fear from families and communities that Trump will pull the rug out from under them is still there. 
    “Because even though—after the intense outcry from the American people—Trump has now admitted this was a colossal mistake by rescinding the guidance, the threat, the chaos, the panic cannot just be wiped away. Especially while some funds are still being blocked!
    “No one feels any sense of calm after this. People aren’t feeling lasting relief—they are still wondering ‘how could something like this happen’ and ‘what in the world is going to happen next?’
    “The Trump administration—through a combination of sheer incompetence, cruel intentions, and a willful disregard for the law—caused, and is still causing, real harm and chaos for millions of people over the span of just a mere 48 hours.
    “But we did learn something extremely important: when the American people speak out with one voice, when regular people stand up, it makes a real difference. That victory belonged to everyone who raised their voice. But make no mistake, the fight is far from over.
    “As I said before, we still have a lot of work to do right now, to make sure all the funding actually does get moving again—this is not like turning on a light switch.
    “We just saw through the chaotic roll out—this is complicated stuff. So, I will be watching closely to make sure funds get where they belong ASAP. I already know that in many cases this has not been what is happening at all—so this is a serious concern.”
    The full text of Senator Murray’s remarks on the chaos because of Trump’s blanket funding freeze can be found below, and video can be found HERE.
    “The chaos Vought and Trump caused last week alone was unlike anything I can recall. M. President, never in my time in the Senate have I seen a President cause as much chaos, panic, and damage in 48 short hours—chaos, panic, and damage which continues even now!
    “President Trump inflicted serious harm when he implemented Vought’s reckless vision to brazenly and illegally freeze federal grants across the government and across the country.
    “My phone has been ringing off the hook—because unlike billionaires like Trump and Musk, unlike hyper partisans like Vought, the American people actually have a painfully clear sense of how this will hurt our communities. After all, they are the ones who would actually suffer the consequences of a reckless policy like this.
    “And, let’s remember, the Trump administration’s first half-hearted attempt to clean up the massive mess they made with a new guidance, essentially boiled down to: ‘We’ll let some funding go, but we’re still going to hold up everything else.’
    “And while later, they finally admitted they were disastrously wrong and revoked the entire guidance, they are now, still today, illegally holding up other funds—which I will say more about later.
    “And the chaos alone they caused, with their cruelty and incompetence is utterly unacceptable. The explanations the Trump Administration offered throughout that saga—freezing seemingly trillions of dollars that families rely on—created no clarity or certainty for so many panicked families, businesses, nonprofits, towns, and states. And nothing they said changes the basic fact that Trump was—and is still—holding up funding our communities need, funding that is the law.
    “But let’s talk about the effect—let’s talk about the chaos and alarm they caused, the damage done to communities and families that all of us represent, and the collision course we were on before Americans spoke out and forced Trump to retreat.
    “Because, in terms of chaos, the Trump Administration was trying to say a lot of programs were not affected even when we had firsthand accounts making clear that was not what organizations across the country were experiencing.
    “I’ll give you one example: Head Start providers were locked out of their reimbursement portal, meaning folks taking care of our youngest kids were suddenly not sure how they were going to keep their doors open or pay their teachers and staff. And some providers in my state are still locked out, not getting the funding.
    “Let’s talk about rental assistance! The payment system for housing providers was down for over a day—with rents that were due at the end of the week!
    “Seniors who count on Meals on Wheels were left wondering whether they’d have dinner last week.
    “Grant programs to combat the fentanyl crisis, to get families health care, and so much more were—in an instant— put at risk of evaporating into thin air.
    “I mean, M. President, the panic and confusion were absolutely widespread. Because there was a long, long, list of programs President Trump tried to put on the chopping block here—programs that, by the way, help red states and blue states alike.
    “Funding to address the opioid use epidemic could have been paused. This is a long-standing bipartisan priority and Trump wanted funding frozen for an indefinite period—that would absolutely upend prevention efforts and cut people off from treatment that is helping them beat addiction.
    “Or COPS hiring grants which help our states and communities hire career law enforcement officers—Trump was freezing those, too. These investments increase community policing capacity and they prevent crime. Without this money, our streets and neighborhoods would be less safe.
    “And let’s not forget about other crucial DOJ grants—funding for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, for Amber Alerts, and for safe havens that support victims of human trafficking.
    “Or, in my state, there are 25 child advocacy centers that were trying to figure out how they would be affected by the freeze. Think about that.
    “And funding for firefighters—you know what doesn’t stop when federal funding stops? Fires! And speaking of fires—Trump’s move also threw funding for recovery and relief efforts into uncertainty. In Eastern Washington, my state, $44 million was announced weeks ago to help Spokane County rebuild from wildfires—we were left with big questions about the future of that badly needed funding last week.
    “And while it was just two weeks ago that Trump visited communities in both North Carolina and California still reeling from disaster, the very next week, he sent them reeling himself—throwing funds they were counting on into limbo with his initial OMB guidance. Because, for a while there, the system that all of our states use to get disaster relief funding was shut down!
    “And let’s not forget grants from the Violence Against Women Act—I heard from organizations in Washington state that support survivors of violence, they were trying to figure out what to do because their federal payments site went down. Without that vital funding, survivors would be left with no way to access the legal aid and services they deserve. Like so many other organizations, they were ringing the alarm bells—because they were not going to be able to pay staff or pay their bills. This illegal freeze left domestic violence centers wondering how long they could keep their doors open and pay their staff.
    “And our Tribes were thrown into chaos as well. The Puyallup Tribe was told they couldn’t move forward with a critical road project. And our Tribes in general were all concerned that housing, health care, education, and so much else were getting caught up in this funding freeze. One told me they were left trying to determine if they were going to have to lay off 400 people because of this. Causing layoffs with an illegal funding freeze would be a profound breach of the federal trust responsibility to our Tribes.
    “Or here’s another alarming one: one of Trump’s executive orders was set to cut funding used to help detain nearly 10,000 ISIS militants in Syria. That funding was about to be cut off altogether—potentially leading to prison guards leaving the job and risking ISIS militants getting out of jail—until this administration was alerted to how reckless that would be and carved out that funding.
    “But trust me when I say: there are many other funding streams that help keep us safe that are still at risk—especially because of the illegal executive orders that are, today, still blocking foreign assistance, and the absolutely lawless effort to dismantle USAID, which does lifesaving relief work around the world.
    “I will have a lot more to say on that later. And, by the why, how does undermining health, which will mean diseases run rampant—particularly at a time when Bird Flu is on the uptick and impacting many producers, workers and states—how does that make any sense?
    “Because when it comes to health care—this attempted freeze posed a huge threat to our families. Set aside the fact the Medicaid payment portal went down in my state and every state—something that we were told was a coincidence—that doesn’t change the fact all federal health care grant reimbursements stopped.
    “It doesn’t change the fact that community health centers were blocked from getting the funds they need to pay staff and continue providing care in our communities—including rural areas where they are often the only option for miles.
    “It doesn’t change the fact that Title X providers—who support care like family planning services, cancer screenings, and more—couldn’t draw down their funds.
    “I also heard from HopeSparks, a health care provider in my state. They warned that without federal support, kids in the South Puget Sound would lose access to mental health care and crisis services. 
    “And, biomedical researchers were suddenly left dealing with questions—not about how to save lives, but about grant freezes, and how these vague, broad actions might stop research programs and clinical trials across the country.
    “Chaos alone presents a huge risk of derailing crucial studies. Scientists at the University of Washington and Washington State University have told my office they were deeply alarmed—a freeze like Trump ordered would have meant research projects collapsing and staff being furloughed or laid off!
    “The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center moved to bridge the gap to keep research from being derailed—but not getting this fixed would have meant putting them in the hole, to the tune of over $1 million a day. That sort of unexpected burden would have had a huge impact on lifesaving cancer research.
    “And agricultural research was faced with uncertainty as well! WSU is a national leader in this important work—research to help our farmers grow more crops, grow more resilient crops, and fight challenges like pests, and plant diseases. WSU was deeply concerned funding for that research could be cut off, undermining important work supporting our nation’s farmers.
    “And the threats didn’t stop there for those in food and agriculture. One organization, which works alongside local growers, told me losing funding would mean a reduced capacity to grow and distribute fresh, local food to communities. That would hurt both farmers and the families who rely on these programs to help put food on the table!
    “Meanwhile, a group in Washington addressing youth homelessness warned it would have to kick kids out if the funding issue was not resolved. Let me repeat that: a homeless youth group was pushed to the brink of having to kick kids onto the streets because of President Trump’s illegal freeze. 
    “I was also deeply concerned about how the freeze might halt the diaper pilot program.  As well as the reports I got from multiple housing providers in my state worried that tens of thousands of people would be at risk of homelessness thanks to this illegal freeze.
    “And don’t get me started on infrastructure! These are projects that take years to plan, build, and complete, and do a whole lot of good for our communities. In my state alone, there were big questions about what was going to happen to electrical grid upgrades happening in Okanogan and Pierce County, improvements planned at the Ports of Seattle, Everett, and Whitman County, or SeaTac Airport’s plans to deploy new trucks.
    “And some of these questions still remain! Because—as I will detail in a minute—there are still many other ways programs are being put at risk by Trump illegally blocking funds with his executive orders. I will continue fighting for the federal funding Congress already provided to keep all of these projects on track—but that can only get us so far if President Trump illegally blocks it all and our Republican colleagues help let it happen.
    “I mean the list goes on, and on, and on. The calls just keep coming—even now that OMB reversed course. The chaos has not died down—the questions, the uncertainty, the fear from families and communities that Trump will pull the rug out from under them is still there. 
    “Because even though—after the intense outcry from the American people—Trump has now admitted this was a colossal mistake by rescinding the guidance, the threat, the chaos, the panic cannot just be wiped away. Especially while some funds are still being blocked!
    “No one feels any sense of calm after this. People aren’t feeling lasting relief—they are still wondering ‘how could something like this happen’ and “what in the world is going to happen next?’
    “The Trump administration—through a combination of sheer incompetence, cruel intentions, and a willful disregard for the law—caused, and is still causing, real harm and chaos for millions of people over the span of just a mere 48 hours.
    “But we did learn something extremely important: when the American people speak out with one voice, when regular people stand up, it makes a real difference. That victory belonged to everyone who raised their voice. But make no mistake, the fight is far from over.
    “As I said before, we still have a lot of work to do right now, to make sure all the funding actually does get moving again—this is not like turning on a light switch.
    “We just saw through the chaotic roll out—this is complicated stuff. So, I want you to know, I will be watching closely to make sure funds get where they belong ASAP. I already know that in many cases this has not been what is happening at all—so this is a serious concern.
    “I actually spoke with a constituent last week, Mike from Edmonds–he runs a nonprofit supporting military families and helping servicemembers transition back to civilian life. And even days after the OMB guidance was reversed, they still couldn’t access federal funding. He’s using a personal line of credit to pay staff in the meantime. And if this doesn’t get fixed—his organization won’t be able to help military families or pay its employees.
    “The homeless shelter I mentioned at the top—short $5.1 million dollars because of Trump—also still has its funds frozen. It is still looking at reducing beds and facing layoffs.
    “And as I mentioned earlier, some Head Start programs are still not able to access their grant funding—so the chaos of this OMB saga is far, far from over.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Highlights Trump’s Illegal Spending Freeze on Billions via Day One Executive Orders, Putting Economies and Jobs at Risk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ***VIDEO HERE*** 
    Trump Administration is still blocking hundreds of billions of dollars passed by Congress
    ICYMI: Murray Hold Press Call With WA State Orgs About Jobs at Risk Due to Funding Freeze
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is helping lead Senate Democrats in holding the Senate floor for a full 30 hours ahead of a final confirmation vote on Russell Vought to serve as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Senator Murray delivered an hour-long floor speech and her remarks below touch specifically on how the Trump Administration is still blocking hundreds of billions of dollars of approved funding under Trump’s executive orders, and what sort of pain this illegal funding freeze could mean for Washington state and the country:
    On infrastructure:
    “All of these projects, and many more have been thrown into complete uncertainty because of President Trump’s Executive Orders. It is just completely unclear when, or if these projects are going to get the funds they are counting on and owed—from the bills Congress passed.
    “And that is not just causing chaos, it is not just causing delays, it is causing harm and alarm—because it could mean construction grinds to a halt, and workers lose jobs. It could mean the work will go un-started—or perhaps in some cases—unfinished.
    “Plus, it will mean increasing costs for cities, counties, states, and Tribes for those projects that somehow make it through this. And while there are many more infrastructure projects in my state I still haven’t even touched on, not to mention the other projects across the country. There are so many other projects, organizations, and people who are being harmed right now by President Trump’s reckless funding freeze. “
    On foreign assistance:
    “When people are starving, you cannot just feed them money—you need to have already made the investments to grow food. When democracies are in crisis, you can’t just cut them a check—you need to have helped them build strong institutions. When a deadly disease outbreak strikes—you are going to learn very quickly that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
    “Freezing foreign assistance is not putting America first—it is guaranteeing America comes in last. Because every funding gap we leave is an opportunity for our adversaries to step in, fill the gap, and play the hero while casting us as the villain.”
    […]
    “And let’s be clear—it is not just U.S. leadership on the line here. There are U.S. jobs at stake here. That reality is hitting home hard this week. Back in Washington state, there are some world class organizations that I know may have to lay people off this week—hundreds of people—all because of President Trump’s funding freeze.
    “International aid organizations may make a difference around the world—but they support American jobs too. People who have a paycheck and family. People who work incredibly hard—and who are incredibly proud of the work they do to make the world a better place and reaffirm U.S. global leadership…
    “But they are being sent packing—not because they’ve done anything wrong, not because this work isn’t important. But because President Trump and Elon Musk are listening to whacko conspiracists and ultra-isolationists—while ignoring the experts, ignoring the obvious realities, and again ignoring the law. We should all stand against this”
    The full text of Senator Murray’s remarks on the funding still being frozen by President Trump can be found below, and video can be found HERE.
    “And let me make one thing perfectly clear—even before this latest whirl of chaos, President Trump was already illegally blocking billions of dollars. And even after the OMB guidance was reversed, he is still holding back all of those funds through his illegal executive orders.
    “You don’t have to take it from me. You can take it directly from the White House Press Secretary, quote: ‘This is not a rescission of the federal funding freeze… The President’s [Executive Orders] on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented’
    “So, now that was the chaos of last week, I want to talk about the chaos that remains—what we are still seeing this week, and what it means for folks back home, and across the country. Because there is still significant confusion, and the remaining freezes are still causing significant pain.
    “For example, I’ve heard from cities in my state, and from the Washington State Department of Transportation. Now, it is still hard to get a clear picture, given the chaotic roll out, roll back, and more. But they are telling me they are concerned about infrastructure projects all over my state that are already getting delayed now—and could get derailed entirely because President Trump is still illegally blocking funding we passed with his executive orders.
    “If this illegal freeze continues, people will lose jobs and communities will lose out on projects that have been in the works for years.
    “Trump is blocking money to repair electric chargers, to install heavy duty chargers for trucks, to make critical repairs to bridges in order to protect the safety of millions of drivers, and to install new chargers along major roads in my state like I-90, US-97, US-2, US-195, and US-395. Stopping these projects is just pointlessly hurting commuters and businesses, it is costing construction workers, it is killing jobs.
    “Trump is holding up road projects that make streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers, like a safer streets project in Richland, Washington, and critical safety barriers in Spokane—not to mention the Liberty Park Land Bridge in Spokane, which would reconnect communities, and provide more green space for families to enjoy.
    “Or funds for the city of Lakewood’s plans to revitalize its downtown and bring in more retail space, and restaurants, and health care services, and financial services, make upgrades to roads, and provide a new festival area, park areas, and more.
    “Trump’s freeze is also a concern for the Samish Indian Nation as it works to improve safety and access to their land at the Campbell Lake Road intersection—which has seen growing traffic in recent years—and for a project led by the Tulalip Tribe to improve the interchanges along I-5 exits. The congestion on these ramps can get so bad it backs up to the main highway!
    “We want to get these projects done, we want to get them done—and the last thing we need is uncertainty about these stalled funds.
    “There’s also a project underway to upgrade the technology at our border with Canada—replacing and improving the outdated wait time system to improve accuracy and help our inspection and transportation agencies. This will help travelers headed to Canada avoid long wait times at the border and help fans from around the world, by the way, who are travelling between Seattle and Vancouver for next year’s World Cup move quickly—but not if Trump’s executive orders stop all of this funding!
    “Same for the efforts to update our state-wide planning with a new electronic system that would make the process for planning, and specifications, and estimates more efficient.
    “And, of course, in Washington state—we can never forget about fish, which are crucial to our culture, and our economy, in many ways. Trump’s ongoing funding freeze is putting projects to improve fish habitats on ice—replacing the culvert at Thornton Creek, replacing the failing culvert at Wapato Creek, which is right underneath the Pierce County Terminal at the Port of Tacoma, or removing the fish barrier culverts at Johnson Creek which will open up nearly 3,000 meters of upstream habitat.
    “Not to mention other wildlife preservation work, like an undercrossing structure and wildlife barriers east of Winthrop. And work on our waterways. Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is still not restored today for some projects on the Lower Columbia River, projects like stormwater infrastructure that will help keep toxins out of water and restore wetlands and protect the ecosystems.
    “Our ports, our ports—so critical for not only Washington state’s economy, but for the whole country—are caught up in this too. There are port projects now on hold across my state, including for electrical infrastructure and shore power for vessels. These impacts are being felt from Anacortes to Port Angeles to Vancouver. Frozen funding is hurting working families in Washington and across the country, and it is making our economy less competitive.
    “And, we cannot forget our ferries—which are so crucial to many commuters in my state. Washington state ferries are looking to improve their data with a better system for collecting, analyzing, and reporting wait times at all of our terminals. This would give them useful information to improve efficiency and make life better for the people they serve. Losing that funding means more people will miss ferries and long waits in line for Washington state commuters crossing the water to work, to school, to medical appointments.
    “We also have absolutely essential electric transmission and distribution projects that are on hold now and in jeopardy. These are projects that are necessary, helping reduce our wildfire risks, ensure grid reliability, improve resilience to natural disasters, and lower costs for ratepayers across my state of Washington.
    “And these are funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—that is a law that Republicans and Democrats worked together to pass–it’s a program that Republicans thought was important enough to provide $10.5 billion. After what we have seen in recent months and years, I don’t know how you can say with a straight face that modernizing our grid isn’t absolutely vital to the future of our country. You don’t have to listen to me—Secretary Burgum and Secretary Wright said as much in their confirmation hearings.
    “But this project—all of these projects, and many more have been thrown into complete uncertainty because of President Trump’s Executive Orders. It is completely unclear when, or if these projects are going to get the funds they were counting on and they were owed—from bills Congress passed and were signed into law.
    “And that is not just causing chaos, it is not just causing delays, it is causing harm and alarm—because it could mean construction grinds to a halt, and workers lose jobs. It means the work will go un-started—or perhaps in some cases—unfinished.
    “Plus, it will mean increasing costs for cities, counties, states, and Tribes for those projects that somehow make it through all of this. And while there are many more infrastructure projects in my state I still haven’t even touched on, not to mention the other projects across the country. There are so many other projects, and organizations, and people who are being harmed right now by President Trump’s reckless funding freeze.
    “I know there are medical researchers, still worried their work will be considered ‘woke’ when in reality, it is actually pretty darn important we understand the roots of health disparities—things like why the maternal death rate is so much higher for Black or Native American women.
    “Yet, researchers are being told that their research is at risk of being defunded if they are examining issues of ‘equity,’ or ‘barriers to care,’ or even if they are specifically studying ‘females.’
    “And, there are hospitals in my state, and across the country, worried that some of these programs—which are appropriately focused on someone’s gender or race—are in jeopardy.
    “For example, we know pulse oximeters are less accurate for people with darker skin tones—making sure these clinical measurements are accurate will save lives, and can have life and death consequences for patients. And we know women have much higher rates of autoimmune disorders than men—we need to take a look at why that is.
    “We also need to invest in training the next generation of scientists, including from diverse backgrounds. Studies show that diversity in the scientific workforce leads to greater innovation and productivity. But there is a serious concern that lifesaving work is going to get caught up in President Trump’s sweeping illegal executive orders.
    “Another impact of Trump’s actions? The National Park Service has rescinded all of its employment offers for summer seasonal staff. Now that doesn’t just mean people will be facing longer wait lines and dirtier bathrooms—though they will. It could mean park closures throughout this entire summer, and it will mean delayed responses to emergencies—making people less safe.
    “And outside our national parks, Trump is also freezing regional clean up efforts. Things like stopping illegal dumping and improving air quality in our communities.
    “And M. President, let’s talk about foreign assistance, because, for decades now—there has been widespread, bipartisan understanding that promoting stability abroad, promoting democracy, improving health, strengthening trade, and building partnerships is crucial to US leadership.
    “But Trump’s executive orders put all of that at risk by illegally freezing funds. I have heard from organizations that operate all over the world about how they were unable to deliver the life-saving aid that millions of people rely on due to these stop-work orders. That meant millions of doses of lifesaving drugs sat un-used on shelves. Time-sensitive prevention methods against diseases like malaria were not carried out, putting millions at risk. Training for more than 64,000 health care workers were put on hold. Hundreds of millions of metric tons of U.S.-grown commodities sitting—and at the risk of spoiling—in transport, instead of reaching their final destinations across the world to feed people in need.
    “And despite a so-called ‘waiver’ from the U.S. State Department to resume work, much of this life-saving aid is still today on hold. Without a start-work order, those organizations fear they are taking on significant risk in continuing operations. Put simply: this was already unacceptable.
    “And now, over the weekend—President Trump and Elon Musk have decided against all reason, against all evidence, and against the law, mind you, to completely dismantle USAID. And that is on top of the illegal funding freeze that has already been pushing U.S. businesses, nonprofits, and international aid groups to make tough choices, for truly pointless reasons.
    “It should be obvious that these cuts will hurt people across the world. These cuts will mean people starve. These cuts will mean people don’t get clean water. These cuts will mean more disease outbreaks with higher death counts. These cuts will mean less help for victims of violence, and higher death rates for pregnant women.
    “And anyone with an ounce of humanity can see this freeze will get devastating, fast. And—it is important to note—it will get devastating in ways you cannot just make up for with more money later once the damage is done. That is just not how it works.
    “When people are starving, you cannot just feed them money—you need to have already made the investments to grow food.
    “When democracies are in crisis, you can’t just cut them a check—you need to have helped them build strong institutions.
    “When a deadly disease outbreak strikes—you are going to learn very quickly that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
    “These are not lessons we need to learn the hard way—by letting people die. We know it all, painfully well, right now. And so, to freeze this funding, is asking for disaster—and not just for other countries across the world, but for us, for the U.S. and for our families here at home.
    “Freezing foreign assistance is not putting America first—it is guaranteeing America comes in last.
    “Because every funding gap we leave is an opportunity for our adversaries to step in, fill that gap, and play the hero while casting us as the villain. How are we supposed to lead the world if we are unwilling to invest in it?
    “I will tell you right now—China is not holding back. They are investing constantly—because they know they aren’t just building infrastructure across the world, they are building stronger partnerships. And we just counted ourselves out of that competition.
    “You want to end U.S. global dominance? You want to tell the world the U.S. is done being a leader? You want to tell other countries—we cannot be trusted to keep our word?
    “Because that is exactly what we are doing if we let Trump get away with illegally cutting off global aid—with the stroke of a pen—and letting the richest man in the world cut off help for some of the poorest people in the world.
    “And let’s be clear—it is not just U.S. leadership on the line here. There are U.S. jobs at stake here. That reality is hitting home hard this week. Back in Washington state, there are some world class organizations that I know may have to lay people off this week—hundreds of people—all because of President Trump’s funding freeze.
    “It is a scene that is not isolated to Washington state—I know it is playing out across the country as well, with thousands of layoffs across 38 states and counting. And I know, so long as President Trump’s lawless war on foreign aid continues—so will these layoffs. We will see hundreds, if not thousands more every week.
    “International aid organizations may make a difference around the world—but they support American jobs, too. People who have a paycheck and family. People who work incredibly hard—and who are incredibly proud of the work they do to make the world a better place and reaffirm U.S. global leadership.
    “But they are being sent packing—not because they have done anything wrong, not because this work is not important. But because President Trump and Elon Musk are listening to whacko conspiracists and ultra isolationists—while ignoring the experts, ignoring the obvious realities, and again ignoring the law. We should all stand against this.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Blasts Musk Takeover of Treasury Payment Systems

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

     ***VIDEO HERE***

    Murray: “The richest man in the world is taking over the Treasury in the name of fighting corruption? The irony is almost as rich as Musk himself.”

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is helping lead Senate Democrats in holding the Senate floor for a full 30 hours ahead of a final confirmation vote on Russell Vought to serve as Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

    As Senator Murray delivered an hour-long floor speech on the Senate floor, she also specifically discussed how Elon Musk, like Vought, is working to illegal block funds and cut programs families rely on—including by gaining alarming access to sensitive financial systems:

    “This is not Silicon Valley—where you can just ‘move fast and break things.’ When you break things here—people don’t get health care, people don’t get Social Security checks, people don’t get crucial warnings and lifesaving information.

    “And anyone who thinks—’well, that surely won’t happen’—has not been paying attention. Because just this week, Elon Musk and Donald Trump put Americans in danger.

    “We have citizens in dangerous corners of the world who were suddenly locked out of their emails and cut off from an app that is meant to help address threats like kidnapping—so no one should be shrugging this off and just saying ‘well what’s the worst that could happen.’ Because this can get really, really bad really, really fast.


    “And if anyone is thinking ‘well it’s okay, we have guardrails, we have laws’—make no mistake, even though Trump and Musk have absolutely zero legal authority to hold up any federal payments that are law, that has not stopped them so far.

    “As we’ve seen—they are already halting other funds illegally, they are already firing government watchdogs and officials left and right, regardless of our laws. They are already putting forward blatantly unconstitutional executive orders.

    “The fact of the matter is—Trump and Musk have yet to find a law they think applies to them. They think because they are rich and powerful, they get to call all the shots—regardless of the courts and Congress. But that’s just not how things work in this country. Billionaires are not above the law. Neither are Presidents.”

    The full text of Senator Murray’s remarks on Elon Musk can be found below, and video can be found HERE.

    “And, M. President, I know we are discussing the Vought nomination now, but I want to talk about someone who has not been nominated to anything, he’s not been elected to anything, and yet he is serving as de facto Co-President—Elon Musk. Arguably he is more important and more influential than the elected sitting President. And he has proven himself in lock-step with Russ Vought, who we are voting on tomorrow, when it comes to slashing programs that matter to American families and ignoring the laws of our nation.

    “In recent days, Musk has been busy illegally shuttering USAID and cutting off foreign assistance programs—which, as I’ve said, will lose jobs for Americans, lose lives in countries around the world, and lose leadership as adversaries like China fill the gap.


    “Shockingly, Musk has even had people fired for denying his lackeys classified resources that they had no authority to access. And last weekend, we all learned Elon Musk essentially commandeered access to the Treasury Department’s most sensitive payment system handling six trillion dollars every year and managing nearly all of our federal disbursements.

    “It’s a system that contains extremely sensitive personal and commercial information and I’ve been hearing from people across my state who are truly alarmed about what Musk and his associates having access to this system could mean for their data—and for funding that they count on.

    “Let’s not mince words here: an unelected, unaccountable billionaire—with expansive conflicts of interest, deep ties to China, and an indiscreet axe to grind against perceived enemies—is hijacking our nation’s most sensitive financial data system and its checkbook. So that he can illegally block funds to our constituents based on the slightest whim or wildest conspiracy. Funds—mind you—that Congress, on a bipartisan basis, passed.

    “Some Republicans are trying to suggest that Musk only has ‘viewing access’ to Treasury’s highly sensitive payment system as if that’s acceptable either! But why on earth should we believe that? Particularly when Musk himself is saying the exact opposite loudly and repeatedly for everyone to hear.

    “What funds will Elon target next—life saving medical research? Homelessness assistance? Food banks? We already know he is falsely attacking faith-based organizations that help folks—and promising to cut off funds based on conspiracy theories. In other words: the world’s richest man has vowed to cut off funding that helps the least among us. Think about that.

     “And next—think about how many dollars he himself makes from government contracts. I mean, seriously: the richest man in the world, with countless government contracts, and ties to our adversaries is taking over the Treasury in the name of fighting corruption? The irony is almost as rich as Musk himself.

    “And let me underscore, M. President, just how dangerous this is—because now that Trump has handed over Treasury’s checkbook—what if Elon decides he doesn’t like how Rivian is getting federal funds to build an EV manufacturing facility, so what next?

    “All Elon has to do is say they’re ‘woke,’ and he can convince Trump to illegally cut off those funds? Is that how this works now?

    “Maybe Elon will decide he doesn’t like that Blue Origin—and not SpaceX—gets a contract, so he wants to gum up the works on their payments. Is that how this works?

    “Maybe Elon decides he wants to get into electronic health systems—and maybe he wants to punish hospital systems that don’t take him up on whatever he’s selling. Private corporations and competitors need to take note—the potential for abuse and corruption by Elon, especially considering his track record, is pretty much limitless.

    “And it is not just Treasury—Musk and his henchman are launching a full-scale invasion of sensitive data systems across government. We are talking about the Small Business Administration. We are talking about NOAA. We are talking about Medicare. The reporting is now clear they are not just looking either—they are directly making changes to some of those critical systems.

    “This is not Silicon Valley—where you can just ‘move fast and break things.’ When you break things here—people don’t get their health care, they don’t get their Social Security checks, they don’t get crucial warnings and lifesaving information.

    “And anyone who thinks—’well, that surely won’t happen’—has not been paying attention. Because just this week, Elon Musk and Donald Trump put Americans in danger.

    “We have citizens in dangerous corners of the world who were suddenly locked out of their emails and they were cut off from an app that is meant to help address threats like kidnapping—so no one should be shrugging this off and just saying ‘well what’s the worst that could happen.’ Because this can get really, really bad really, really fast.

    “And if anyone is thinking ‘well it’s okay, we have guardrails, we have laws’—make no mistake, even though Trump and Musk have absolutely zero legal authority to hold up any federal payments that are law, this has not stopped them so far.

    “As we’ve seen—they are already halting other funds illegally, they are already firing government watchdogs and officials left and right, regardless of our laws. They are already putting forward blatantly unconstitutional executive orders.

    “The fact of the matter is—Trump and Musk have yet to find a law they think applies to them. They think because they are rich and powerful, they get to call all the shots—regardless of the courts, regardless of Congress. That is just not how things work in this country.

    “Billionaires are not above the law. Neither are Presidents. We do not have a monarchy, where a President is king. We do not have an oligarchy, where the richest people get the largest say. We, in this country, have a democracy—if we can keep it—where each citizen has a vote. We have checks and balances—where the President is accountable to the Congress and to the people, where he has to follow the laws we pass.

    “But some of my colleagues across the aisle seem to be forgetting that our democracy does not work by magic. We have to do our part, our part here to hold Presidents accountable. Our job is not to say ‘yes’ to everything the President does—no matter how lawless or harmful. Our job is not to shrug our shoulders or cover our eyes. It is to fight for the people who sent us here—and to defend the Constitution.

    “So Democrats will be pushing back with the tools we have—we will speak out, we will press this administration, we will open investigations, and we will demand accountability—but one tool we do not have is a majority in Congress. So that means, M. President, our Republican colleagues have to say ‘enough.’ We need them to join us. We need them to stand up to the corruption and lawlessness and stand up for the people they represent.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Message to the Community on the Proposed State Budget

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    To the UConn Community:

    Earlier today, Governor Lamont released his proposed state biennial budget for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The governor proposes an appropriation of $234.6 million and $239.8 million for UConn and $123.1 million and $126.9 million for UConn Health, respectively. Both are less than the university requested. The State of Connecticut funds approximately 16% of the combined university budget overall this year.

    The university must take the time to thoroughly review the proposed budget to fully understand its implications if enacted as written. Along with other university leaders, Dr. Agwunobi and I look forward to testifying before the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee regarding the proposed budget and related issues on Feb. 19.

    Remember that today marks only the beginning of the state budget process and we look forward to working closely with the governor, OPM, and the General Assembly in the months ahead as the process unfolds.

    Overall, we have reasons to be optimistic about our university and its future.

    This year, UConn has set a record for applications at nearly 62,000, an impressive increase of 5,000 compared to last year’s historic high. This success underscores the unwavering confidence that students and families have in our outstanding faculty, more than 300 of whom rank among the most highly cited scholars worldwide. We are a vital force in building communities and advancing the state of Connecticut and our Husky pride is immense.

    Looking ahead, our focus will be building on our distinctive strengths. We are deeply committed to excellence and prioritizing our students, as demonstrated by our exceptional graduation rates. This year, 8,800 first-generation undergraduate students enrolled at UConn. The first-year retention of these students has increased from 86% to 89% in the last several years, an indication of the superb work of our faculty and staff in supporting these students.

    We are committed to cultivating a culture of innovation, leveraging technology like AI and data analytics, exploring new educational delivery models like online and hybrid programs, partnering with industry for applied learning, new revenue generation, and optimizing administrative processes to streamline operations.

    Our dedication to research is unparalleled and remains a cornerstone of our strength. We have successfully submitted major grants, including the SMART AI initiative, positioning Connecticut as a leader in AI smart manufacturing. In collaboration with Yale, we are pursuing what would be the largest grant in the history of the university: Connecticut Quantum Engine, totaling $160 million.

    UConn Health continues to go from strength to strength. Recognized by Newsweek for the last three years as one of the World’s Best Hospitals, UConn John Dempsey Hospital has received eight consecutive “A” patient-safety ratings by the Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization focused on quality and safety in American healthcare, and has been named top 15% in the nation for patient experience by Healthgrades.

    In addition to being Connecticut’s No.1 producer of physicians, surgeons, and dentists, the UConn Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine at UConn Health are highly competitive, with a year-over-year increase in applications. This year, the School of Medicine received more than 5,700 applicants for 112 available spots, and the School of Dental Medicine received 1,600 applicants for 52 available spots.

    As a result of the quality education these schools provide, 25% of physicians practicing in Connecticut and 65% of dentists in the state were trained at UConn Health. Forbes has also named UConn Health as one of the best places to work in Connecticut.

    Our fundraising efforts have reached new heights, with an average of more than $130 million raised in the past three years, a significant increase from the previous average of $85 million. We are gearing up to announce an open campaign on April 23, with an ambitious goal of $1.5 billion.

    Our crowning achievements will be predicated on successful outcomes for our students. A UConn degree is more than a piece of paper – it is a pathway to lifelong success. Our strategic vision is aligned with state and federal priorities, particularly in creating the “Industry of the Future.” Our research and educational initiatives will focus on the following key areas:

    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Quantum Information Science
    • Advanced Manufacturing
    • Biotechnology
    • Health
    • Humanities and Peace on Earth
    • Utilizing natural resources and advanced technologies to ensure clean water, air, and soil for all
    • Community prosperity and workforce development

    By capitalizing on our strengths, we will attract and retain top-tier faculty to spearhead transformative research efforts and recruit promising graduate students from across the nation and around the globe. We are committed to building and maintaining the infrastructure necessary to support groundbreaking research, fostering an innovative and entrepreneurial environment that drives economic development, particularly in emerging technologies such as AI, quantum science, and health sciences.

    As New England’s leading public land- and sea-grant research institution, UConn is powered by robust academics, world-class innovative research, a premier athletics program, and a dedicated community. Our students come from every town in the state, almost every state in the nation, and nearly 120 different countries.

    Finally, UConn’s contributions to Connecticut are not limited to the graduates shaped in our classrooms or the research that takes place on our campuses – it is also found in the countless programs and people who provide direct public services and outreach to Connecticut’s communities, making a direct impact in every corner of our state.

    UConn recently produced a sort of reference guide outlining many of these services available for use by individuals, communities, schools, municipal governments, and more. It contains important highlights, but it is not a comprehensive catalog of all the ways UConn serves the state and its communities as they are too numerous to list in a single publication.

    As always, our success depends on the continued hard work and commitment of our faculty, staff, and students, united as one community with shared priorities, goals, and far-reaching aspirations.

    Connecticut and UConn are inextricably linked; there is no Connecticut without UConn, and there is no UConn without Connecticut. By working collaboratively with state and federal partners, parents, donors, and alumni, we are poised to reach unprecedented heights in our mission.

    Radenka Maric
    UConn President

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ACCC denies authorisation for industry code on marketing of infant formula

    Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

    The ACCC has denied authorisation sought by the Infant Nutrition Council for an industry code which seeks to restrict the advertising and promotion of infant formula.

    The Infant Nutrition Council sought authorisation to continue to implement the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formula: Manufacturers and Importers Agreement (MAIF Agreement) and its associated guidelines for a further five years.

    The ACCC considers that the effectiveness of the MAIF Agreement is being undermined by several factors including its voluntary nature, its limited scope, and restrictions on its ability to capture the breadth of modern digital marketing methods.

    As such, the ACCC considers that the claimed public benefits are unlikely to arise, or are likely to occur with or without the MAIF Agreement. Further, the ACCC considers the conduct is likely to result in some competitive detriment.

    “We are not satisfied in all the circumstances that the MAIF Agreement is likely to result in public benefits that would outweigh the public detriments likely to result from it,” ACCC Acting Chair Mick Keogh said.

    MAIF Agreement

    The MAIF Agreement, initially established in 1992, has formed part of Australia’s response to its obligations as a signatory to the World Health Organisation’s International Code of Marketing Breast Milk Substitutes.

    The MAIF Agreement is a voluntary, self-regulatory code of conduct which aims to restrict those manufacturers and importers of infant formula who opt in to the agreement from advertising and promoting formula for infants up to 12 months of age. Its implementation requires ACCC authorisation as it forms an agreement between competitors not to market their infant formula products.

    “While the link between breastfeeding and improved health outcomes for mothers and children is undisputed, we are concerned there are several factors that undermine the effectiveness of the MAIF Agreement in protecting breastfeeding rates,” Mr Keogh said.

    “We are not satisfied that the MAIF Agreement and associated guidelines are likely to result in a net public benefit to justify authorisation and consider that they are likely to result in some public detriment through reduced competition between infant formula manufacturers and importers, compared to the future without the conduct.”

    Further information on the final determination is available on the ACCC’s public register at Infant Nutrition Council.

    Note to editors

    ACCC authorisation provides statutory protection from court action for conduct that might otherwise raise concerns under the competition provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act.

    Broadly, the ACCC may grant an authorisation when it is satisfied that the public benefit from the conduct outweighs any public detriment.

    Background

    The Infant Nutrition Council represents the majority of manufacturers and importers of infant formula in Australia.

    The Council applied for revocation of the existing authorisation and the substitution of a new one to continue to make and give effect to the MAIF Agreement and its associated guidelines for a further five years to ensure a framework remains in place while the Government prepares and implements its response to the independent review of the MAIF Agreement.

    In September 2024, the ACCC announced it was proposing to deny this authorisation and sought feedback from interested parties which raised broader health policy issues including whether restrictions on marketing of infant formula should extend to breastmilk substitutes for children over 12 months of age and to retailers.

    These issues go beyond the scope of the ACCC’s assessment of this application under competition law and are a matter for the Australian Government.

    The Department of Health and Aged Care commissioned an independent review of the MAIF Agreement which found that it is no longer fit for purpose and recommended that it be replaced with a stronger regulatory framework in the form of a legislated, prescribed, mandatory code.

    In a submission to the ACCC, the Department stated that the Government accepted this recommendation and intends to introduce a mandatory regime to restrict marketing of infant formula, which it expects would take two years to implement.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI: LNG Energy Group Announces New Director Appointments

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LNG Energy Group Corp. (TSXV: LNGE) (TSXV: LNGE.WT) (OTCQB: LNGNF) (FRA: E26) (the “Company” or “LNG Energy Group”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Chad McGuffin and Mr. Matt Molak to its Board of Directors of the Company, effective immediately.

    Mr. McGuffin is the President of Lewis Energy Group, L.P. (“LEG”) and Mr. Molak is the Chief Financial Officer of LEG. Effective immediately, Mr. Lawler and Mr. Jumper have resigned from the Board of Directors of the Company. The appointments are subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

    About LNG Energy Group

    The Company is focused on the acquisition and development of oil and gas exploration and production assets in Latin America.

    For more information, please see below:

    Website:
    www.lngenergygroup.com

    Investor Relations:
    Angel Roa, Chief Financial Officer
    Email: investor.relations@lngenergygroup.com
    Telephone: +57-321-943-9396

    Find us on social media:
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lng-energy-group-inc/
    Instagram: @lngenergygroup
    X: @LNGEnergyCorp

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