Latest news with #governmentemployees
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive: Don Jr. and Eric Trump's Middle East jaunt cost US taxpayers over $40,000 in hotel rooms and rental cars
Amid wanton budget cuts by the Trump Administration that put thousands of government employees out of work, canceled school lunch programs for needy kids and zeroed out funding for crucial research into cancer, U.S. taxpayers shelled out for rental cars and hotel rooms as the president's two eldest sons pursued private business deals in the Middle East. Federal procurement data reviewed by The Independent shows more than $40,000 in disbursements by the Secret Service, whose agents accompanied Don Jr. and Eric Trump to Qatar and Saudi Arabia this spring, underwritten by the American public. One transaction, a $13,984 payment arranged by the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and funded by the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, describes the outlay as: 'ERIC TRUMP Protective USSS Visit – 4 rental vehicles.' It was prepared on April 20, and approved on May 13, 2025, the same day President Trump arrived in the kingdom. However, Eric, 41, was not part of the official delegation, according to reports. A second transaction, for $26,813.24, was arranged by the State Department and funded by the U.S. Embassy in Doha, covered a room for Donald Trump Jr., 47, at The Ned, a 5-star hotel and members-only club located in a building formerly occupied by the Qatari Interior Ministry. 'Trump Jr Visit – May 25 – Team X,' reads the expenditure, which was prepared on May 11 and approved on May 18, 2025, nearly a week after the president was in town. 'Expect tactile furnishings, classical details, and all the essentials for a comfortable home away from home,' the property's website tells prospective travelers. 'Guests enjoy access to Ned's Club Spa and Gym throughout their stay. Airport transfers in our BMW 7 Series can be arranged upon request.' Together, lodging and local transportation for Trump's two adult sons cost taxpayers at least $40,797.24, a figure that does not include air travel, agents' salaries, meals, and other significant outlays. Donald Trump, Jr. and brother Eric Trump are entitled to round-the-clock Secret Service protection and a recent trip to the Middle East cost taxpayers (AFP via Getty Images) A Secret Service spokesman on Monday told The Independent, 'We support any of our protectees, that go anywhere in the world, including foreign trips. For these foreign trips, we have personnel on the ground before a protectee gets there, so we may be on the ground several days in advance, working with the local government and local authorities.' The contracts themselves, such as the hotel rooms and rental cars required for Don Jr. and Eric, are executed on behalf of the Secret Service by U.S. embassies in the destination countries, according to the agency spokesman. He said the members of the Trump family 'are our protectees, we protect them, regardless of where they go. When you're a protectee, you have round-the-clock protection anywhere in the world. It doesn't matter what type of trip it is, they're getting protection.' The Trump Organization, which is being nominally run by Don Jr. and Eric while their father serves a second term in the White House, recently partnered with a Qatari real estate firm – backed by the country's sovereign wealth fund – to build a Trump-branded luxury golf resort in the emirate. The deal was announced two weeks before Trump made the jaunt to Qatar, which subsequently 'gifted' the president a $400 million Boeing 747 for his own use. The Trump family is also developing two new real estate projects in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, as well as a Trump Tower to be erected in Jeddah. 'Combining coastal elegance with urban sophistication, Trump Tower Jeddah delivers an unmatched lifestyle,' read an April 30 press release issued by the Trump Organization. 'From refined residences to world-class amenities and personalized service, every detail reflects the signature Trump standard of excellence.' Trump was in Saudi Arabia and Qatar while his sons were there drumming up new business for the family company, which cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars in travel expenses (Getty Images) Two weeks later, the White House formally announced that Saudi Arabia had committed to buying at least $100 billion worth of military equipment from the U.S., and said Qatar had agreed to purchase $200 billion worth of U.S.-built jets from Boeing, as well as some $3 billion in American-made drones from General Atomics and Raytheon. The trips by Don Jr. and Eric raised numerous questions about the Trump family's aggressive monetization of the presidency, which administration officials attempted to minimize as a non-issue. During the president's first term, the Trump Organization vowed not to pursue any foreign deals while the company's namesake was in office – a promise promptly broken, according to an investigation by anti-corruption watchdog Global Witness. When Trump returned to the White House in January 2021, he released an ethics agreement that said the Trump Organization would not directly strike any deals with foreign governments. However, it included no prohibition on doing business with private companies abroad, and the president's family business is now involved in no fewer than 21 Trump-branded projects throughout the world, according to CItizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Still, prior to Trump's Middle East sojourn, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted that the notion Trump would personally benefit from his family's private business pursuits was, in a word, 'ridiculous.' 'The president is abiding by all conflict of interest laws,' Leavitt said. 'The president is a successful businessman, and I think, frankly, that it's one of the many reasons that people reelected him back to this office.' In October 2018, U.S. taxpayers were hit with a $90,000-plus hotel bill for First Lady Melania Trump and her Secret Service detail, who were in Cairo for six hours but did not spend the night. A vacation to Berlin the previous year by Tiffany Trump, the president's youngest daughter, cost taxpayers at least $22,000 in hotel stays for the Secret Service agents accompanying her and her boyfriend. But when the Secret Service traveled with members of the Trump family to Trump-owned hotels, the agency was reportedly charged 'exorbitant' markups far above the usual room rate, contradicting Eric Trump's previous claim that agents were provided lodging 'at cost.' At the same time, a vindictive Trump has sought revenge on officials he believes wronged him during his first term by revoking Secret Service details assigned to protect President Joe Biden's adult children, along with those looking after former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former National Security Adviser John Bolton, and a host of others. During Barack Obama's time in office, before Trump's foray into national politics, he raged on Twitter about the cost of providing security for the president and his family, taking aim at supposed 'taxpayer funded vacations' costing the American people 'millions of dollars.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Exclusive: Don Jr. and Eric Trump's Middle East jaunt cost US taxpayers over $40,000 in hotel rooms and rental cars
Amid wanton budget cuts by the Trump Administration that put thousands of government employees out of work, canceled school lunch programs for needy kids and zeroed out funding for crucial research into cancer, U.S. taxpayers shelled out for rental cars and hotel rooms as the president's two eldest sons pursued private business deals in the Middle East. Federal procurement data reviewed by The Independent shows more than $40,000 in disbursements by the Secret Service, whose agents accompanied Don Jr. and Eric Trump to Qatar and Saudi Arabia this spring, underwritten by the American public. One transaction, a $13,984 payment arranged by the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and funded by the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, describes the outlay as: 'ERIC TRUMP Protective USSS Visit – 4 rental vehicles.' It was prepared on April 20, and approved on May 13, 2025, the same day President Trump arrived in the kingdom. However, Eric, 41, was not part of the official delegation, according to reports. A second transaction, for $26,813.24, was arranged by the State Department and funded by the U.S. Embassy in Doha, covered a room for Donald Trump Jr., 47, at The Ned, a 5-star hotel and members-only club located in a building formerly occupied by the Qatari Interior Ministry. 'Trump Jr Visit – May 25 – Team X,' reads the expenditure, which was prepared on May 11 and approved on May 18, 2025, nearly a week after the president was in town. 'Expect tactile furnishings, classical details, and all the essentials for a comfortable home away from home,' the property's website tells prospective travelers. 'Guests enjoy access to Ned's Club Spa and Gym throughout their stay. Airport transfers in our BMW 7 Series can be arranged upon request.' Together, lodging and local transportation for Trump's two adult sons cost taxpayers at least $40,797.24, a figure that does not include air travel, agents' salaries, meals, and other significant outlays. A Secret Service spokesman on Monday told The Independent, 'We support any of our protectees, that go anywhere in the world, including foreign trips. For these foreign trips, we have personnel on the ground before a protectee gets there, so we may be on the ground several days in advance, working with the local government and local authorities.' The contracts themselves, such as the hotel rooms and rental cars required for Don Jr. and Eric, are executed on behalf of the Secret Service by U.S. embassies in the destination countries, according to the agency spokesman. He said the members of the Trump family 'are our protectees, we protect them, regardless of where they go. When you're a protectee, you have round-the-clock protection anywhere in the world. It doesn't matter what type of trip it is, they're getting protection.' The Trump Organization, which is being nominally run by Don Jr. and Eric while their father serves a second term in the White House, recently partnered with a Qatari real estate firm – backed by the country's sovereign wealth fund – to build a Trump-branded luxury golf resort in the emirate. The deal was announced two weeks before Trump made the jaunt to Qatar, which subsequently 'gifted' the president a $400 million Boeing 747 for his own use. The Trump family is also developing two new real estate projects in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, as well as a Trump Tower to be erected in Jeddah. 'Combining coastal elegance with urban sophistication, Trump Tower Jeddah delivers an unmatched lifestyle,' read an April 30 press release issued by the Trump Organization. 'From refined residences to world-class amenities and personalized service, every detail reflects the signature Trump standard of excellence.' Two weeks later, the White House formally announced that Saudi Arabia had committed to buying at least $100 billion worth of military equipment from the U.S., and said Qatar had agreed to purchase $200 billion worth of U.S.-built jets from Boeing, as well as some $3 billion in American-made drones from General Atomics and Raytheon. The trips by Don Jr. and Eric raised numerous questions about the Trump family's aggressive monetization of the presidency, which administration officials attempted to minimize as a non-issue. During the president's first term, the Trump Organization vowed not to pursue any foreign deals while the company's namesake was in office – a promise promptly broken, according to an investigation by anti-corruption watchdog Global Witness. When Trump returned to the White House in January 2021, he released an ethics agreement that said the Trump Organization would not directly strike any deals with foreign governments. However, it included no prohibition on doing business with private companies abroad, and the president's family business is now involved in no fewer than 21 Trump-branded projects throughout the world, according to CItizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Still, prior to Trump's Middle East sojourn, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted that the notion Trump would personally benefit from his family's private business pursuits was, in a word, 'ridiculous.' 'The president is abiding by all conflict of interest laws,' Leavitt said. 'The president is a successful businessman, and I think, frankly, that it's one of the many reasons that people reelected him back to this office.' In October 2018, U.S. taxpayers were hit with a $90,000-plus hotel bill for First Lady Melania Trump and her Secret Service detail, who were in Cairo for six hours but did not spend the night. A vacation to Berlin the previous year by Tiffany Trump, the president's youngest daughter, cost taxpayers at least $22,000 in hotel stays for the Secret Service agents accompanying her and her boyfriend. But when the Secret Service traveled with members of the Trump family to Trump-owned hotels, the agency was reportedly charged 'exorbitant' markups far above the usual room rate, contradicting Eric Trump's previous claim that agents were provided lodging 'at cost.' At the same time, a vindictive Trump has sought revenge on officials he believes wronged him during his first term by revoking Secret Service details assigned to protect President Joe Biden's adult children, along with those looking after former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former National Security Adviser John Bolton, and a host of others. During Barack Obama's time in office, before Trump's foray into national politics, he raged on Twitter about the cost of providing security for the president and his family, taking aim at supposed 'taxpayer funded vacations' costing the American people 'millions of dollars.'
CNA
4 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Commentary: Indonesia's jobs boom is a story of quantity, not quality
YOGYAKARTA: Indonesia is creating jobs at an unprecedented rate. In 2024 alone, the country added 4.8 million new jobs, pushing the unemployment rate below 5 per cent as gross domestic product growth rebounded to 5 per cent. While this appears groundbreaking on paper, national sentiment and statistics tell a different story. Workers are anxious, households feel stuck, and young graduates are scrambling for jobs to match their qualifications. Despite consistent job growth, social mobility remains difficult, with the number of Indonesians in the middle class falling since 2018. The core problem is not employment itself, but the nature of employment. According to Indonesia's National Labour Force Survey, the country created around 18 million jobs between 2018 and 2024. But more than 80 per cent were in household enterprises, while just 2.6 million jobs came from corporations and large factories, with fewer than a million jobs created in government-related roles. Household enterprises like street vendors, home-based workers and family-run shops may offer flexibility, but they are deeply informal and poorly paid. In 2023, nearly 59 per cent of Indonesia's workers were employed informally without insurance and earning below the minimum wage. In most cases, employees in household enterprises face a persistent wage penalty. In their first year, they earn on average 9.6 per cent less than government employees and 57.6 per cent less than corporate employees. With an average starting wage of just 1.6 million rupiah (US$96.50) per month, these jobs fall short of what it takes to join the middle class. UNDEREMPLOYMENT CRISIS This divide is pronounced across sectors. Sectors with the lowest wages and job quality such as agriculture and food services led job creation, with agriculture alone adding over 4.2 million jobs. But sectors that offer stable, better-paying work like finance, health and public administration added far fewer jobs. Most new manufacturing jobs are found in micro-scale, low-tech operations with low product complexity like food and beverage processing. Real wage data also reveals a troubling trend – adjusted for inflation, real wages have not grown since 2018. At the same time, between 2018 and 2024, the average number of hours worked fell across almost every sector, from agriculture to finance. This rise in low-hour employment has driven a surge in underemployment – around 30 per cent of Indonesia's workforce work under 35 hours per week. Although millions of Indonesians are technically employed, they are often stuck in jobs without enough hours or sufficient income to sustain a good life. This quiet epidemic of underutilisation erodes productivity and strains household budgets, pushing many workers into a loop of part-time labour and full-time insecurity. Indonesia's underemployment crisis is even more concerning when considering worker aspirations. In 2024, nearly 16 million Indonesian workers reported wanting to work more hours, an increase of almost 80 per cent from 2018. Over 83 per cent of these underemployed workers were concentrated in household enterprises. The institutions most capable of offering stable, full-time employment are shrinking, while the informal sector balloons with workers who want but cannot find enough hours. POLICIES FOR QUALITY EMPLOYMENT Indonesia must reorient its policy towards quality employment, including by incentivising employers to hire formally and pay fairly. Indonesia can learn from Chile's Subsidio al Empleo Joven (Youth Employment Subsidy), which offers wage subsidies to enterprises hiring vulnerable young workers, while linking social security benefits and access to credit to formal employment status. OECD evaluations show that this program has raised the probability of formal employment by 3 per cent and led to higher earnings for beneficiaries. Adopting similar targeted incentives can encourage more businesses to provide decent and secure employment. Improving job quality is not solely the responsibility of the government. The Central Bank also has a role to play by recognising the economic slack created by underemployment. Indonesia should rely on a comprehensive dashboard of labour market indicators to set monetary policy, rather than a single headline unemployment figure. An economy may boast record-low unemployment and strong job creation, yet persistent underemployment or weak labour force participation signals that substantial slack remains beneath the surface. In these cases, central banks may be wise to hold back from aggressive tightening to avoid stifling a still-fragile economic recovery. By embracing broader labour measures, monetary and fiscal policy can be calibrated more precisely, uncovering hidden slack or overheating pressures that the official employment growth rate alone fails to reveal. Indonesia also needs to strike a bold national conversation on job quality standards, while employers must provide a decent minimum wage, stronger job security, increased social protections and self-development opportunities. Good jobs are not luxuries, but preconditions for a healthy and inclusive economy. Indonesia's economic engine continues to grow. But if the jobs it produces are low-wage, informal and dead-end, the country risks building a future where work does not deliver dignity. Indonesia's economy will not be measured by how fast it grows, but by how many people rise with it.
Arabian Business
5 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Business
UAE marriage laws: Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed announces new leave policy
Dubai government employees who are UAE nationals will receive 10 working days of marriage leave with full salary under a new decree. Issued by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, Decree No. (31) of 2025 regarding marriage leave for Dubai government employees on Thursday. The decree applies to national employees working in government agencies and authorities supervising special development zones and free zones, including the Dubai International Financial Centre. Members of the judiciary and national military personnel in the emirate are included, with the exception of candidates. Dubai grants 10-day marriage leave 'The decree aims to enhance the foundations of psychological and family stability and strengthen the foundations for successful family life as it begins to be established, and to achieve a balance between the requirements of personal life and job duties and responsibilities,' the decree stated. However, employees must meet specific conditions to qualify for marriage leave. The employee's spouse must be a UAE citizen, and the employee must have passed the probationary period stipulated under human resources legislation applicable to their employer. The marriage contract must be certified by the competent authority and concluded after December 31, 2024. During marriage leave, employees will receive their full gross salary, including allowances and financial benefits stipulated under human resources legislation. Employees may use marriage leave at any time, either continuously or intermittently, within one year from the date of concluding the marriage contract. Government entities may agree to carry over marriage leave or any part thereof to the following year, based on serious reasons presented by the employee and after approval from their direct supervisor. The decree stipulates that government entities may not call upon employees during marriage leave, with the exception of military personnel if work requires it. Marriage leave shall be extended for the remaining period after the end of the call-up period. If employees are called upon during marriage leave to perform national or reserve service, or if they cannot use their marriage leave for the same reason, the leave or any remaining days shall be carried over to after the employee completes their service. The marriage leave must be used within one year of their return to work. Employees who transfer or are appointed to another government entity retain their right to marriage leave, or any part thereof, if they did not use it during their tenure with their previous government entity. Employees are entitled to combine marriage leave with any other leave they are entitled to under human resources legislation in force at their employer. The Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council will issue the necessary decisions to implement the provisions of this decree. Any provision in other legislation will be repealed to the extent that it conflicts with its provisions. The decree came into effect on January 1, 2025 and will be published in the Official Gazette.
Gulf Business
6 days ago
- Business
- Gulf Business
Dubai approves 10-day paid ‘marriage' leave for govt employees
Image: AI generated/ For illustrative purposes only Dubai has issued a new No 31 of 2025) granting Emirati government staff in the emirate 10 working days of fully paid marriage leave. The new directive — signed off by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai — aims to support psychological and family stability while enhancing work–life balance. It covers UAE Nationals working in Dubai government entities, including agencies overseeing special development zones and free zones. It also applies to judicial and military personnel, excluding cadets. Key highlights linked to the 'marriage' leave for Dubai government Emirati employees To qualify, employees must have completed their probationary period, and their spouse must also be a UAE citizen. The marriage contract must be certified in the UAE and concluded after December 31 of the previous year. Employees are required to submit the marriage certificate only once when applying for the leave. Marriage leave can be taken either continuously or in parts within one year from the date of marriage. During this period, employees are entitled to their full gross salary, including allowances and financial benefits. Government entities are not permitted to call on employees during their marriage leave, except in the case of military personnel where work may require it. If an employee is called up for national service or a promotion course during the leave period, the remaining days of marriage leave will be postponed. Read :
