NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jordanian National Pleads Guilty to Explosives Threats and Attack on Energy Facility

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 44, of Orlando, pleaded guilty today to four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility.

    “With this plea, we are holding this defendant accountable for his threats to carry out hate-fueled mass violence in our country, motivated in part by his desire to ‘warn’ businesses because of their perceived support of Israel,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will fiercely protect the right of every person to peacefully express their opinions, beliefs, and ideas, but we have no tolerance for acts and threats of hate-fueled violence that create lasting fear.”

    “Today, the defendant is admitting he attacked a solar power facility, damaged a number of Florida businesses, and left a series of threatening messages about perceived support for Israel,” said Director Christopher Wray of the FBI. “Violence, destruction of property, and threats are simply unacceptable. The FBI will work with our partners to pursue and hold accountable those who commit illegal and destructive acts and cause our citizens to fear for their safety and livelihoods.”

    According to court documents, beginning around June, Hnaihen targeted and attacked businesses in the Orlando area for their perceived support for Israel. Wearing a mask, under the cover of night, Hnaihen smashed the glass front doors of businesses and left behind “Warning Letters.”

    In his letters, which were addressed to the U.S. government, Hnaihen laid out a series of political demands, culminating in a threat to “destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel.”

    Hnaihen’s attacks escalated. At the end of June, as law enforcement worked to identify the masked attacker, Hnaihen broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, and spent hours systematically destroying solar panel arrays. He smashed panels, cut wires, and targeted critical electronic equipment. Hnaihen left behind two more copies of his threatening demand letter. Hnaihen’s attacks caused nearly $500,000 in damage.

    Following a multiagency effort, law enforcement identified Hnaihen and arrested him on July 11, shortly after another “warning letter” threatening to “destroy or explode everything” was discovered at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando.

    Hnaihen faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each threat offense and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the destruction of an energy facility offense. Hnaihen has also agreed to make full restitution to the victims of the offenses. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Ryan White and George Kraehe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Joins Lawsuit Against Former Executives of Kabbage Inc. Alleging False Claims Act Violations in Connection with Paycheck Protection Program Lending

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    The United States has intervened and filed a complaint against Robert Frohwein, Kathryn Petralia and Spencer Robinson, three former executives of Kabbage Inc., a now-bankrupt financial technology company. The United States alleges that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting and causing the submission of false claims for loan forgiveness, loan guarantees and processing fees to the Small Business Administration (SBA) in connection with Kabbage’s participation in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

    “The PPP was intended to provide critical assistance to eligible businesses during the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to ensuring that PPP lenders — including their executives — are held accountable for contributing to the misuse of PPP funds by knowingly failing to comply with applicable program requirements, including approving PPP loans in inflated amounts and to ineligible borrowers.”

    Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide federally guaranteed loans to small businesses suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The SBA administered the PPP. The CARES Act authorized private lenders to approve PPP loans for eligible borrowers who could later seek forgiveness of the loans so long as they used loan funds on employee payroll and other eligible expenses. Among other things, participating PPP lenders were required to confirm borrowers’ average monthly payroll costs by reviewing the payroll documentation submitted with the borrower’s application. Lenders were also required to follow applicable Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering requirements to help combat fraud. Any unforgiven or defaulted PPP loans made by lenders were guaranteed by the SBA, so long as the lenders adhered to PPP requirements. Lenders who originated PPP loans were paid a fixed fee calculated as a percentage of the loan amount by the SBA.

    According to the government’s complaint, Frohwein and Petralia co-founded Kabbage in 2008 and served as the company’s chief executive officer and president, respectively, while Robinson formerly served as the company’s head of strategy. Kabbage was approved as a PPP lender in 2020 and approved more than $7 billion in PPP loans that year for which the company was paid more than $217 million in processing fees after certifying that it had complied with all applicable lending requirements.

    The complaint alleges that, between April and October 2020, the defendants knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims for loan guarantees, loan forgiveness and processing fees relating to tens of thousands of PPP loans that were systemically inflated due to calculation errors by Kabbage. These errors allegedly included Kabbage’s double-counting of state and local taxes paid by employees and the failure to exclude annual compensation in excess of $100,000 per employee from its calculation of payroll costs. Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that the defendants knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims for processing fees related to tens of thousands of PPP loans where Kabbage failed to implement appropriate fraud controls. The government’s complaint alleges that the defendants ignored these violations to maximize PPP processing fees before selling off the majority of Kabbage’s assets in October 2020.

    Kabbage Inc., which is now winding down its operations as KServicing Wind Down Corp. after filing for bankruptcy in the wake of the 2020 asset sale, previously agreed to resolve allegations relating to its role in the submission of false claims to the SBA. As part of that settlement, the United States received a general unsecured claim in the bankruptcy proceeding of up to $120 million, and the company received a credit for $12.5 million that Kabbage returned to SBA during the department’s investigation.

    “The PPP was a light providing hope to businesses in the midst of the shadow of a global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs for the Eastern District of Texas. “Unfortunately, some unscrupulous lenders and executives took advantage of that situation by lining their pockets with ill-gotten incentive payments from processing PPP loans despite not performing even the most cursory fraud checks or reviews of borrower documentation. Individuals who shirked their responsibilities at the expense of the public fisc must be held accountable. This lawsuit against Kabbage’s former executives demonstrates our firm commitment to holding all parties responsible for their part in causing the submission of false claims to the PPP.”

    “SBA’s lending partners have a responsibility to ensure only eligible borrowers gain access to SBA’s programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Brady Ipock of the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG)’s Central Region. “SBA OIG stands ready to support the Justice Department in rooting out greed and wrongful actions. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their support and dedication to pursuing justice in this case.”

    The lawsuit was originally filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Paul Pietschner, a former analyst in Kabbage’s collections department. The FCA permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in any recovery. The FCA also permits the United States to intervene in such an action, as it has done in this case. A defendant who violates the act is subject to liability for three times the government’s losses, plus applicable penalties. 

    On May 17, 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across the federal government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international actors committing civil and criminal fraud and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by visiting the webpage of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, which can be found here. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can also report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    Trial Attorney Sarah E. Loucks of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Betty Young for the Eastern District of Texas are handling the matter, with assistance provided by the SBA’s Office of General Counsel and Office of the Inspector General.

    The case is captioned United States ex rel. Pietschner v. Kabbage, Inc., et al., No. 4:21-cv-110-SDJ (EDTX).

    The claims asserted by the United States are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Medicare Advantage Provider Independent Health to Pay Up To $98M to Settle False Claims Act Suit

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Independent Health Association and its affiliate, Independent Health Corporation (collectively, Independent Health) have agreed to pay up to $98 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting or causing the submission of invalid diagnosis codes to Medicare for Medicare Advantage Plan enrollees to increase payments that Independent Health received from Medicare. Independent Health is headquartered in Buffalo, New York.

    Under Medicare Advantage, also known as the Medicare Part C program, Medicare beneficiaries have the option of enrolling in managed care insurance plans called Medicare Advantage Plans (MA Plans). MA Plans are paid a per-person amount to provide Medicare-covered benefits to beneficiaries who enroll in one of their plans. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which oversees the Medicare program, adjusts the payments to MA Plans based on demographic information and the diagnoses of each plan beneficiary. The adjustments are commonly referred to as “risk scores.” In general, a beneficiary with diagnoses more expensive to treat will have a higher risk score, and CMS will make a larger risk-adjusted payment to the MA Plan for that beneficiary.

    Independent Health operates MA plans for beneficiaries living in western New York. As alleged by the United States, Independent Health created a wholly owned subsidiary, DxID LLC, to retrospectively search medical records and query physicians for information that would support additional diagnoses that could be used to generate higher risk scores, and DxID provided these services to Independent Health and other MA Plans. The United States filed a complaint alleging that, from 2011 through at least 2017, Independent Health, with the assistance of DxID and its founder and chief executive, Betsy Gaffney, knowingly submitted diagnoses to CMS that were not supported by the beneficiaries’ medical records in order to inflate Medicare’s payments to Independent Health.

    “The government expects those who participate in Medicare Advantage to provide accurate information to ensure that proper payments are made for the care received by enrolled beneficiaries,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s result sends a clear message to the Medicare Advantage community that the United States will take appropriate action against those who knowingly submit inflated claims for reimbursement.”

    “To protect the integrity of Medicare and other federal health care programs, my office is committed to ensuring that each and every dollar meant for Medicare beneficiaries is spent appropriately and in accordance with the law,” said U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross for the Western District of New York. “As this settlement makes clear, we will diligently pursue those who defraud government programs.”

    “Medicare Advantage Plans that attempt to game federal programs for profit must be held accountable through rigorous oversight and enforcement,” said Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraud, waste and abuse in federal health care programs.”

    Under the terms of the settlement, Independent Health will make guaranteed payments of $34,500,000 and contingent payments of up to $63,500,000 on behalf it itself and DxID, which ceased operations in 2021. The settlement is based on Independent Health’s ability to pay. Gaffney will separately pay $2,000,000.

    In connection with the settlement, Independent Health entered into a five-year corporate integrity agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG. The CIA requires, among other things, that Independent Health hire an Independent Review Organization to annually review a sample of Independent Health’s Medicare Advantage patients’ medical records and associated internal controls to help ensure appropriate risk adjustment payments.

    The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Teresa Ross, a former employee of Group Health Cooperative, now Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington (Kaiser). Under the qui tam provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The Act permits the government to intervene in such lawsuits as it has done in this case. Ms. Ross will receive at least $8,212,500 of the settlement announced today. Ms. Ross also alleged that Kaiser employed DxID to identify additional diagnoses to be submitted to Medicare for risk adjustment, and the United States previously settled those claims with Kaiser.

    The United States’ intervention in this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to HHS, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    Attorneys Samson Asiyanbi and David Wiseman of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Coriell and investigator Peggy McFarland for the Western District of New York handled the matter, with assistance from the HHS-OIG Buffalo Regional Office.

    The case is captioned United States ex rel. Ross v. Independent Health Association et al., No. 12-CV-0299(S) (WDNY).

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

    View the settlement here.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Proclamation to Implement the United  States-Israel Agreement on Trade in Agricultural Products and for Other  Purposes

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
         1.  On April 22, 1985, the United States and Israel entered into the Agreement on the Establishment of a Free Trade Area between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Israel (USIFTA), which the Congress approved in section 3 of the United States–Israel Free Trade Area Implementation Act of 1985 (the “USIFTA Implementation Act”) (Public Law 99-47, 99 Stat. 82 (19 U.S.C. 2112 note)).  Section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act provides that, whenever the President determines that it is necessary to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, the President may proclaim such withdrawal, suspension, modification, or continuance of any duty, or such continuance of existing duty-free or excise treatment, or such additional duties, as the President determines to be required or appropriate to carry out the USIFTA.  In order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to agricultural trade with Israel, on July 27, 2004, the United States entered into an agreement with Israel concerning certain aspects of trade in agricultural products during the period January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2008 (United States-Israel Agreement Concerning Certain Aspects of Trade in Agricultural Products (the “2004 Agreement”)).     2.  In Proclamation 7826 of October 4, 2004, the President determined, pursuant to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act and consistent with the 2004 Agreement, that, in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, it was necessary to provide duty-free access into the United States through December 31, 2008, for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel.  Each year from 2008 through 2023, the United States and Israel entered into agreements to extend the period that the 2004 Agreement was in force for 1-year periods to allow additional time for the two governments to conclude an agreement to replace the 2004 Agreement.  To carry out the extension agreements, the President in Proclamations 8334 of December 31, 2008; 8467 of December 23, 2009; 8618 of December 21, 2010; 8770 of December 29, 2011; 8921 of December 20, 2012; 9072 of December 23, 2013; 9223 of December 23, 2014; 9383 of December 21, 2015; 9555 of December 15, 2016; 9687 of December 22, 2017; 9834 of December 21, 2018; 9974 of December 26, 2019; 10128 of December 22, 2020; 10326 of December 23, 2021; 10509 of December 23, 2022; and 10692 of December 29, 2023, modified the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) to provide duty-free access into the United States for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel, each time for an additional 1-year period.  On October 31, 2024, the United States entered into an agreement with Israel to extend the period that the 2004 Agreement is in force through December 31, 2025, and to allow for further negotiations on an agreement to replace the 2004 Agreement.  Pursuant to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act, I have determined that it is necessary, in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, to provide duty-free access into the United States through the close of December 31, 2025, for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel, as provided in Annex I of this proclamation.    3.  Proclamation 10053 of June 29, 2020, implemented the Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada (USMCA) with respect to the United States and, pursuant to section 103 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (the “USMCA Implementation Act”) (Public Law 116-113, 134 Stat. 11, 15-17 (19 U.S.C. 4513)), incorporated in the HTS the tariff modifications and rules of origin necessary or appropriate to carry out the USMCA.    4.  In order to provide generally for the preferential tariff treatment being accorded under the USMCA, to set forth rules for determining whether goods imported into the customs territory of the United States are eligible for preferential tariff treatment under the USMCA, to provide tariff-rate quotas with respect to certain originating goods of Canada, and to provide certain other treatment to originating goods for purposes of the USMCA, Proclamation 10053 modified the HTS as set forth in Annex I of Publication 5060 of the United States International Trade Commission (the “Commission”), entitled “Modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to Implement the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement” (Publication 5060), including by adding general note 11.  Proclamation 10053 further modified the HTS to reflect the termination of tariff treatment under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), as set forth in Annex III of Publication 5060, including by deleting general note 12.     5.  In order to implement the initial stage of duty reduction provided for in the USMCA, to provide for future staged reductions in duties for originating goods provided for in the USMCA, and to provide tariff-rate quotas with respect to certain goods provided for in the USMCA, Proclamation 10053 modified the HTS as set forth in Annex II of Publication 5060.      6.  A technical error was made in the modifications to U.S. note 3(d) to subchapter II of chapter 98 of the HTS, and certain references to general note 12 were inadvertently not modified.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the USMCA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.      7.  Proclamation 7987 of February 28, 2006, implemented the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) with respect to the United States and, pursuant to section 201 of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the “DR-CAFTA Act”) (Public Law 109-53, 119 Stat. 462, 467 (19 U.S.C. 4001 note)), incorporated in the HTS the tariff modifications and rules of origin necessary or appropriate to carry out certain provisions of the DR-CAFTA.      8.  A rule of origin under the DR-CAFTA, found in general note 29 to the HTS, contains a reference to general note 12.  Proclamation 10053 deleted general note 12 but omitted a conforming change to the reference in general note 29.  I have determined that an additional modification to the HTS is necessary or appropriate to reflect this conforming change.     9.  Section 602 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260, 134 Stat. 1182, 2152-54), made technical corrections to other laws, including replacing certain references to the NAFTA with references to the USMCA in sections 112 and 113(b) of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (the “AGOA”) (title I of Public Law 106-200, 114 Stat. 251, 258-265 (19 U.S.C. 3721, 3722(b))), as amended by the Africa Investment Incentive Act of 2006 (title VI of Public Law 109-432, 120 Stat. 2922, 3190-94), and in sections 212(a), 213(b), and 213A(b) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (the “CBERA”) (title II of Public Law 98-67, 97 Stat. 369, 384-85, 388 (19 U.S.C. 2702(a)(1), 2703(b), 2703a(b))), as amended by the United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (title II of Public Law 106-200, 114 Stat. 251, 275-288), the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2006 (title V of Public Law 109-432, 109 Stat. 2922, 3181-87), and the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2008 (subtitle D of Public Law 110-234, 122 Stat. 923, 1527-47).    10.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the AGOA and the CBERA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.    11.  Section 104(c) of the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 (the “TPEA”) (Public Law 114–27, 129 Stat. 362, 365 (19 U.S.C. 2466a note)) authorizes the President to proclaim modifications that may be necessary to add the special tariff treatment symbol “D” in the “Special” subcolumn of the HTS for each article classified under a heading or subheading with the special tariff treatment symbol “A” or “A” in the “Special” subcolumn of the HTS.  Pursuant to section 104(c) of the TPEA, Proclamation 9466 of June 30, 2016, modified the HTS to add the special tariff treatment symbol “D” in the HTS as set forth in Annex III of that proclamation.     12.  The modifications to the HTS authorized in Proclamation 9466 included certain technical errors.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the AGOA, as authorized by section 104(c) of the TPEA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.     13.  Proclamation 6763 of December 23, 1994, implemented, with respect to the United States, the trade agreements resulting from the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, including Schedule XX-United States of America, annexed to the Marrakesh Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (Schedule XX), that were entered into pursuant to sections 1102(a) and (e) of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (the “1988 Act”) (Public Law 100-418, 102 Stat. 1107, 1126 (19 U.S.C. 2902(a) and (e))), as amended by Public Law 103-49, 107 Stat. 239, and approved in section 101(a) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (the “URAA”) (Public Law 103-465, 108 Stat. 4809, 4814–15 (19 U.S.C. 3511(a))).      14.  Pursuant to the authority provided in section 111 of the URAA (19 U.S.C. 3521) and sections 1102(a) and (e) of the 1988 Act (19 U.S.C. 2902(a) and (e)), Proclamation 6763 included the staged reductions in rates of duty that the President determined to be necessary or appropriate to carry out the terms of Schedule XX.     15.  Section 1205(a) of the 1988 Act (102 Stat. 1150 (19 U.S.C. 3005(a))) directs the Commission to keep the HTS under continuous review and to periodically recommend to the President such modifications to the HTS as the Commission considers necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes set forth in that subsection.     16.  Pursuant to sections 1205(c) and (d) of the 1988 Act (102 Stat. 1150-51 (19 U.S.C. 3005(c) and (d))), in 2010, 2015, and 2021, the Commission recommended modifications to the HTS to conform the HTS to amendments made to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System and the Protocol thereto (the “Convention”).     17.  Section 1206(a) of the 1988 Act (102 Stat. 1151 (19 U.S.C. 3006(a))) authorizes the President to proclaim modifications to the HTS based on the recommendations of the Commission under section 1205 of the 1988 Act if the President determines that the modifications are in conformity with United States obligations under the Convention and do not run counter to the national economic interest of the United States.     18.  Proclamation 8771 of December 29, 2011, Proclamation 9549 of December 1, 2016, and Proclamation 10326 of December 23, 2021, modified the HTS pursuant to section 1206 of the 1988 Act to conform the HTS to the amendments to the Convention.  However, the HTS modifications authorized in Proclamation 8771, Proclamation 9549, and Proclamation 10326 each included certain technical errors.     19.  Proclamation 8771 incorrectly modified the column 2 rate of duty for subheadings 0401.40.25 and 0401.50.25, and the “General” subcolumn rate of duty for column 1 and the column 2 rate of duty for subheading 6505.00.01.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment.     20.  Proclamation 9549 and Proclamation 10326 each created certain new subheadings with the special tariff treatment symbol “A” or “A” in the “Special” subcolumn of the HTS, but omitted the special tariff treatment symbol “D”.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the AGOA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.    21.  Proclamation 10326 also included technical errors with respect to other subheadings.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment, including the tariff treatment previously proclaimed in Proclamation 6763.    22.  In Proclamation 9705 of March 8, 2018, pursuant to section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (the “Trade Expansion Act”) (Public Law 87-794, 76 Stat. 872, 877 (19 U.S.C. 1862)), the President concurred with the finding of the Secretary of Commerce that steel articles, as defined in clause 1 of Proclamation 9705 (as amended by clause 8 of Proclamation 9711 of March 22, 2018), are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States, and decided to adjust the imports of steel articles by imposing a 25 percent ad valorem tariff on such articles imported from all countries except Canada and Mexico.  Proclamation 9740 of April 30, 2018, and Proclamation 9759 of May 31, 2018, modified the HTS to provide quotas with respect to steel articles imported from certain countries.  Proclamation 10328 of December 27, 2021, Proclamation 10356 of March 31, 2022, Proclamation 10406 of May 31, 2022, and Proclamation 10691 of December 28, 2023, modified the HTS to provide tariff-rate quotas with respect to steel articles imported from certain countries.     23.  On July 1, 2024, the Commission, in cooperation with the interagency Committee for Statistical Annotation of Tariff Schedules, implemented certain changes in 10-digit statistical reporting categories of the HTS under section 484(f) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (ch. 497, 46 Stat. 590, 723 (19 U.S.C. 1484(f))), as amended by section 637 of the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (Public Law 103-182, 107 Stat. 2057, 2202).  I have determined that certain conforming amendments to the HTS are necessary in order to ensure the maintenance of duty rates, quotas, and tariff-rate quotas for steel articles under tariff categories that were modified.    24.  Section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the “Trade Act”) (Public Law 93-618, 88 Stat. 1978, 2073 (19 U.S.C. 2483)), authorizes the President to embody in the HTS the substance of the relevant provisions of that Act, and of other acts affecting import treatment, and actions taken thereunder, including the removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any rate of duty or other import restriction.      NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including but not limited to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act, section 104(c) of the TPEA, section 1206(a) of the 1988 Act, section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, and section 604 of the Trade Act, do proclaim that:      (1)  In order to implement tariff commitments under the 2004 Agreement through December 31, 2025, the HTS is modified as set forth in Annex I of this proclamation.    (2)  The modifications and technical rectifications to the HTS made by Annex I of this proclamation shall enter into effect on the applicable dates set forth in Annex I of this proclamation.    (3)  In order to make the modifications and technical rectifications to the HTS described in paragraphs 3 through 24 of this proclamation, the HTS is modified as set forth in Annex II of this proclamation.  These modifications and technical rectifications shall enter into effect on the applicable dates set forth in Annex II of this proclamation.    (4)  Any provisions of previous proclamations and Executive Orders that are inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation are superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand thistwentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
                            JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2024 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United  States

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
         By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including chapter 47 of title 10, United States Code (Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. 801-946a), and in order to prescribe additions and amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, prescribed by Executive Order 12473 of April 13, 1984, as amended, it is hereby ordered as follows:
         Section 1.  Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V of the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, are amended as described in the Annex attached to and made a part of this order.
         Sec. 2.  With this order, I hereby prescribe regulations for the randomized selection of qualified personnel as members of a court-martial to the maximum extent practicable, pursuant to section 543 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, Public Law 117-263 (10 U.S.C. 825(e)(4)).
         Sec. 3.  Except as provided in sections 4 and 5 of this order, these amendments shall take effect on the date of this order, subject to the following:
         (a)  Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to make punishable any act committed or omitted prior to the date of this order that was not punishable when committed or omitted.
         (b)  Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to invalidate any nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action begun prior to the date of this order, and any such nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action may proceed in the same manner and with the same effect as if these amendments had not been prescribed.
         Sec. 4.  The amendments to Rule for Courts-Martial (R.C.M.) 908(c)(3), R.C.M. 1205(a), and R.C.M. 1209(a)(1) shall take effect on December 22, 2024, subject to the following:
         (a)  Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to make punishable any act committed or omitted prior to the effective date that was not punishable when committed or omitted.
         (b)  Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to invalidate any nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action begun prior to the  effective date, and any such nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action may proceed in the same manner and with the same effect as if these amendments had not been prescribed.
         Sec. 5.  The amendment to R.C.M. 503(a)(1) shall take effect on December 23, 2024, subject to the following:
         (a)  Nothing in this amendment shall be construed to make punishable any act committed or omitted prior to the effective date that was not punishable when committed or omitted.
         (b)  Nothing in this amendment shall be construed to invalidate any nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action begun prior to the  effective date, and any such nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action may proceed in the same manner and with the same effect as if this amendment had not been prescribed.
                                 JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        December 20, 2024.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Beverly Hills and Ventura County Men Indicted for Allegedly Running NFT Crypto Fraud that Conned Investors Out of More Than $22 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A six-count indictment was unsealed today charging two Southern California men with defrauding investors of more than $22 million in cryptocurrency through a series of digital asset project “rugpulls,” a type of fraud scheme in which the creator of a nonfungible token (NFT) or other digital asset project solicits funds from investors for the project and then abruptly abandons the project and fraudulently retains investors’ funds.

    Gabriel Hay, 23, of Beverly Hills, and Gavin Mayo, 23, of Thousand Oaks, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of stalking.

    Their arraignments are scheduled for this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

    “Whenever a new investment trend occurs, scammers are sure to follow,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “My office and our law enforcement partners will continue our efforts to protect consumers and punish wrongdoers involved in crypto fraud.”

    “Gabriel Hay and Gavin Mayo allegedly defrauded investors in digital asset projects of tens of millions of dollars and threatened an individual who attempted to expose their roles in these fraudulent schemes,” said Principal Deputy Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Fraudsters take advantage of new technologies and financial products to steal investors’ hard-earned money. The department is committed to protecting investors and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraud involving cryptocurrency and other digital assets and bring offenders to justice.”

    “For three years, Hay and Mayo allegedly lied to their investors in order to defraud them out of millions of dollars,” said HSI Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger. “Such technological fraud schemes cost investors millions of dollars every year. Just because such crimes aren’t violent does not mean they are victimless. HSI will continue to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle such cryptocurrency fraud networks.”

    According to court documents, from May 2021 to May 2024, Hay and Mayo sponsored several NFT and other digital asset projects and undertook promotional activities in support of those projects. Hay and Mayo allegedly made or caused others to make materially false and misleading statements regarding the digital asset projects being launched and provided false and misleading project “roadmaps” detailing plans for the NFTs or digital asset projects after their launch that the sponsors never intended to fulfill.

    For example, the indictment alleges that in promoting the Vault of Gems NFT project, Hay and Mayo falsely claimed that the project would be the “first NFT project to be pegged to a hard asset.” However, instead of pursuing the Vault of Gems project or others as they had represented they would, Hay and Mayo allegedly abandoned the projects after collecting millions in funds from investors.

    Hay, Mayo, and others allegedly used these tactics with a variety of other digital asset projects, including Vault of Gems, Faceless, Sinful Souls, Clout Coin, Dirty Dogs, Uncovered, MoonPortal, Squiggles, and Roost Coin. Hay and Mayo also allegedly used a variety of means to conceal their involvement in the fraudulent projects by falsely identifying other individuals or causing other individuals to be falsely identified as owners of the projects.

    When one project manager on the Faceless NFT project exposed Hay and Mayo as being behind that project, Hay and Mayo allegedly embarked on a harassment campaign against the project manager, sending or causing the sending of messages to the project manager and his parents for the purpose of intimidating him and his family and causing them great emotional distress.

    “Using NFTs to commit fraud not only exploits emerging technology but also erodes trust in the broader digital ecosystem,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “The alleged actions of Hay and Mayo, who defrauded investors out of millions over several years, highlight the profound harm these schemes cause. These crimes may not involve violence, but they leave countless victims in their wake. HSI remains dedicated to exposing and dismantling cryptocurrency fraud schemes to protect investors and ensure that technological advancements are used to drive progress, not deception.”

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and wire fraud counts and a maximum penalty of five years on the stalking count.

    The HSI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case.

    Assistant United States Attorney Maxwell K. Coll of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Tian Huang and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, both members of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET), are prosecuting this case.

    The NCET was established to combat the growing illicit use of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. Within the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the NCET conducts and supports investigations into individuals and entities that are enabling the use of digital assets to commit and facilitate a variety of crimes, with a particular focus on virtual currency exchanges, mixing and tumbling services, and infrastructure providers. The NCET also works to set strategic priorities regarding digital asset technologies, identify areas for increased investigative and prosecutorial focus, and lead the department’s efforts to collaborate with domestic and foreign government agencies as well as the private sector to aggressively investigate and prosecute crimes involving cryptocurrency and digital assets. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Meloni’s statement on Magdeburg Christmas market attack

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    20 Dicembre 2024

    I am deeply shocked by the brutal attack against a defenceless crowd at the Christmas market in Magdeburg. Mine and the entire government’s sympathies go to the families of the victims, the injured and all of the German people. There can be no room for violence in our democracies.

    [Courtesy translation]

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Amid Growing Strength of Terrorist Groups in Sahel, West Africa, Senior Official Urges Security Council to Scale Up Support within Regional Frameworks

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    In a region grappling with escalating threats due to violent non-State actors, civic restrictions, political transitions and heightened humanitarian needs, the head of UN efforts in West Africa and the Sahel called on the Security Council for scaled up support within regional frameworks, as speakers welcomed small signs of progress on the democratic front.

    Leonardo Santos Simão, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), presenting the latest Secretary-General’s report (document S/2024/871), reported that he just attended the 15 December Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Summit, where Heads of State took note of the decision of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to withdraw from the organization.  ECOWAS responded with an offer of six months for dialogue to encourage those countries to remain, he added.  Regional leaders unanimously acknowledge insecurity as the region’s most urgent concern, with terrorists becoming increasingly aggressive, and utilizing sophisticated weaponry, including drones, he said, also drawing attention the spread, beyond the Sahel, of violent extremism and organized crime to northern Benin and Togo, and the Gulf of Guinea countries.

    To address such threats, he called for the Council to scale up support within regional frameworks.  While the announced operationalization of the ECOWAS Standby Force is a positive step, the Group of Five for the Sahel (G5 Sahel) joint force has ceased operations, and the Accra Initiative is undergoing restructuring, to model the Multinational Joint Task Force, “the primary security cooperation mechanism in the Lake Chad Basin region, and the only functioning platform for cooperation on regional security in West Africa and the Sahel”.  He went on to highlight a trip in November to Chad with Special Representative Abdou Abarry, Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), during which they met the Lake Chad Basin Commission as well as a camp for internally displaced persons — of whom the country presently hosts 2 million, amid severe flooding, with the worsening humanitarian situation in other countries leading to further displacement.  In this context, he urged support for the underfunded humanitarian appeal, which is less than 50 per cent funded.  Addressing climate resilience, he spotlighted meetings held between stakeholders to discuss the transboundary management of water at the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, and welcomed the visit, in December, of the Council’s informal expert group on climate change, peace and security to the Lake Chad Basin region.

    On human rights issues, he deplored the closing of 8,200 schools in the region, due to insecurity and expressed concern about persisting human rights violations and civic restrictions in Guinea and Central Sahel.  However, he welcomed progress in fighting impunity, citing the conviction of those responsible for the 2009 Guinea stadium massacre.  Detailing progress in the region on the democratic front, he noted his visit to Ghana during the presidential and legislative elections; as well as taking note of legislative elections in Senegal on 17 November, Côte d’Ivoire on track to its 2025 presidential elections and Liberia making progress in democratic consolidation.  However, in Guinea-Bissau, the parliamentary elections planned for November 2024 have been postponed sine die, he said, also pointing out that, in the Gambia, 2025 will be a critical year for the adoption of constitutional reforms, due to a political environment in which consensus has eroded.

    The Council also heard from Levinia Addae-Mensah, Executive Director, West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, a network encompassing 750 civil society organizations across the region, who described a “heightened security threat profile”, leading to expanding zones of instability and ungoverned spaces in the region, due to recent democratic transformations and security challenges stemming from the growing strength of terrorist and violent extremist groups in the Sahel and some coastal States.  Citing data from the group’s early warning system indicates that 76 per cent of armed attacks occurred around tri-border communities with inadequate State presence, she pointed out that “cascaded negative effects” of such dynamics led to challenges, including the closing of 12,000 schools, exacerbating the vulnerability of girls to early marriage, female genital mutilation and trafficking.

    Despite these challenges, she took note of positive trends, including progress towards democratic governance in Liberia, Senegal and Ghana; strengthened early warning systems and response mechanisms; and development of national and local infrastructures for peace.  Despite the shrinking of civic spaces, her organization is strengthening resilience through initiatives, such as Security Consultative Committees, which it introduced in Mali, she said, pointing out that such “a dichotomous reality” underscores the value of organic approaches to peacebuilding.  In closing, she highlighted processes that presented opportunities to reset approaches to addressing threats in the region, including the 2025 review of United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture and the Africa Facility to Support Inclusive Transitions.

    In the ensuing discussion, many speakers echoed concerns about the security situation in the region, with several urging support for regional security initiatives. Among them was the representative of Sierra Leone, co-penholder on the file, speaking also for Algeria, Guyana and Mozambique, who urged predictable funding for regional security mechanisms, spotlighting the importance of the Multinational Joint Task Force in fighting terrorist groups in the Lake Chad Basin, and the potential of a fully operationalized Accra Initiative in addressing security threats, including the recruitment and radicalization of young people in the region.

    Switzerland’s delegate called for a holistic approach to security, stressing that insecurity also hinders the improvement of the socioeconomic and humanitarian situation in the region.  Voicing alarm about the persistence and spread of armed conflict, terrorism and violent extremism, she said:  “It is necessary to engage in actions to maintain and promote dialogue and social cohesion, and to tackle the root causes of fragility.”

    The representative of the Republic of Korea concurred, pointing out that the “lack of coordinated regional responses and fragmented counter-terrorism efforts heighten the risk of terrorist expansion across the Central Sahel and into coastal States”.  He therefore encouraged ECOWAS and regional States to foster effective collaboration to counter terrorism and transnational organized crime, an appeal echoed by the representative of Japan.

    Also on the security front, the United Kingdom underscored that “private military security companies — like the Wagner Group and Africa Corps — are not the answer”.  Rather, these entities have a track record of worsening existing conflicts and undermining long-term development and stability.  On the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the region, he called for more humanitarian access, highlighting his Government’s support for more than 16 million people in the Sahel since 2019.

    Similarly, the representative of the United States, Council President for December, speaking in her national capacity, warned that, amid Governments’ struggle to reclaim control over territory, leaders who engage in heavy-handed counter-terrorism tactics, while neglecting to address the drivers of marginalization, are only worsening the security situation.

    However, the Russian Federation’s delegate countered that the fractious security situation “is the heavy burden of the consequences of the military aggression waged by Western countries against Libya — a burden borne, to this day, by all States in the region”.  Long-term stability in the Sahel requires the international community to support Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso “who stand at the forefront of the fight against pan-African terrorist groups”, she added, also stressing that the Council should respect the decision by members of the Alliance of Sahel States to leave ECOWAS.

    Meanwhile, China’s delegate called for the international community to “maintain necessary patience” with countries in transition and provide them with “small constructive support”. Countries in the region must foster collective security and continuously enhance counter-terrorism cooperation, he said.  To that end, his country, as announced at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in September, will provide expertise and support to the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism and United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism Programme Office for Counter-Terrorism and Training in Africa.

    Malta’s delegate was among several speakers highlighting democratic concerns, welcoming Ghana’s introduction of a 40 to 50 per cent target of women in elected and appointed positions.  However, she urged transitional Governments to adhere to previously agreed electoral timelines, pointing to postponed elections in Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso, as well as similar negative trends in the Gambia and Nigeria.

    Addressing the humanitarian picture, Guyana’s representative, also speaking for Switzerland, as the Council’s informal co-focal points on conflict and hunger, noted that, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 48.6  million people throughout the region were projected to experience food insecurity in the “critical June and August lean period”, mainly due to worsening security conditions in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria.  She called for increased international support, particularly in capacity-building; respect for international humanitarian law to protect humanitarian personnel, as well as objects indispensable to civilian survival; and a comprehensive overview that acknowledges the interrelated nature of existing and emerging challenges, including food insecurity.

    Many delegates drew attention to the exacerbating impact of climate change on the regional humanitarian situation, including Ecuador’s representative, who called on the international community to intensify its efforts in providing aid, and Slovenia’s delegate, who warned that:  “Crop failures, combined with the local grievances and ongoing instability create a fertile ground for recruitment by extremist armed groups.”  In this context, she echoed the Secretary-General’s call for countries in the region and ECOWAS to develop conflict-sensitive climate adaptation plans as part of comprehensive peacebuilding strategies.

    France’s representative concurred, observing that, by making access to resources difficult, climate change impacts “are an additional hurdle in West Africa”.  France has therefore renewed its support to regional climate, peace and security mechanisms to address these challenges.  He added that improving the situation in the region requires a peaceful political climate, common commitment by all actors to pursue dialogue, a return to constitutional order and universal respect for human rights and the freedoms of association and expression.

    NEW – Follow real-time meetings coverage on our LIVE blog.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Manitoba Government Tax Credits for Homeowners, Renters to Save Manitobans Money in 2025

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    December 20, 2024

    Manitoba Government Tax Credits for Homeowners, Renters to Save Manitobans Money in 2025

    Manitoba government tax credits introduced in Budget 2024 and coming into effect in the new year will put more money into the pockets of Manitoba homeowners and renters, Finance Minister Adrien Sala announced today.

    “The previous government wanted to give breaks to out-of-province billionaires. We’re taking a different approach,” said Sala. “These new tax credits will provide help for all Manitobans, but particularly those who need it most.”

    Introduced in Budget 2024, the $1,500 Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit will benefit more than 80 per cent of Manitobans, the minister noted.

    The School Tax Rebate for farm properties is being maintained at 50 per cent as part of the Manitoba government’s commitment to support producers and their families, noted the minister.

    This new tax change will make it easier for young Manitobans to buy their first home and easier for homeowners to afford their mortgage payments, the minister added.

    Starting in the new year, the maximum Renter’s Tax Credit will be increased to $575, which marks the first step to the Manitoba government’s four-year commitment of fully restoring the Renter’s Tax Credit to $700. 

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sixteen Cardiology Practices to Pay a Total of $17.7M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Concerning Inflated Medicare Reimbursements

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    Sixteen separate cardiology practices and associated physicians, located across 12 states, have agreed to pay amounts totaling $17,761,564 to resolve allegations that they each violated the False Claims Act by overbilling Medicare for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals.

    Diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals are radioisotopes bound to biological molecules that target specific organs, tissues or cells within the human body and are used to diagnose and, in some cases, treat certain cancers and diseases. In 13 states and the District of Columbia, Medicare Part B reimburses healthcare providers for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals based on the provider’s acquisition cost. In those jurisdictions, Medicare’s contractors have published guidance explaining the reimbursement methodology and providers’ obligation to accurately report their invoice costs for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals. The government alleged that the settling cardiology practices regularly reported inflated acquisition costs to Medicare for these drugs. In each of the settlements, the conduct occurred for at least a year, and in some instances, the conduct extended over a period of more than 10 years.

    “The financial stability of federal healthcare programs depends upon providers complying with applicable billing rules,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We are committed to ensuring that Medicare funds are expended appropriately and to pursuing those who knowingly fail to do so.”

    The settling medical practices and associated physicians have agreed to pay the following amounts:

    • Western Kentucky Heart & Lung Associates PSC and Mohammed Kazimuddin ($6,750,000)
    • Heart Clinic of Paris P.A. and Arjumand Hashmi ($2,600,000)
    • Scranton Cardiovascular Physician Services LLC ($2,369,111)
    • Shannon Clinic ($996,856)
    • Edward W. Leahey M.D. Professional Association and Edward Leahey ($894,679)
    • Metropolitan Cardiovascular Consultants LLC and Ayim Djamson ($846,888)
    • Cardiology Center of New Jersey LLC, Mario Criscito, Frank Iacovone, and Sameer Kaul ($740,000)
    • Clovis Cardiology Associates LLC and Mahamadu Fuseini ($600,000)
    • Family Medical Specialty Clinic PLLC, Melecio Abordo, and June Abadilla ($409,594)
    • James R. Higgins M.D. Inc. and James Higgins ($395,537)
    • TrustCare Health LLC ($279,407)
    • Taj Medical Inc. ($240,000)
    • White River Diagnostic Clinic PLC, Margaret Kuykendall, and Seth Barnes ($234,490)
    • Veinguard Heart & Vascular Center P.C. and Fareeha Khan ($195,000)
    • Boulder Medical Center PC ($160,000)
    • Wellspring Cardiac Care P.A. ($50,000).

    “Practices and providers who overcharge the government and fail to return overpayments compromise our healthcare programs,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “When people see the wrong and report it, we have the tool we need to put a stop to this type of irresponsible conduct. So, I applaud the whistleblowers who came forward in this case.”

    “These practitioners overbilled the Medicare program by grossly exaggerating the acquisition costs of drugs used in diagnostic imaging of the heart,” said U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “This office is committed to protecting our federal health care programs, and we will hold accountable anyone who seeks to exploit them.”

    “Medicare providers are required to be honest and accurate in the costs they report for reimbursement,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate alleged false claims act violations and ensure the integrity of the Medicare program. ”

    The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by relators Jasjit Walia and Preet Randhawa in the District of Columbia and the Western District of Kentucky. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The whistleblowers will receive a total of more than $2.7 million from the settlements announced today.

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Columbia and Western District of Kentucky, with assistance from the HHS Office of Counsel to the Inspector General and Office of Investigations.

    The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    Trial Attorney James Nealon of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Schecter, Matt Weyand, John Truong and Stephen DeGenaro for the District of Columbia handled the matter.

    The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

    View the Heart Clinic of Paris settlement agreement here.

    View the Leahey settlement agreement here.

    View the Scranton settlement agreement here.

    View the Metropolitan settlement agreement here.

    View the Shannon Clinic settlement agreement here.

    View the Family Medical Specialty Clinic settlement agreement here.

    View the Taj Medical settlement agreement here.

    View the TrustCare settlement agreement here.

    View the Veinguard settlement agreement here.

    View the Wellspring settlement agreement here.

    View the White River settlement agreement here.

    View the WKHL settlement agreement here.

    View the Boulder Medical Center settlement agreement here.

    View the CCNJ settlement agreement here.

    View the Clovis settlement agreement here.

    View the Higgins settlement agreement here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta: City of Goleta Unlawfully Rejected Affordable Housing Application

    Source: US State of California

    Friday, December 20, 2024

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed an amicus brief in the Santa Barbara County Superior Court in support of a proposed affordable housing project in Goleta. Located in Santa Barbara County, Goleta is experiencing an acute housing shortage, and approximately 75 percent of lower-income renter households and 64 percent of lower-income owner households in Goleta are spending more than 30% of their income on housing. Housing is generally considered unaffordable when more than 30% of a household’s income goes toward housing costs. A housing development project by the Shelby Family Partnership would create 56 single-family homes, 13 of which would be affordable to lower-income households. On December 5, 2023, Goleta unlawfully refused to accept a preliminary application that simply sought to add the aforementioned affordable homes to the housing project under the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (Senate Bill 330). The land at issue is not productive agriculturally and is surrounded on all sides by existing homes and residentially zoned land.  

    “Goleta’s refusal to accept an application that would add desperately-needed affordable housing is both deeply disappointing and unlawful,” said Attorney General Bonta. “As I’ve said many times before, no city or county alone will be able to solve our state’s housing crisis, but they all can and must do something. We respectfully urge the Santa Barbara County Superior Court to order Goleta to process this application and allow the affordable housing project to move forward.”

    Two state laws are the focus of Attorney General Bonta’s amicus brief: Senate Bill 330 and the Housing Accountability Act (HAA). Authored by Senator Skinner (D-Berkeley), Senate Bill 330 was intended to boost housing production by, among other things, curtailing a city’s ability to stymie housing projects and allowing anyone trying to build housing to “freeze” the standards applicable to their project by submitting a preliminary application. The HAA provides that a local government shall not disapprove qualifying housing development projects, except in narrowly defined circumstances and after making specific written findings.

    In today’s amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta argues that:

    • In violation of Senate Bill 330, Goleta refused to accept the Shelby Family Partnership’s preliminary application on the grounds that Senate Bill 330 only applies to “new” projects. While Goleta was out of Housing Element compliance in 2023, the Shelby Family Partnership amended its previous preliminary application to include 13 affordable homes for lower-income households. Attorney General Bonta makes clear that Senate Bill 330 is not limited to only “new” development projects, nor does it foreclose applicants from amending their project to avail itself of its protections.
    • In violation of Senate Bill 330, Goleta further claims that if it accepts the preliminary application, then the Shelby Family Partnership will forfeit the approval it obtained of a tentative tract map in 2011. Tentative tract maps are important because they remove any uncertainty as to the land’s development potential for housing. Forcing the Shelby Family Partnership to choose between retaining their vested property rights under the 2011 tentative tract map or vesting under Senate Bill 330, when no such quandary was ever contemplated by the California Legislature in enacting Senate Bill 330, is exactly the kind of mid-stream alteration of applicable standards the California Legislature intended to prohibit.
    • In violation of the HAA, Goleta stated that it was “returning” the preliminary application without further explanation. The City could only disapprove of the housing project if it determined in writing that one of the narrow class of HAA exemptions applies, and its findings must be based upon a preponderance of the evidence. 

    A copy of the amicus brief can be found here.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sixteen Cardiology Practices to Pay a Total of $17.7M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Concerning Inflated Medicare Reimbursements

    Source: United States Attorneys General 6

    Sixteen separate cardiology practices and associated physicians, located across 12 states, have agreed to pay amounts totaling $17,761,564 to resolve allegations that they each violated the False Claims Act by overbilling Medicare for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals.

    Diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals are radioisotopes bound to biological molecules that target specific organs, tissues or cells within the human body and are used to diagnose and, in some cases, treat certain cancers and diseases. In 13 states and the District of Columbia, Medicare Part B reimburses healthcare providers for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals based on the provider’s acquisition cost. In those jurisdictions, Medicare’s contractors have published guidance explaining the reimbursement methodology and providers’ obligation to accurately report their invoice costs for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals. The government alleged that the settling cardiology practices regularly reported inflated acquisition costs to Medicare for these drugs. In each of the settlements, the conduct occurred for at least a year, and in some instances, the conduct extended over a period of more than 10 years.

    “The financial stability of federal healthcare programs depends upon providers complying with applicable billing rules,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We are committed to ensuring that Medicare funds are expended appropriately and to pursuing those who knowingly fail to do so.”

    The settling medical practices and associated physicians have agreed to pay the following amounts:

    • Western Kentucky Heart & Lung Associates PSC and Mohammed Kazimuddin ($6,750,000)
    • Heart Clinic of Paris P.A. and Arjumand Hashmi ($2,600,000)
    • Scranton Cardiovascular Physician Services LLC ($2,369,111)
    • Shannon Clinic ($996,856)
    • Edward W. Leahey M.D. Professional Association and Edward Leahey ($894,679)
    • Metropolitan Cardiovascular Consultants LLC and Ayim Djamson ($846,888)
    • Cardiology Center of New Jersey LLC, Mario Criscito, Frank Iacovone, and Sameer Kaul ($740,000)
    • Clovis Cardiology Associates LLC and Mahamadu Fuseini ($600,000)
    • Family Medical Specialty Clinic PLLC, Melecio Abordo, and June Abadilla ($409,594)
    • James R. Higgins M.D. Inc. and James Higgins ($395,537)
    • TrustCare Health LLC ($279,407)
    • Taj Medical Inc. ($240,000)
    • White River Diagnostic Clinic PLC, Margaret Kuykendall, and Seth Barnes ($234,490)
    • Veinguard Heart & Vascular Center P.C. and Fareeha Khan ($195,000)
    • Boulder Medical Center PC ($160,000)
    • Wellspring Cardiac Care P.A. ($50,000).

    “Practices and providers who overcharge the government and fail to return overpayments compromise our healthcare programs,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “When people see the wrong and report it, we have the tool we need to put a stop to this type of irresponsible conduct. So, I applaud the whistleblowers who came forward in this case.”

    “These practitioners overbilled the Medicare program by grossly exaggerating the acquisition costs of drugs used in diagnostic imaging of the heart,” said U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “This office is committed to protecting our federal health care programs, and we will hold accountable anyone who seeks to exploit them.”

    “Medicare providers are required to be honest and accurate in the costs they report for reimbursement,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate alleged false claims act violations and ensure the integrity of the Medicare program. ”

    The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by relators Jasjit Walia and Preet Randhawa in the District of Columbia and the Western District of Kentucky. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The whistleblowers will receive a total of more than $2.7 million from the settlements announced today.

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Columbia and Western District of Kentucky, with assistance from the HHS Office of Counsel to the Inspector General and Office of Investigations.

    The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    Trial Attorney James Nealon of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Schecter, Matt Weyand, John Truong and Stephen DeGenaro for the District of Columbia handled the matter.

    The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

    View the Heart Clinic of Paris settlement agreement here.

    View the Leahey settlement agreement here.

    View the Scranton settlement agreement here.

    View the Metropolitan settlement agreement here.

    View the Shannon Clinic settlement agreement here.

    View the Family Medical Specialty Clinic settlement agreement here.

    View the Taj Medical settlement agreement here.

    View the TrustCare settlement agreement here.

    View the Veinguard settlement agreement here.

    View the Wellspring settlement agreement here.

    View the White River settlement agreement here.

    View the WKHL settlement agreement here.

    View the Boulder Medical Center settlement agreement here.

    View the CCNJ settlement agreement here.

    View the Clovis settlement agreement here.

    View the Higgins settlement agreement here.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to Over 16 Years of Imprisonment for Possession of a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Memphis, TN – Tommie Conner, 49, of Memphis, has been sentenced to 200 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.  Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren announced the sentence today.

    According to evidence presented in court, on March 4, 2021, an officer with the Memphis Police Department observed a Dodge Durango speeding on American Way.  The Durango was pulled over and the driver, later identified as Conner, fled.  Conner was later located by officers who arrived at the scene.  While investigating the offense, officers saw a handgun in plain view in the Durango.  Officers obtained a search warrant and recovered a loaded SCCY 9mm pistol.  

    Conner is a felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms.  Specifically, in 1993, Conner pled guilty to two counts of robbery and three counts of aggravated robbery in state court and was sentenced to 10 years of incarceration. In 2005, Conner was convicted in federal court in the Western District of Tennessee for being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 15 years of federal imprisonment after he was determined to be an armed career criminal.  

    In September 2021, Conner was indicted in the Western District of Tennessee for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  In June 2024, a jury found Conner guilty of that offense.  It also found that at least three of Conner’s prior offenses occurred on different occasions, as required for him to be sentenced as an armed career criminal under the ACCA (Armed Career Criminal Act).

    On December 19, 2024, United States District Court Senior Judge John T. Fowlkes sentenced Conner to 200 months in federal prison with three years of supervised release to follow.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) Initiative, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our communities safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    This case was investigated by the (PSN) Gun Task Force, the Memphis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

    Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Wagner and Jermal Blanchard who prosecuted this case on behalf of the government and the law enforcement partners who investigated this case.

    ###

    For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: More Than a Dozen Cardiology Practices Will Pay Over $17.7 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Concerning Inflated Medicare Reimbursements

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today the resolution of False Claims Act violations against 16 separate cardiology practices and associated physicians, located across 12 states, and their agreement to pay a total of $17,761,564 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by overbilling Medicare for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia was involved in 14 of these settlements, resulting in a total of $10,601,970.97. The remaining amount was captured by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky. The Department of Justice also announced these settlements.

              Diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals are radioisotopes bound to biological molecules that target specific organs, tissues or cells within the human body and are used to diagnose and in some cases, treat certain cancers and diseases. In 13 states and the District of Columbia, Medicare Part B reimburses healthcare providers for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals based on the provider’s acquisition cost. In those jurisdictions, Medicare’s contractors have published guidance explaining the reimbursement methodology and providers’ obligation to accurately report their invoice cost for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals. The government alleged that the settling cardiology practices regularly reported inflated acquisition costs to Medicare for these drugs. In each of the settlements, the conduct occurred for at least a year, and in some instances, the conduct extended over a period of more than 10 years.

              “Practices and providers who overcharge the government and fail to return overpayments compromise our healthcare programs,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “When people see the wrong and report it, we have the tool we need to put a stop to this type of irresponsible conduct. So I applaud the whistleblowers who came forward in this case.”

              “The integrity of federal healthcare programs depends upon compliance with billing rules that are used to determine reimbursement,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We are committed to ensuring that Medicare funds are expended appropriately.”

              The settling medical practices and associated physicians have agreed to pay the following amounts:

    •           Heart Clinic of Paris, P.A. and Arjumand Hashmi ($2.6m)

    •           Scranton Cardiovascular Physician Services, LLC ($2,369,111)

    •           Shannon Clinic ($996,856)

    •           Edward W. Leahey M.D. Professional Association and Edward Leahey ($894,679)

    •           Metropolitan Cardiovascular Consultants, LLC and Ayim Djamson ($846,888)

    •           Cardiology Center of New Jersey, LLC, Mario Criscito, Frank Iacovone, and Sameer Kaul ($740,000)

    •           Clovis Cardiology Associates LLC and Mahamadu Fuseini ($600,000)

    •           James R. Higgins M.D., Inc. and James Higgins ($395,537)

    •           TrustCare Health, LLC ($279,407)

    •           Taj Medical, Inc. ($240,000)

    •           White River Diagnostic Clinic, PLC, Margaret Kuykendall, and Seth Barnes ($234,490)

    •           Boulder Medical Center, PC ($160,000)

    •           (USAO-WDKY) Western Kentucky Heart & Lung Associates PSC and Mohammed Kazimuddin ($6,750,000)

    •           (USAO-WDKY) Family Medical Specialty Clinic, PLLC, Melecio Abordo, and June Abadilla ($409,594)

              “These practitioners overbilled the Medicare program by grossly exaggerating the acquisition costs of drugs used in diagnostic imaging of the heart,” said Michael A. Bennett, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. “This Office is committed to protecting our federal health care programs, and we will hold accountable anyone who seeks to exploit them.”

              “Medicare providers are required to be honest and accurate in the costs they report for reimbursement,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, for the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate alleged false claims act violations and ensure the integrity of the Medicare program.”

              The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by relators Jasjit Walia and Preet Randhawa in the District of Columbia and the Western District of Kentucky.  Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery.  The whistleblowers will receive a total of approximately $2.2 million from the settlements announced today.

              The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the United States Attorney’s Offices for the District of Columbia and Western District of Kentucky, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Counsel to the Inspector General and Office of Investigations.

              The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act.  Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

              The matter was handled by Trial Attorney James Nealon and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Schecter and Matt Weyand from Western District of Kentucky, and Stephen DeGenaro and John C. Truong from the District of Columbia.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Alleged Fentanyl Trafficker Extradited From Honduras To Face Charges In San Francisco

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Gustavo Erazo Is Charged with Conspiring to Distribute, and Possessing with Intent to Distribute, Large Quantities of Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine

    SAN FRANCISCO – The government of Honduras extradited Gustavo Erazo, a Honduran national, to the United States this week to appear on charges stemming from his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in the San Francisco Bay Area. The extradition marks the sixth extradition of an alleged drug trafficker from Honduras to the Northern District of California this year.

    On Jan. 5, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Erazo, 49, at the time a resident of Oakland, and two other defendants, on charges of conspiring to distribute fentanyl and possessing fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine with the intent to distribute those substances. Erazo was charged in four of the eight counts in the indictment:

    Count Charge Statute(s) Statutory Maximum Prison Term

    1

    		 Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A)(vi)

    Life

    2

    		 Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A)(vi)

    Life

    3

    		 Possession with Intent to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B)(i)

    40 years

    4

    		 Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B)(ii)

    40 years

    According to a criminal complaint filed before the indictment, Erazo was arrested in November 2022 outside an apartment in Berkeley, Calif. At the time of his arrest, Erazo was carrying a backpack in which he had nearly four pounds of suspected drugs, including almost a kilogram of suspected fentanyl and more than half a pound each of suspected heroin and suspected cocaine. Inside the apartment, law enforcement officers found nearly 21 pounds of suspected drugs, including nearly 15 pounds of suspected fentanyl, more than two pounds of suspected cocaine, and more than one pound of suspected heroin. Officers also found drug manufacturing equipment, two firearms, ammunition, and cash inside the apartment.

    According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) learned after Erazo was charged in federal court that he had traveled back to Honduras. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Honduran authorities and the DEA to secure the arrest and extradition of Erazo, who arrived back in the United States on Dec. 19, 2024. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim today for arraignment on the indictment and further proceedings. Erazo is next scheduled to appear in court for a status hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa J. Cisneros on Dec. 23, 2024.

    An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Erazo faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a maximum fine of $10,000,000 on Counts 1 and 2, and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000,000 on Counts 3 and 4. He also faces a lifetime term of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment on each count. Any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by a court only upon consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

    United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris made the announcement.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Parker is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jessie Chelsea and Linda Love. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA, with assistance from the San Francisco Police Department.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray, Rep. Smith, Rep. Jayapal Call for U.S. Led Investigation Into the Death of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), and U.S. Representatives Adam Smith (D, WA-09) and Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), released the following joint statement urging the Biden Administration to immediately launch an investigation into the fatal shooting of U.S. Citizen Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi in the West Bank:

    “On September 6, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was fatally shot in the West Bank while she was peacefully participating in a demonstration against Israeli settlements in the Palestinian village of Beita. Since then, we have requested an independent, thorough, credible, and transparent investigation into what happened that day to both better understand the circumstances of her death and ensure that if any laws were broken those who were responsible are held to account.

    “This week, Ms. Eygi’s family came to D.C. to discuss the challenges they’ve faced and the questions they still have about what happened. The lack of answers they have received is unacceptable.

    “We call on Israel to complete their investigation and release their report on the cause of her death. Secretary Blinken must insist on the release of any Israeli investigation results. We also continue to urge the U.S. Department of Justice to initiate an independent, U.S.-led investigation into Ms. Eygi’s death. If the Justice Department isn’t going to investigate, then the State Department should release their own findings and seek accountability.

    “Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government have exacerbated tensions in the West Bank with their promotion of rapid Israeli settlement expansion. This dangerous situation in the West Bank has claimed the lives of far too many civilians, including Ms. Eygi.

    “We applaud the sanctions that President Biden has imposed thus far on extremist Israeli settlers, including the settler organization Amana. Clearly, more must be done. The policies of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government undermine the viability of a Palestinian state and Israel’s security, violate the rights of Palestinians living in the West Bank, and put the region at even greater risk of further destabilization.

    “It is time for the Biden Administration to thoroughly investigate the shooting of Ms. Eygi.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Completes the First Review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement for Togo

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    December 20, 2024

    • The IMF Executive Board completed today the first review under the ECF-arrangement for Togo, allowing the authorities to draw the equivalent of about US$57.4 million (SDR 44.0 million). The Executive Board approved the 42-month ECF-arrangement in March 2024.
    • Togo’s growth performance has remained robust, and inflation is moderating. The medium-term outlook is broadly favorable, with continued robust growth but also elevated risks.
    • Togo has continued to advance its reform agenda, and the program is on track. Policy priorities are to (i) make growth more inclusive while strengthening debt sustainability, and (ii) implement structural reforms to support growth and limit financial sector and associated fiscal risks.

    Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the first review of the ECF-arrangement for Togo. The Board’s decision enables the immediate disbursement of SDR 44.0 million (about US$ 58.7 million), which will be used for budget support. The ECF-arrangement provides overall financing of SDR 293.60 million (about US$ 390 million).

    The IMF approved the ECF-arrangement on March 1st, 2024 (see Press Release No. 24/64) to help the authorities address the legacies of the shocks seen since 2020, notably the COVID-pandemic and the increase in global food and fuel prices. The Togolese authorities were able to lessen these shocks’ impacts on the Togolese economy and population. However, this resulted in an increase in fiscal deficits and debt. The IMF-supported government program aims to (i) make growth more inclusive while strengthening debt sustainability, and (ii) implement structural reforms to support growth and limit financial sector and associated fiscal risks.

    The medium-term outlook is broadly favorable, with continued robust growth. Economic growth reached an estimated 5.6 percent in 2023 and is projected at 5.3 percent in 2024-25 and around 5.5 percent per year thereafter according to IMF staff projections, barring major adverse shocks. Headline inflation eased to 3.3 percent in October 2024 and core inflation (which excludes the prices of food and transport) to 2.2 percent (annual averages).

    However, the outlook is subject to high risks. In particular, terrorist attacks in the country’s North continues unabated and appears to be intensifying, putting pressure on spending. The authorities are contending with the challenging trade-offs between fiscal consolidation to lower the debt burden and the need to maintain robust growth in the context of limited fiscal space.

    Implementation of the program is on track. The authorities have met all end-June quantitative performance criteria, and prospects for meeting the quantitative targets for the rest of the year are favorable. The authorities also have met two out of the four due structural benchmarks, and there are prospects for the authorities to deliver at a later stage on the limited elements that have led to the missing of two benchmarks. Further, prospects for meeting the two end-December benchmarks are good. Finally, the authorities have made good progress on the reform of the remaining state-owned bank.

    At the conclusion of the Executive Board’s discussion, Mr. Bo Li, Deputy Managing Director, and Acting Chair, made the following statement: 

    “The Togolese authorities have shown strong implementation of the program supported under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). The authorities have met all quantitative targets despite security challenges and tight financing conditions, and they have progressed on structural reforms to strengthen revenue mobilization, inclusion, and public financial management. 

    “Togo’s outlook is subject to elevated risks, broadly as at the program request in March 2024, while security conditions have deteriorated. In line with this, the design of the program as conceived at the outset remains broadly appropriate, and the authorities should continue to implement the program with determination to place the country on the path of strong and sustainable growth.   

    “In the area of fiscal policies, the authorities should continue to aim to address debt vulnerabilities in a context of regional vulnerabilities while supporting growth and enhancing inclusion. For this, it will be important to implement the agreed fiscal anchor by limiting fiscal deficits to 3 percent of GDP from 2025 onwards, continue to raise tax revenue while making taxation more efficient, and implement structural reforms to enhance the efficiency of spending and make the social safety net more effective and efficient. 

    “It will also be essential to continue efforts to strengthen governance. The authorities’ recent request for an IMF Governance Diagnostic is welcome, as is their commitment to strengthening beneficial ownership declarations for companies benefiting from public procurement contracts. On the financial sector, the authorities should continue the reform of the remaining public bank by bringing the bank’s capital in line with regulatory requirements and reforming its operations to ensure its stability and profitability. Efforts to strengthen the AML/CFT framework will also be important.

    Togo: Selected Economic and Financial Indicators, 2020–29
     

    2020

    2021

    2022

    2023

    2024

    2025

    2026

    2027

    2028

    2029
     

    Estimates

    Projections
     

    (Percentage change, unless otherwise indicated)

    Real GDP

    2.0

    6.0

    5.8

    5.6

    5.3

    5.3

    5.5

    5.5

    5.5

    5.5

    Real GDP per capita

    -0.4

    3.5

    3.3

    3.1

    2.8

    2.8

    3.0

    3.0

    3.0

    3.0

    GDP deflator

    1.8

    2.5

    3.7

    2.9

    2.2

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    Consumer price index (average)

    1.8

    4.5

    7.6

    5.3

    3.3

    2.3

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    GDP (CFAF billions)

    4253

    4621

    5069

    5507

    5927

    6366

    6850

    7371

    7932

    8536

    Exchange rate CFAF/US$ (annual average level)

    575

    554

    622

    606

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    Real effective exchange rate (appreciation = –)

    -2.0

    -1.4

    2.3

    -5.4

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    Terms of trade (deterioration = –)

    -1.4

    6.6

    23.3

    3.4

    0.9

    -1.7

    -0.8

    1.4

    1.3

    0.4
       

    Monetary survey

    (Percentage change of beginning-of-period broad money)

      Net foreign assets

    14.1

    5.6

    -0.6

    6.2

    4.9

    -0.1

    3.0

    2.8

    2.2

    2.2

      Net credit to government

    -1.6

    -0.3

    8.0

    0.2

    -2.9

    1.0

    1.2

    2.0

    0.2

    0.2

      Credit to nongovernment sector

    0.2

    6.0

    10.7

    1.5

    7.3

    6.5

    4.4

    4.6

    4.9

    4.8

      Broad money (M2)

    11.4

    12.3

    14.9

    8.5

    8.8

    7.4

    7.6

    7.6

    7.6

    7.6

      Velocity (GDP/end-of-period M2)

    2.1

    2.1

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0
     

    Investment and savings

    		  

      Gross domestic investment

    21.4

    23.4

    25.9

    28.0

    25.7

    24.2

    25.0

    25.9

    26.7

    27.2

       Government

    9.3

    8.2

    9.7

    11.5

    9.0

    7.1

    7.7

    8.4

    8.9

    9.4

       Nongovernment

    12.1

    15.2

    16.2

    16.5

    16.7

    17.1

    17.3

    17.5

    17.8

    17.8

      Gross national savings

    21.1

    21.2

    22.5

    25.1

    22.7

    21.2

    22.4

    23.7

    24.7

    25.2

       Government

    2.2

    3.6

    1.4

    4.8

    4.1

    4.1

    4.7

    5.4

    5.8

    6.4

       Nongovernment

    18.9

    17.6

    21.0

    20.3

    18.6

    17.1

    17.7

    18.3

    18.9

    18.8
     

    Government budget

    		  

      Total revenue and grants

    16.6

    17.1

    17.6

    19.8

    18.8

    18.6

    19.1

    19.5

    19.9

    20.3

       Revenue

    14.1

    15.3

    15.1

    16.8

    16.6

    17.1

    17.6

    18.1

    18.5

    19.1

        Tax revenue

    12.5

    14.0

    13.9

    14.8

    15.2

    15.7

    16.2

    16.7

    17.2

    17.7

      Expenditure and net lending (excl. banking sector operation)

    23.7

    21.8

    26.0

    26.6

    23.7

    21.6

    22.0

    22.6

    22.9

    23.3

      Overall primary balance (commitment basis, incl. grants)

    -4.7

    -2.5

    -5.9

    -3.9

    -3.7

    -0.5

    -0.6

    -0.8

    -1.0

    -1.1

      Overall balance (commitment basis, incl. grants, excl. banking sector operations)

    -7.0

    -4.7

    -8.3

    -6.7

    -4.9

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

      Overall balance (commitment basis, incl. grants)

    -7.0

    -4.7

    -8.3

    -6.7

    -6.4

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

      Overall primary balance (cash basis, incl. grants)

    -4.7

    -3.4

    -5.9

    -3.9

    -3.7

    -0.5

    -0.6

    -0.8

    -1.0

    -1.1

      Overall balance (cash basis, incl. grants, excl. banking sector operations)

    -7.1

    -5.6

    -8.3

    -6.7

    -4.9

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

      Overall balance (cash basis, incl. grants)

    -7.1

    -5.6

    -8.3

    -6.7

    -6.4

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0
     

    External sector

    		  

    Current account balance

    -0.3

    -2.2

    -3.5

    -2.9

    -3.0

    -2.9

    -2.6

    -2.2

    -2.0

    -2.0

       Exports (goods and services)

    23.3

    23.7

    26.6

    25.5

    25.7

    25.6

    26.0

    26.2

    26.2

    26.1

       Imports (goods and services)

    -32.3

    -34.0

    -38.8

    -36.2

    -35.4

    -34.4

    -33.9

    -33.7

    -33.5

    -33.5

    External public debt1

    27.6

    27.3

    26.2

    25.9

    29.5

    29.0

    29.9

    30.6

    30.8

    30.4

    External public debt service (percent of exports)1

    6.9

    5.2

    8.3

    8.2

    8.4

    15.5

    9.2

    8.3

    7.2

    6.5

    Domestic public debt2

    34.6

    37.6

    41.2

    42.1

    40.2

    39.1

    36.6

    34.3

    32.3

    31.4

    Total public debt3

    62.2

    64.9

    67.4

    68.0

    69.7

    68.2

    66.4

    64.8

    63.1

    61.8

    Total public debt (excluding SOEs)4

    60.1

    63.0

    65.8

    66.6

    68.6

    67.2

    65.6

    64.1

    62.5

    61.3

    Present value of total public debt3

    …

    …

    …

    60.6

    60.7

    57.7

    54.5

    51.5

    48.8

    47.1

    Sources: Togolese authorities and IMF staff estimates and projections.
     

    1 Includes state-owned enterprise external debt.

    2 Includes domestic arrears and state-owned enterprise domestic debt.

    3 Includes domestic arrears and state-owned enterprise debt.

    4 Includes domestic arrears.
    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Kwabena Akuamoah-Boateng

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    @IMFSpokesperson

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/12/20/pr24494-togo-imf-exec-board-completes-first-rev-ecf-arrangement

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Full text: Chinese President Xi Jinping’s address at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Macao SAR

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

    Full text: Chinese President Xi Jinping’s address at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Macao SAR

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s manufacturing industry accelerates intelligent transformation

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

    BEIJING, Dec. 20 — China’s manufacturing sector is experiencing a rapid transformation towards intelligent manufacturing, with new industries mushrooming rapidly, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

    China has established 50 international standards for intelligent manufacturing, and is home to over 6,500 intelligent manufacturing system solution providers, offering services that span the entire manufacturing sector, said the ministry.

    With over 4.14 million 5G base stations, China has already achieved its 2025 target of 26 base stations per 10,000 people, representing the country’s advanced infrastructure in intelligent technologies.

    This rapid transition can be largely attributed to robust government policies. In a strategic move to build a number of high-level and iconic smart factories, Chinese authorities decided in October to roll out graduated cultivation for the smart factories at four levels.

    Xin Guobin, vice minister of the MIIT, said that China will focus on nurturing a group of intelligent manufacturing solution providers that master core technologies and specialize in a niche industry, and drive further integration, innovation and large-scale 5G application in the manufacturing sector.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Purpose Investments Inc. Announces 2024 Final Annual Income and Capital Gains Distributions For Purpose Mutual Fund Trusts with December 15, 2024 Tax Year-End

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Dec. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Purpose Investments Inc. (“Purpose”) today announced the final annual distributions of income and capital gains for its open-end exchange-traded funds structured as mutual fund trusts (the “Funds”) with a December 15, 2024 tax year-end. The distributions represent income earned and capital gains realized by the Funds during the year.

    Details of the per unit distribution amounts are as follows:

    Final Annual Distributions of Income

    Purpose Mutual Fund Trusts Ticker Symbol Exchange Final Annual Income Distribution Per Unit NAV per Unit as of
    Dec 19, 2024    		 Final Distribution (% of Dec 19, 2024 NAV) Distribution Type
    (Cash or Notional)
    Purpose Global Flexible Credit Fund – ETF Units FLX TSX  $ 0.1800 $ 7.37 2.44 % Cash
    Purpose Global Flexible Credit Fund – ETF Non-Currency Hedged Units FLX.B TSX $ 0.2250 $ 9.19 2.45 % Cash
    Purpose Global Flexible Credit Fund – ETF Non-Currency Hedged USD Units FLX.U TSX US $ 0.1500

    US $ 6.16

    		 2.44 % Cash

    ETF Series unitholders of record at the close of business on December 31, 2024 will receive the 2024 annual income distributions on January 7, 2025. The ex-distribution date for the 2024 annual income distributions will be December 31, 2024. Purpose expects to announce the final year-end notional distribution of income for Purpose Specialty Lending Trust on or about January 24, 2025, if necessary.

    Final Annual Capital Gains – Notional Distributions

    Purpose Mutual Fund Trusts Ticker Symbol Exchange Final Annual Capital Gain Distribution Per Unit NAV per Unit as of Dec 19, 2024 Final Distribution (% of Dec 19, 2024 NAV) Distribution Type
    (Cash or Notional)
    Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) Yield Shares Purpose ETF – ETF Units BRKY Cboe Canada $ 0.5200 $ 26.44 1.97 % Notional
    Alphabet (GOOGL) Yield Shares Purpose ETF
    – ETF Units    		 YGOG Cboe Canada $ 0.3050 $ 36.22 0.84 % Notional
    Purpose Bitcoin Yield ETF – ETF Units BTCY TSX $ 0.7150 $ 8.72 8.20 % Notional
    Purpose Bitcoin Yield ETF – ETF Non-Currency Hedged Units BTCY.B TSX $ 0.8800 $ 10.69 8.23 % Notional
    Purpose Bitcoin Yield ETF – ETF Non-Currency Hedged USD Units BTCY.U TSX US $ 0.6950

    US $ 8.47

    		 8.20 % Notional
    Purpose Ether Yield ETF – ETF Units ETHY TSX $ 0.3730 $ 3.92 9.51 % Notional
    Purpose Ether Yield ETF – ETF Non-Currency Hedged Units ETHY.B TSX $ 0.4950 $ 5.21 9.49 % Notional
    Purpose Ether Yield ETF – ETF Non-Currency Hedged USD Units ETHY.U TSX US $ 0.3650

    US $ 3.84

    		 9.50 % Notional

    The annual capital gains distributions for the funds listed in table above will be paid as notional distributions. With a notional distribution, the units issued from the distribution are immediately consolidated with the units held prior to the distribution. The number of units held after the distribution is therefore identical to the number of units held before the distribution.

    Purpose confirms that the notional capital gain distributions will be applied to ETF holders of record as at the close of business on December 23, 2024. The ex-distribution date for the notional capital gain distributions will be December 23, 2024.

    Final Annual Capital Gains – Cash Distributions

    Purpose Mutual Fund Trusts Ticker Symbol Exchange Final Annual Capital Gain Distribution Per Unit NAV per Unit as of Dec 19, 2024 Final Distribution (% of Dec 19, 2024 NAV) Distribution Type
    (Cash or Notional)
    Purpose Active Balanced Fund – ETF Units PABF TSX $ 0.5800 $ 23.47 2.47 % Cash
    Purpose Active Conservative Fund – ETF Units PACF TSX $ 0.2900 $ 22.94 1.26 % Cash
    Purpose Active Growth Fund – ETF Units PAGF TSX $ 0.3750 $ 24.48 1.53 % Cash

    The respective unitholders of record on December 31, 2024 for the funds listed in the table above will receive the 2024 annual cash distributions on January 7, 2025. The ex-dividend date for the 2024 annual distributions for these ETFs (Purpose Active Balanced Fund – ETF Units, Purpose Active Growth Fund – ETF Units, and Purpose Active Conservative Fund – ETF Units) will be December 31, 2024.

    The actual breakdown of taxable amounts of reinvested and cash distributions for 2024 tax year, including tax factor allocations, will be reported to the brokers through CDS Clearing and Depository Services Inc. in early 2025.

    As an update to the press release issued on November 27, 2024, Purpose confirms that Apple (AAPL) Yield Shares Purpose ETF, Amazon (AMZN) Yield Shares Purpose ETF, NVIDIA (NVDA) Yield Shares Purpose ETF, and Microsoft (MSFT) Yield Shares Purpose ETF will not declare a special annual distribution in 2024.

    Purpose expects to announce the final year-end distributions for Purpose High Interest Savings Fund – ETF Units, Purpose US Cash Fund – ETF Units, Purpose Cash Management Fund – ETF Units, and Purpose USD Cash Management Fund – ETF Units on or about December 31, 2024, if necessary.

    Purpose expects to announce the final annual capital gain distributions for Purpose Fund Corp. and Big Banc Split Corp. on or about January 24, 2025, if necessary. Shareholders of record on January 30, 2025 will receive the annual capital gains distributions on February 5, 2025, and such capital gains will be applicable for the 2025 tax year. The final year-end capital gains distributions for these funds will be paid in cash. Purpose confirms that Purpose Mutual Funds Limited funds will not declare annual capital gain distributions for the 2024 tax year.

    About Purpose Investments

    Purpose Investments is an asset management company with more than $21 billion under management. Purpose Investments has an unrelenting focus on client-centric innovation, and offers a range of managed and quantitative investment products. Purpose Investments is led by well-known entrepreneur Som Seif and is a division of Purpose Unlimited, an independent technology-driven financial services company.

    For further information please contact:
    Keera Hart
    Keera.Hart@kaiserpartners.com
    905-580-1257

    Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investment fund investments. Please read the prospectus and other disclosure documents before investing. Investment funds are not covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government deposit insurer. There can be no assurance that the full amount of your investment in a fund will be returned to you. If the securities are purchased or sold on a stock exchange, you may pay more or receive less than the current net asset value. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

    This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy the securities referred to herein. This press release is not for dissemination in the United States or for distribution to US news wire services.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: IMF Executive Board Completes the First Review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement for Togo

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    December 20, 2024

    • The IMF Executive Board completed today the first review under the ECF-arrangement for Togo, allowing the authorities to draw the equivalent of about US$57.4 million (SDR 44.0 million). The Executive Board approved the 42-month ECF-arrangement in March 2024.
    • Togo’s growth performance has remained robust, and inflation is moderating. The medium-term outlook is broadly favorable, with continued robust growth but also elevated risks.
    • Togo has continued to advance its reform agenda, and the program is on track. Policy priorities are to (i) make growth more inclusive while strengthening debt sustainability, and (ii) implement structural reforms to support growth and limit financial sector and associated fiscal risks.

    Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the first review of the ECF-arrangement for Togo. The Board’s decision enables the immediate disbursement of SDR 44.0 million (about US$ 58.7 million), which will be used for budget support. The ECF-arrangement provides overall financing of SDR 293.60 million (about US$ 390 million).

    The IMF approved the ECF-arrangement on March 1st, 2024 (see Press Release No. 24/64) to help the authorities address the legacies of the shocks seen since 2020, notably the COVID-pandemic and the increase in global food and fuel prices. The Togolese authorities were able to lessen these shocks’ impacts on the Togolese economy and population. However, this resulted in an increase in fiscal deficits and debt. The IMF-supported government program aims to (i) make growth more inclusive while strengthening debt sustainability, and (ii) implement structural reforms to support growth and limit financial sector and associated fiscal risks.

    The medium-term outlook is broadly favorable, with continued robust growth. Economic growth reached an estimated 5.6 percent in 2023 and is projected at 5.3 percent in 2024-25 and around 5.5 percent per year thereafter according to IMF staff projections, barring major adverse shocks. Headline inflation eased to 3.3 percent in October 2024 and core inflation (which excludes the prices of food and transport) to 2.2 percent (annual averages).

    However, the outlook is subject to high risks. In particular, terrorist attacks in the country’s North continues unabated and appears to be intensifying, putting pressure on spending. The authorities are contending with the challenging trade-offs between fiscal consolidation to lower the debt burden and the need to maintain robust growth in the context of limited fiscal space.

    Implementation of the program is on track. The authorities have met all end-June quantitative performance criteria, and prospects for meeting the quantitative targets for the rest of the year are favorable. The authorities also have met two out of the four due structural benchmarks, and there are prospects for the authorities to deliver at a later stage on the limited elements that have led to the missing of two benchmarks. Further, prospects for meeting the two end-December benchmarks are good. Finally, the authorities have made good progress on the reform of the remaining state-owned bank.

    At the conclusion of the Executive Board’s discussion, Mr. Bo Li, Deputy Managing Director, and Acting Chair, made the following statement: 

    “The Togolese authorities have shown strong implementation of the program supported under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). The authorities have met all quantitative targets despite security challenges and tight financing conditions, and they have progressed on structural reforms to strengthen revenue mobilization, inclusion, and public financial management. 

    “Togo’s outlook is subject to elevated risks, broadly as at the program request in March 2024, while security conditions have deteriorated. In line with this, the design of the program as conceived at the outset remains broadly appropriate, and the authorities should continue to implement the program with determination to place the country on the path of strong and sustainable growth.   

    “In the area of fiscal policies, the authorities should continue to aim to address debt vulnerabilities in a context of regional vulnerabilities while supporting growth and enhancing inclusion. For this, it will be important to implement the agreed fiscal anchor by limiting fiscal deficits to 3 percent of GDP from 2025 onwards, continue to raise tax revenue while making taxation more efficient, and implement structural reforms to enhance the efficiency of spending and make the social safety net more effective and efficient. 

    “It will also be essential to continue efforts to strengthen governance. The authorities’ recent request for an IMF Governance Diagnostic is welcome, as is their commitment to strengthening beneficial ownership declarations for companies benefiting from public procurement contracts. On the financial sector, the authorities should continue the reform of the remaining public bank by bringing the bank’s capital in line with regulatory requirements and reforming its operations to ensure its stability and profitability. Efforts to strengthen the AML/CFT framework will also be important.

    Togo: Selected Economic and Financial Indicators, 2020–29
     

    2020

    2021

    2022

    2023

    2024

    2025

    2026

    2027

    2028

    2029
     

    Estimates

    Projections
     

    (Percentage change, unless otherwise indicated)

    Real GDP

    2.0

    6.0

    5.8

    5.6

    5.3

    5.3

    5.5

    5.5

    5.5

    5.5

    Real GDP per capita

    -0.4

    3.5

    3.3

    3.1

    2.8

    2.8

    3.0

    3.0

    3.0

    3.0

    GDP deflator

    1.8

    2.5

    3.7

    2.9

    2.2

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    Consumer price index (average)

    1.8

    4.5

    7.6

    5.3

    3.3

    2.3

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    GDP (CFAF billions)

    4253

    4621

    5069

    5507

    5927

    6366

    6850

    7371

    7932

    8536

    Exchange rate CFAF/US$ (annual average level)

    575

    554

    622

    606

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    Real effective exchange rate (appreciation = –)

    -2.0

    -1.4

    2.3

    -5.4

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    Terms of trade (deterioration = –)

    -1.4

    6.6

    23.3

    3.4

    0.9

    -1.7

    -0.8

    1.4

    1.3

    0.4
       

    Monetary survey

    (Percentage change of beginning-of-period broad money)

      Net foreign assets

    14.1

    5.6

    -0.6

    6.2

    4.9

    -0.1

    3.0

    2.8

    2.2

    2.2

      Net credit to government

    -1.6

    -0.3

    8.0

    0.2

    -2.9

    1.0

    1.2

    2.0

    0.2

    0.2

      Credit to nongovernment sector

    0.2

    6.0

    10.7

    1.5

    7.3

    6.5

    4.4

    4.6

    4.9

    4.8

      Broad money (M2)

    11.4

    12.3

    14.9

    8.5

    8.8

    7.4

    7.6

    7.6

    7.6

    7.6

      Velocity (GDP/end-of-period M2)

    2.1

    2.1

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0

    2.0
     

    Investment and savings

    		  

      Gross domestic investment

    21.4

    23.4

    25.9

    28.0

    25.7

    24.2

    25.0

    25.9

    26.7

    27.2

       Government

    9.3

    8.2

    9.7

    11.5

    9.0

    7.1

    7.7

    8.4

    8.9

    9.4

       Nongovernment

    12.1

    15.2

    16.2

    16.5

    16.7

    17.1

    17.3

    17.5

    17.8

    17.8

      Gross national savings

    21.1

    21.2

    22.5

    25.1

    22.7

    21.2

    22.4

    23.7

    24.7

    25.2

       Government

    2.2

    3.6

    1.4

    4.8

    4.1

    4.1

    4.7

    5.4

    5.8

    6.4

       Nongovernment

    18.9

    17.6

    21.0

    20.3

    18.6

    17.1

    17.7

    18.3

    18.9

    18.8
     

    Government budget

    		  

      Total revenue and grants

    16.6

    17.1

    17.6

    19.8

    18.8

    18.6

    19.1

    19.5

    19.9

    20.3

       Revenue

    14.1

    15.3

    15.1

    16.8

    16.6

    17.1

    17.6

    18.1

    18.5

    19.1

        Tax revenue

    12.5

    14.0

    13.9

    14.8

    15.2

    15.7

    16.2

    16.7

    17.2

    17.7

      Expenditure and net lending (excl. banking sector operation)

    23.7

    21.8

    26.0

    26.6

    23.7

    21.6

    22.0

    22.6

    22.9

    23.3

      Overall primary balance (commitment basis, incl. grants)

    -4.7

    -2.5

    -5.9

    -3.9

    -3.7

    -0.5

    -0.6

    -0.8

    -1.0

    -1.1

      Overall balance (commitment basis, incl. grants, excl. banking sector operations)

    -7.0

    -4.7

    -8.3

    -6.7

    -4.9

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

      Overall balance (commitment basis, incl. grants)

    -7.0

    -4.7

    -8.3

    -6.7

    -6.4

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

      Overall primary balance (cash basis, incl. grants)

    -4.7

    -3.4

    -5.9

    -3.9

    -3.7

    -0.5

    -0.6

    -0.8

    -1.0

    -1.1

      Overall balance (cash basis, incl. grants, excl. banking sector operations)

    -7.1

    -5.6

    -8.3

    -6.7

    -4.9

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

      Overall balance (cash basis, incl. grants)

    -7.1

    -5.6

    -8.3

    -6.7

    -6.4

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0
     

    External sector

    		  

    Current account balance

    -0.3

    -2.2

    -3.5

    -2.9

    -3.0

    -2.9

    -2.6

    -2.2

    -2.0

    -2.0

       Exports (goods and services)

    23.3

    23.7

    26.6

    25.5

    25.7

    25.6

    26.0

    26.2

    26.2

    26.1

       Imports (goods and services)

    -32.3

    -34.0

    -38.8

    -36.2

    -35.4

    -34.4

    -33.9

    -33.7

    -33.5

    -33.5

    External public debt1

    27.6

    27.3

    26.2

    25.9

    29.5

    29.0

    29.9

    30.6

    30.8

    30.4

    External public debt service (percent of exports)1

    6.9

    5.2

    8.3

    8.2

    8.4

    15.5

    9.2

    8.3

    7.2

    6.5

    Domestic public debt2

    34.6

    37.6

    41.2

    42.1

    40.2

    39.1

    36.6

    34.3

    32.3

    31.4

    Total public debt3

    62.2

    64.9

    67.4

    68.0

    69.7

    68.2

    66.4

    64.8

    63.1

    61.8

    Total public debt (excluding SOEs)4

    60.1

    63.0

    65.8

    66.6

    68.6

    67.2

    65.6

    64.1

    62.5

    61.3

    Present value of total public debt3

    …

    …

    …

    60.6

    60.7

    57.7

    54.5

    51.5

    48.8

    47.1

    Sources: Togolese authorities and IMF staff estimates and projections.
     

    1 Includes state-owned enterprise external debt.

    2 Includes domestic arrears and state-owned enterprise domestic debt.

    3 Includes domestic arrears and state-owned enterprise debt.

    4 Includes domestic arrears.
    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Kwabena Akuamoah-Boateng

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    @IMFSpokesperson

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Parson Grants 16 Pardons, Approves Nine Commutations

    Source: US State of Missouri

    DECEMBER 20, 2024

    Jefferson City — Closing out the final pending clemency petitions of his administration, Governor Mike Parson today granted 16 pardons and approved nine commutations pursuant to Article IV, Section 7 of the Constitution of the State of Missouri. Official documents have been filed with the appropriate government agencies and have been sent to the individuals.

    In addition to granting 16 pardons and nine commutations, Governor Parson denied 23 clemency petitions. The Governor’s Office now effectively holds zero pending clemency petitions. When Governor Parson was sworn into office, he inherited a clemency backlog of more than 3,500 and received hundreds more since. In total, he has taken action on nearly 4,000 clemency petitions. Governor Parson prioritized providing individuals an answer, whether approved or denied.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on the Proposed Legislation to Fund the  Government

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    A government shutdown heading into the holidays would mean service members and air traffic controllers go to work without pay, essential government services for hardworking Americans would be paused, and economic disruption would occur. 
    Following an order by President-elect Trump, yesterday Republicans walked away from a bipartisan deal and threatened to shut down the government at the 11th hour in order to pave the way to provide tax breaks for billionaires. This revised legislation does not do that. 
    While it does not include everything we sought, it includes disaster relief that the President requested for the communities recovering from the storm, eliminates the accelerated pathway to a tax cut for billionaires, and would ensure that the government can continue to operate at full capacity. President Biden supports moving this legislation forward and ensuring that the vital services the government provides for hardworking Americans – from issuing Social Security checks to processing benefits for veterans — can continue as well as to grant assistance for communities that were impacted by devastating hurricanes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Sues State of Louisiana for Incarcerating People Beyond Their Release Dates

    Source: US State of Vermont

    The Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit today against the State of Louisiana and Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (LDOC) alleging that the state and LDOC maintain a pattern or practice of confining incarcerated people for weeks and months after they have fully completed their prison sentences and are legally entitled to be released, in violation of the 14th Amendment.

    “Every person in the United States, whether incarcerated or otherwise, enjoys certain fundamental rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Foremost among them is the right to individual liberty. The Founders were keenly aware of the potential abuse of power when government can arbitrarily take away a person’s freedom without a lawful court order specifying the period of their confinement. In this context, the right to individual liberty includes the right to be released from incarceration on time after the term set by the court has ended. To incarcerate people indefinitely, as LDOC does here, not only intrudes on individual liberty, but also erodes public confidence in the fair and just application of our laws. The Justice Department looks forward to proving its case in court.”

    The lawsuit is the result of a multi-year investigation into allegations of systemic overdetention in LDOC’s system conducted by the department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle, Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana.

    As required by the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), the department provided the state with written notice of the supporting facts for these alleged conditions, and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address them in a report issued on Jan. 25, 2023.  CRIPA authorizes the department to act when it has reasonable cause to believe there is a pattern or practice of deprivation of constitutional rights of individuals confined to correctional facilities operated by or on behalf of state or local government.

    Today’s lawsuit seeks injunctive relief to remedy deficient conditions identified by the department’s investigation. The lawsuit does not seek monetary damages. While the State has made marginal efforts to address the systemic deficiencies leading to overdetention, these steps are inadequate to address the deficiencies, which are longstanding and well-known to the State. 

    The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle, Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana are handling the case. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department by phone at 1-833-492-0097 or by email at community.louisianadoc@usdoj.gov.

    For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. Additional information about the Eastern, Middle and Western U.S. Attorneys’ Offices is available at www.justice.gov/usao-edla, www.justice.gov/usao-mdla and www.justice.gov/usao-wdla. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Sues State of Louisiana for Incarcerating People Beyond Their Release Dates

    Source: United States Attorneys General 12

    The Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit today against the State of Louisiana and Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (LDOC) alleging that the state and LDOC maintain a pattern or practice of confining incarcerated people for weeks and months after they have fully completed their prison sentences and are legally entitled to be released, in violation of the 14th Amendment.

    “Every person in the United States, whether incarcerated or otherwise, enjoys certain fundamental rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Foremost among them is the right to individual liberty. The Founders were keenly aware of the potential abuse of power when government can arbitrarily take away a person’s freedom without a lawful court order specifying the period of their confinement. In this context, the right to individual liberty includes the right to be released from incarceration on time after the term set by the court has ended. To incarcerate people indefinitely, as LDOC does here, not only intrudes on individual liberty, but also erodes public confidence in the fair and just application of our laws. The Justice Department looks forward to proving its case in court.”

    The lawsuit is the result of a multi-year investigation into allegations of systemic overdetention in LDOC’s system conducted by the department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle, Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana.

    As required by the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), the department provided the state with written notice of the supporting facts for these alleged conditions, and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address them in a report issued on Jan. 25, 2023.  CRIPA authorizes the department to act when it has reasonable cause to believe there is a pattern or practice of deprivation of constitutional rights of individuals confined to correctional facilities operated by or on behalf of state or local government.

    Today’s lawsuit seeks injunctive relief to remedy deficient conditions identified by the department’s investigation. The lawsuit does not seek monetary damages. While the State has made marginal efforts to address the systemic deficiencies leading to overdetention, these steps are inadequate to address the deficiencies, which are longstanding and well-known to the State. 

    The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle, Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana are handling the case. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department by phone at 1-833-492-0097 or by email at community.louisianadoc@usdoj.gov.

    For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. Additional information about the Eastern, Middle and Western U.S. Attorneys’ Offices is available at www.justice.gov/usao-edla, www.justice.gov/usao-mdla and www.justice.gov/usao-wdla. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Complete ban on bee killing pesticides moves forward

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    • Government sets out plans to end the use of toxic neonicotinoid pesticides that threaten vital pollinators

    A bee on a purple flower

    • Important step forward in delivering on election commitment to safeguarding bees, butterflies and the wider environment  

    A complete ban on use of bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides has moved a step closer today (Saturday 21 December), as the government sets out its plans to deliver a key election pledge.   

    Despite being banned from general use in the UK, the last government authorised the use of neonicotinoids every year for the last four years in England via a process known as emergency authorisation.     

    Neonicotinoids are extremely toxic to pollinators. Even at doses that are not directly fatal to bees they can cause cognitive problems impacting foraging abilities and the productivity of hives. The chemicals can also persist in the soil creating a further risk to bees.  

    Bees and other pollinators are crucial to the agricultural economy with the economic benefits of pollination to crop production in the UK estimated at £500 million annually.  

    The Government has set out its next steps, including identifying legislative options that would legally prevent the future use of three specific neonicotinoids – clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam – entirely, taking full account of the importance of pollinators. 

    Environment Minister Emma Hardy said:    

    “We are delivering on our promise to ban toxic bee-killing pesticides and ending the long-term decline of our wildlife.  

    “A healthy environment is vital to our food and economic security. Protecting bees by stopping the use of damaging neonicotinoids is an important step in supporting the long-term health of our environment and waterways, and our farming sector.”     

    The move comes ahead of the publication of a new UK National Action Plan (NAP), which will set how pesticides can be used sustainably.  

    Ensuring that our food production is sustainable is key to the long-term health of the agricultural sector, as well as the nation’s food security. The Government’s Plan for Change is built on the strong foundation of a stable economy.  

    The Government commitment to farmers remains steadfast and we are fully committed to supporting farmers to protect their crops in more sustainable ways. There has already been progress in this space, including research into new virus-resistant varieties of sugar beet and new alternative pesticide sprays, and we will continue to support this work. 

    The announcement today builds on the swift action the Government has taken to recover nature more widely. This includes committing to a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan and new delivery plans to meet targets on air quality, the circular economy and water. In the first few months of this government, legislation was introduced to put failing water companies under special measures to curb pollution in our waterways and a Flood Resilience Taskforce was introduced to speed up the creation of nature-based solutions, like planting trees to protect communities against the impact of extreme weather.    

    NOTES TO EDITORS:   

    • The legal requirements for emergency authorisations have not changed today and any applications for 2025 will be considered under the law as it stands.   

    • The Neonicotinoids Policy Statement applies to England only.

    • The UK Government will look to work with the devolved governments to seek a shared and consistent way forward.   

    • £5 billion was set aside in the Budget for farming over two years, including the single biggest amount of money ever allocated for sustainable food production and nature recovery.

    • The full Neonicotinoids Policy Statement can be found here

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 December 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Homegrown seed to kickstart new generation of Douglas fir trees

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments

    Groundbreaking breeding programme to develop new generation of British grown Douglas fir trees after decades of research.

    Credit: Forestry Commission

    Douglas fir is native to North America and has been used in British forestry for over 100 years. Demand is rising rapidly and currently; we import much of our seed from the USA or France and there is a need to develop a strain that is specialised for British conditions.

    For decades there have been incomplete attempts to develop British Douglas fir seed sources suited to our conditions, but now a government funded project led by the Conifer Breeding Cooperative has overcome this and will grow the next generation of Douglas fir from British tree seeds.

    The project involved the selection of 200 visually superior trees from the best Douglas fir plantations in Britain, as well as 40 genetically superior trees from long-term experiments managed by Forest Research.

    This selection of outstanding Douglas firs will now be used by the Conifer Breeding Cooperative and Forest Research as breeding stock to produce British Douglas Fir seed. The chosen trees will be copied by grafting cuttings onto rootstocks, after the grafted plants will go into seed orchards. In several years, once seeds are available, they will be supplied to forest nurseries to grow the first genetically improved British Douglas fir trees. 

    Richard Whittet, Head of Tree Breeding at Forest Research and Chair of the Conifer Breeding Cooperative, said:  

    “We have selected a new generation of Douglas fir trees for breeding, based on their adaptation to the British climate and timber properties which is an important step forward for the resilience of our nation’s trees. 

    “This achievement is the result of decades of work by Forest Research and our domestic and international partners. Collaboration has enabled us to get things done on the ground and harness new technologies, such as the low-cost DNA marker array for quality assurance.”

    Sir William Worsley, Chair of the Forestry Commission, said:

     “We are facing a changing climate and biodiversity decline, with trees playing a significant role in mitigating some of the worst impacts.

    “We rely too heavily on timber imports in the UK and if we are to strengthen own domestic supply then this type of science will play a huge role in the future. Therefore, there has never been a more crucial time to invest in domestic tree-planting”.

    A DNA fingerprint – which shows the genetic make-up of each tree – has also been taken of each tree by Oxford University. This is the first time this technique has been used at such an early stage of a tree breeding programme in Great Britain. The DNA fingerprint is used as a quality-control tool to track and evaluate the tree’s parentage and enable traceability. This important data will help advance the project. 

    Douglas fir is a desirable timber-producing tree for Britain and this step forward to develop a resilient British population will ensure better yield for our domestic timber industry. Fast growing conifers such at this sequester carbon more quickly than slower growing species.  Using timber in construction, in place of other non-renewable materials, is one of the best ways to reduce emissions from buildings. It also ensures that carbon is locked up long-term.

    Today’s development will help bolster the domestic timber industry as part of the Government’s critical mission to make the UK clean energy superpower and ensure we are resilient to a changing climate. This is the latest government innovation in the fight to protect our nation’s trees and woodlands.

    The project partners involved are Conifer Breeding Coop, University of Oxford, and Forestart and it has been funded by the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs.

    Additional Information: 

    • The trials were first established in the 1990s as part of a European Commission project with several international partners including Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Belgium

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 December 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Syria: Rights investigators call for protection of evidence, including mass grave sites

    Source: United Nations 4

    By Vibhu Mishra

    Peace and Security

    In a landmark mission to Syria, the UN probe into the most serious rights violations committed in the country since 2011 has called on caretaker authorities to take immediate measures to protect mass grave sites and preserve critical evidence.

    A team from the Independent International Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Syria visited former prisons and detention centres, including the notorious Sednaya and the Military Intelligence Branch 235 prisons.

    It is the first time the team has been able to access Syria, as the former regime denied all previous requests to gather evidence.

    The team was dismayed to see that much evidence and documentation had been damaged, taken or destroyed – information which in some cases could have helped families trace disappeared loved ones.

    “Utmost care must be taken to protect mass grave sites and to safeguard all documents and evidence across Syria,” it said, warning that well-meaning but premature actions by individuals or organizations could hinder long-term forensic efforts.

    Urgent recommendations

    The Commission are recommending the setting up of a a specialized unit to coordinate the protection and preservation of mass grave sites and related documents, until forensic experts can assess them.

    The independent rights experts call on authorities to discourage any interference and for any documents already removed to be returned. Many national and international rights bodies and organizations have offered assistance to secure evidence and support the families of missing persons.

    “This critical juncture in Syria’s history, and at a time of great expectations by the Syrian people, the Commission reiterate its full solidarity with the entire Syrian people and stands ready to support in any capacity it can,” it stated.

    Established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry is mandated to investigate all alleged violations of international human rights law since March 2011 in Syria.

    Rights experts call for inclusive reconstruction

    Separately, a group of over 30 independent human rights experts – including Special Rapporteurs – stressed the need for unified international support to ensure Syria’s transition is grounded in democratic principles and human rights.

    They emphasised that justice, reconciliation, and respect for Syria’s sovereignty are paramount to the country’s recovery following the fall of the Assad regime.

    The experts highlighted the importance of addressing the rights of marginalized groups, including women, children, minorities, and displaced persons, while ensuring the political process remains Syrian-led and Syrian-owned.

    ‘Credible’ system

    “Justice should be pursued for all crimes committed, regardless of the perpetrator, through a credible judicial system focused on accountability, reparations, reconciliation and not revenge,” the experts stated.

    “It is vital that such processes conform fully with international human rights standards…The involvement of civil society and human rights defenders in a just transition is crucially important for the process to be credible,” they added.

    Cooperation, not aggression

    The experts urged the international community to support Syria’s rebuilding while ensuring the process remains free from foreign interference or aggression, warning that the country has endured major foreign interventions, transforming the country into the site of an extensive and protracted proxy war.

    Continuing military interventions, such as the recent unprovoked and illegal attacks by Israel – its occupation of more Syrian territory in the Golan Heights and other air-attacks and incursions into north-east and central Syria – are grave obstacles to effective rehabilitation.

    “All foreign occupying military forces should leave Syria, and all territorial incursions and attacks should cease without delay,” the experts stated.

    Independent experts

    The experts included several Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups on key rights issues, who are appointed and mandated by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council.

    They are not UN staff, do not draw a salary, and serve in their individual capacity, independent of the UN Secretariat.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australians urged to stay scam-aware this holiday season

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    The Albanese Government is urging Australians to be vigilant to criminal scammers this holiday season.

    From Christmas presents to Boxing Day sales, we know this is a time of year people are more likely to be shopping online. It is important we do this safely and stay alert to suspicious behaviours.

    We know that scammers take advantage of significant events. At tax time, they’ve sent text messages claiming to be from myGov. When big name concerts come to town, they ramp up fake ticket scams. Unfortunately, the holiday season is no different.

    This is a common time of year for scammers to increase their presence on social media to lure people to fake websites in an attempt to steal their identity or money.

    According to Scamwatch, Australians lost over $300,000 in December 2023 to online shopping scams alone. Social media platforms remain one of the largest vectors for scammers to find victims.

    The Albanese government understands the financial and emotional turmoil experienced by scams victims. That is why we are leading the biggest crackdown on scams anywhere in the world.

    The Scams Prevention Framework has been introduced to parliament, which, when passed, will make Australia the toughest target for scammers. It will force banks, telcos, and social media to significantly lift their game to stop scams.

    Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland, also recently announced the mandatory SMS sender ID registry, which will force telcos to block bulk texts from numbers that do not match an authorised business.

    The Government’s work in this space has facilitated a 41 per cent decrease in scam losses between the financial year 2022–23 and 2023–24, according to Scamwatch.

    While the Albanese government is working hard to keep people’s money safe, it is important Australians are aware of these threats and remain vigilant.

    The Government is urging Australians to remember these top tips to help protect themselves.

    • STOP: before sharing personal information
    • CHECK: that you know who you’re dealing with
    • PROTECT: against scams by taking actions like reporting them to Scamwatch.gov.au

    Quotes attributable to Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, Stephen Jones MP

    “Online shopping can be a great way to get that last minute holiday shopping sorted, but it is important we do so safely.

    “Our government is working hard to crackdown on criminal scammers trying to make a buck out of Australians.

    “Remember to Stop, Check, Protect, and consult a trusted person if you think something looks a bit too good to be true.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: MEAA welcomes News MAP funding ‘leg up’ for Australian journalism

    Pacific Media Watch

    The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years.

    Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to $400 million in additional funding for the sector over the coming years.

    The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance says the new funding under the News Media Assistance Program (News MAP) will boost journalism and media diversity but must be tied to the enforcement of minimum employment standards for all media workers, including freelancers, says the MEAA website.

    The acting director of MEAA media, Michelle Rae, said the Albanese government had picked up on recommendations from the union during consultation over the News MAP earlier this year.

    “We are pleased that the government has adopted a holistic and structured approach to support for the news media industry, rather than the patchwork of band aid solutions that have been implemented in the past,” she said.

    “MEAA has long argued that commercially produced public interest journalism requires systematic, long-term support beyond a three-year time frame to ensure its viability and to promote a diverse media landscape.

    “The longer-term approach confirmed by the government will allow media outlets to plan for their future sustainability with additional certainty about their income over the next four years.”

    Importantly, the new funding was primarily directed at local and community news, the sector that had been most impacted by the decline of advertising revenue over the past two decades.

    “The $116.7 million to support this sector will go a long way towards helping communities in regional Australia and the suburbs of our main cities to rebuild local journalism in areas that have become or are in danger of becoming news deserts,” Rae said.

    “The unique role of Australian Associated Press as an independent and accessible news service has been recognised with $33 million in new funding.

    “MEAA also welcomes the government’s commitment to mandate at least $6 million of its advertising budget is spent in regional newspapers.”

    Rae said that while it was worthwhile to explore measures to attract philanthropic funding of the news media industry, any solutions to the decline of public interest journalism must not be reliant on sponsorships or donations that undermine the independence of media outlets.

    “There is a place for demand-side incentives to subscribe and pay for quality news media through the use of subsidies, vouchers or tax deductibility,” she said.

    “But care must be taken to ensure that philanthropic funding does not allow donors to dictate the editorial policies of media outlets.”

    Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –