Latest news with #privateoperators
Times
17-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Private rail firms ‘loophole' could cost taxpayers billions
Private rail firms could cost the taxpayer billions of pounds in lost revenue, despite the government's plans to renationalise the network, ministers fear. Under proposals to bring the railways back into public ownership, private operators that run train services are being forced to hand them back when their franchises run out. But ministers are concerned that the firms are trying to exploit a loophole in the law that would allow them to continue to operate services on some of the most profitable routes in the country. These would be in direct competition with the new state operator, Great British Railways, and could, ministers fear, undermine the financial viability of the new system. Research seen by the Department for Transport found that private operators on the
Arab News
08-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan advises Hajj pilgrims to verify approved private operators before bookings
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs has advised all pilgrims performing Hajj through private tour operators to verify the authenticity and quota approval of a particular company before making bookings and payments, state-run APP news agency said on Thursday. The total quota granted to Pakistan for Hajj 2025 was 179,210, which is usually divided equally between the government and the private schemes. This year, however, the private Hajj quota has been significantly reduced, impacting over 67,000 pilgrims. Private operators were allotted 89,801 slots initially, but the final number was reduced to around 23,620 last month due to non-compliance of the private sector with Saudi booking regulations and deadlines. In a report published by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) on Thursday, Religious Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Muhammad Umar Butt issued guidelines for Hajj pilgrims, including verifying the authenticity and quota approval of private tour operators before making payments, visiting the ministry's official website to confirm registration and avoiding reliance on unverified advertisements or information. 'The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has advised all prospective pilgrims intending to perform Hajj under the private Hajj scheme to exercise utmost caution when booking packages through private tour operators (Munazzameen),' APP said. 'The advisory comes after some private organizers failed to pay dues ... within the timeline set by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah,' because of which they did not get permission to serve as Hajj operators. Butt added that Hajj operators should not book pilgrims beyond their approved quotas. While a precise number of worldwide pilgrims for Hajj 2025 is difficult to determine in advance, projections suggest it will be a record-breaking year, with over 2.5 million Muslims performing the pilgrimage.
