Latest news with #FSC
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Fire safety: Centre asks city hospitals to follow regulations
Chandigarh: Terming fire safety in hospitals and nursing homes in Chandigarh as a matter of the "utmost importance," director general of fire services, ministry of home affairs, GoI, wrote a letter to the UT chief secretary, calling for fire safety audits and inspection of all govt and private hospitals as well as nursing homes. An action taken report (ATR) is to be submitted within 60 days. The chief secretary has forwarded the directives to the MC, which deals with fire safety and related aspects. The development is crucial for Chandigarh, where several hospitals have received notices for failing to comply with fire safety norms laid down by the municipal corporation. Although the civic body conducts fire audits from time to time, many prominent buildings in the city have not obtained the fire safety NoCs till date. The letter from the director general of fire services to the chief secretary reads, "Fire safety in hospitals and nursing homes is a matter of utmost importance, given the critical nature of these institutions. Any fire-related incident on such premises can lead to tragic consequences, including loss of lives and disruption of essential health services. In this regard, this directorate has issued multiple advisories and communications highlighting the need for urgent attention towards this issue. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like I Lost My Passport in Rome. This $49 Device Would've Saved Me dailygadgetreviews Undo In view of this, it is requested that necessary directions be issued to the fire services and other concerned departments, such as health, urban local bodies, PWD, and electrical safety departments, to conduct fire safety audits and inspections of all govt and private hospitals and nursing homes using the enclosed checklist and as per the local rules, regulations, and requirements." The letter authorises UT fire services to continue with existing practices in vogue, besides implementing these guidelines and prioritising inspection of facilities with ICUs, oxygen support systems, and critical care units. Authorities have also been directed to conduct regular fire drills and training for hospital staff. The director general of fire services informed that they have prepared a checklist for the inspection and audit of fire safety measures in hospitals and nursing homes in alignment with relevant provisions of the National Building Code 2016, guidelines issued by NDMA, standards of the Bureau of Indian Standards, and advisories of the ministry of health and family welfare. Box: Key hospitals flouting fire norms Hospital | Status of FSC | Action taken 1: PGIMER | FSC for 10 buildings not obtained | Discrepancies conveyed 2: Mental Health Institute, Sector 32 | FSC applied | Pending due to discrepancies 3: GMCH-32 | FSC under process | Pending due to discrepancies 4: GMCH-48 | FSC expired | Reminder issued *FSC- Fire safety certificate MSID:: 123238344 413 | Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
West Australian
06-08-2025
- Business
- West Australian
First Guardian collapse could spark major change in financial compensation
Thousands of Australians who are at risk of losing their nest eggs may have a chance at getting some money back after the federal government ordered a review into a key compensation scheme. First Guardian Master Fund collapsed earlier this year, leaving thousands of Australians in the lurch and unsure if they will ever see their money again. Since 2024, Australians who lose money from a failed or collapsed financial company can claim up to $150,000 through the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) – a scheme that offers compensation to people in relation to complaints about personal financial advice, credit intermediation, securities dealing or credit provision. However, Assistant Treasurer and Financial Services Minister Daniel Mulino has ordered a review of the scheme, as it only offers limited funding and may not be able to cover all the losses when a company crashes. Currently, the scheme puts a cap of $20m on each of the four listed areas. Mr Mulino said the CSLR was in need of a review and was considering imposing a special levy to meet a significant shortfall, with the Financial Services Council (FSC) saying the scheme's costs had blown out by 840 per cent on initial estimates. 'The CSLR pays compensation to claimants where an eligible determination issued by the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) remains unpaid,' Mr Mulino said. In July, the CSLR operator revised the scheme's cost to $75.7m, of which $67.3m was attributable to the personal advice sector in 2025-2026. 'This exceeds the $20m limit on levies that can be applied to the advice sub-sector to fund the claim,' he said. 'This has triggered the option available to me as the responsible minister under the CSLR legislation to raise a special levy to pay for the excess costs. 'I have asked Treasury to consult on all statutory options available to deal with this matter. 'The paper seeks feedback on a broad range of options to inform my decision.' FSC chief executive Blake Briggs welcomed the scheme's review, promising to work 'constructively' with Treasury. In a statement, Mr Briggs argued the government scheme needed to be brought under control and made sustainable before imposing the special levy. 'The industry welcomes the minister's engagement on the CSLR special levy,' he said. 'In considering whether and how to determine a special levy, the minister should have regard to the risk of entrenching further moral hazard into the scheme through underwriting investment losses, the financial sustainability and viability of sub-sectors, and spreading the cost as widely as possible to minimise the burden on any one sector.' He said the minister should 'prioritise responding to the outcomes of Treasury's review of the design of the scheme', which was established to 'assess the scheme's framework, scope and sustainability on an ongoing basis'. 'If the industry is going to bear the costs of the $47m special levy, the industry needs assurance that the scheme will not continue to blow out year on year,' he added. 'Already we have seen the scheme blow out by 840 per cent from Treasury's initial estimate of $8.1m per year to $75.7m. CSLR chief executive David Berry told NewsWire the scheme could 'only compensate where inappropriate or conflicted advice has been confirmed about a relevant financial product via an AFCA determination'. Regarding the collapse of First Guardian Master Fund, Mr Berry confirmed three claims had been received by CSLR, 'with all three currently going through the information gathering process ahead of eligibility assessment'. Customers who are unsure if they are eligible are urged to contact AFCA to submit their claim. 'At this early stage, the CSLR is not in a position to speculate on the volume or dollar amount of potential claims that the scheme may receive related to the First Guardian Master Fund,' he told NewsWire. About 6000 Australians invested $590m into First Guardian, which was established in 2019 as a management investment scheme. Investors were advised to roll over their superannuation into a retail super fund, then invest their money into First Guardian. Customers said they were unaware their funds were being transferred to First Guardian Master Fund despite the details being written in the company's legal documents. FTI Consulting liquidators Paul Harlond and Ross Blakely, who released their preliminary report into the fund, said they 'intend to undertake further investigations', including the determination 'whether any breaches of the Corporations Act or any other laws have occurred by any party … or any other circumstances exist, which may give rise to a potential claim by investors'. The liquidators said they were 'seeking compensation on behalf of members of the fund for losses suffered', which could be as high as $446m. However, members have been warned they may never see their funds again. FTI Consulting's assessment found the 'overall recoverable value of the investments is likely to be considerably less than their combined book value' and a 'substantial shortfall of recoverable assets to outstanding investor funds will therefore likely arise in the liquidation'. In the report, the liquidators said 'a large proportion of investors in the (First Guardian Master Fund) invested through investment platforms', adding the recovered funds may not be as high as hoped. ' … the liquidators consider the value of the assets may have been overstated in the accounts,' the report read. 'It is very likely that some of the funds' assets/investments are not recoverable or will not recover their full ascribed value. Indeed, significant shortfalls to book values are expected.' The liquidators said it would take more than a year to complete their investigation and wind up the business due to the 'complexity and number of outstanding matters' in the liquidation. Corporate watchdog the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) confirmed it was launching an investigation into the fund. The watchdog also confirmed it had launched an investigation into Falcon Capital Ltd managing director David Anderson, who allegedly funnelled funds from superannuation members into his failed property developments and craft breweries. Mr Anderson's assets have been frozen and his passport has been seized as Federal Court-appointed liquidators and investigators sort through financial records. The watchdog alleges $5.6m was deposited into Mr Anderson's ANZ account between June 2022 and September last year 'without any legitimate basis for payments in that amount being apparent to ASIC or disclosed to investors'. ASIC also alleges Mr Anderson used $16,000 to make mortgage payments on his $9m home overlooking the Yarra River. Mr Anderson's legal representative, Dan Mackay of Mackay Chapman, told the ABC last week 'there have been no findings of fact or law by any court or tribunal, nor by ASIC'. 'Mr Anderson will fully exercise his rights in response to allegations which may be made against him at the appropriate time in the appropriate forum,' Mr Mackay said. An ASIC spokesman said its 'first priority has been to preserve any remaining assets of the scheme so they can be recovered for investors'. 'Following concerns raised by ASIC, the Federal Court appointed liquidators to Falcon Capital and ordered the wind up of First Guardian and its related funds in April. The court also restrained David Anderson, a director of Falcon, from dealing with his assets and appointed a receiver to his personal property,' he said. 'ASIC's investigation suggests that potential consumers were called and referred to personal financial advice providers who advised consumers to roll their superannuation assets into a retail choice superannuation fund and then to invest part or all of their superannuation into First Guardian. 'While ASIC's investigation is ongoing, the Federal Court has made interim travel restraint orders against Falcon Capital director David Anderson on ASIC's application. 'The court also made interim orders freezing the assets of another Falcon director, Simon Selimaj, and restraining his travel. Those orders are in place until 27 February 2026.' No charges have been laid. To those impacted, the spokesman said he understood 'the circumstances surrounding First Guardian are distressing for those affected' and it was 'one of ASIC's priorities to investigate what has happened'.
Business Wire
05-08-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
GreenFirst to Host Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Call
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. (TSX: GFP) (' GreenFirst ' or the ' Company ') will host a conference call to review its second quarter of 2025 financial results on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at 9:00am (Eastern). The results are scheduled to be released at the close of trading on August 12, 2025. The live webcast of the earnings conference call can be accessed via telephone: (+1) 416 764 8658 or (+1) 888 886 7786 or via web A replay of the webcast and presentation slides will be available on GreenFirst's website following the conference call. Please visit GreenFirst's Investor Relations website at at the end of the day on August 12, 2025 to view the earnings released prior to the conference call. About GreenFirst GreenFirst Forest Products is a forest-first business, focused on sustainable forest management and lumber production. The Company owns four sawmills located in rich wood baskets proudly operating over 6.1 million hectares of FSC® certified public Ontario forestlands (FSC®-C167905). The Company believes that responsible forest practices, coupled with the long-term green advantage of lumber, provides GreenFirst with significant cyclical and secular advantages in building products.
Time of India
28-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Visited by thousands, 20 key govt buildings in Chandigarh play with fire
1 2 Chandigarh: Despite housing some of the region's most powerful offices and receiving thousands of daily visitors, nearly 20 major government buildings in Chandigarh are operating without mandatory fire safety certificates (FSC), a glaring lapse that puts lives at risk. These buildings belong to the central government, Chandigarh administration, Punjab and Haryana governments, and include the Punjab and Haryana high court, Vidhan Sabhas, civil secretariats, and even premier medical and educational institutions like PGIMER, Panjab University, and GMCH in Sectors 32. Shockingly, even the municipal corporation's own building is on the list. These are not obscure structures tucked away in corners of the city. They are high-footfall, high-importance institutions where ministers, judges, bureaucrats, and the public converge daily. Yet, fire safety norms, meant to be non-negotiable, have been treated with alarming casualness. Recent fire incidents at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, PGIMER, and Panjab University should have served as wake-up calls. Fortunately, no casualties occurred. But all three buildings are among those operating without valid FSCs. Sources in the municipal corporation (MC) revealed a pattern of negligence: in some cases, FSC applications are pending due to unresolved discrepancies; in others, certificates have expired and were never renewed. Worse still, many authorities haven't even applied for certification. The MC has issued notices, but compliance remains sluggish.
The Citizen
28-07-2025
- The Citizen
Police hunt suspect who raped and hammered 60-year-old Free State woman in her home
The suspect allegedly raped and hit the woman on her head with a hammer, leaving her bleeding profusely. Police in the Free State are seeking information that could lead them to a suspect who raped and hammered a 60-year-old woman at her Bothaville home on Saturday. The Welkom Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) is investigating a rape case following the gruesome attack that left the woman hospitalised. Woman found bleeding from the head Regional police spokesperson Sergeant Palesa Thabana said Bothaville police attended to a rape complaint at around 12.15pm on 26 July, where they found the woman bleeding profusely from the head. 'It is alleged that on the [said] date, the victim had just entered her house when she was accosted by an unknown African male who allegedly hit her three times on the head with a hammer before he allegedly raped her,' Thabana said in a statement on Monday. The woman, who was allegedly struck three times, sustained severe injuries to the head and was taken to a local hospital. However, she was subsequently transferred to another hospital in Welkom due to the severity of her injuries. ALSO READ: 'Filthiest perpetrator' handed life in jail for raping 91-year-old woman Investigations continue No arrests have been made yet, but police confiscated a hammer suspected to have been used in the assault. 'Police are urging anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspect to contact Warrant Officer Anje Tait of the Welkom [FSC] on 083 279 3213, or Crime Stop 08600 10111 or, alternatively, an anonymous tip-off may be sent through the MySAPS App. More than 180 suspects arrested for rape in one week The incident comes just one day after the South African Police Service announced that 183 suspects were arrested for rape across the country over the past week. Out of the 183 suspects arrested, 67 were wanted individuals who were tracked down in different parts of the country. Police spokesperson, Amanda van Wyk, said this is one of the operations that are aimed at intensifying the police's efforts in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide. NOW READ: KZN man gets life term and more for raping and robbing elderly kin
