Latest news with #publicsector
BBC News
9 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council new chief executive
A senior Dorset Council officer has been announced as the new chief executive of another local Dunn, who currently holds Dorset's finance brief, is moving to take control of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) is taking over from Graham Farrant, who announced his retirement earlier in 2025. Mr Dunn is expected to be on a salary of more than £200,000 a year and his appointment is subject to final approval by BCP Council on 3 June. His appointment comes after what BCP say was a "rigorous" recruitment authority statement said: "Aidan is an accomplished and forward-thinking public sector leader with over three decades of experience spanning local government, the civil service and the NHS." It added he had played a "pivotal role" in establishing the new unitary authority while working for Dorset Earl, leader of BCP Council, added: "He brings a wealth of experience, energy and enthusiasm and I am confident he will work with members to take BCP Council on the next stage of our exciting journey."Mr Dunn said he felt "excited and very privileged" to secure the role. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Arabian Business
15 hours ago
- Business
- Arabian Business
Eid Al Adha 2025 dates announced; UAE petrol prices change; new tax rule revealed; Dubai real estate tokenisation – 10 things you missed this week
The UAE has announced Eid Al Adha holiday dates for the public and private sectors next week. The long-awaited announcement came during a week which also saw updated tax rules, the imminent change of petrol prices, a Dubai real estate tokenisation project and more. Catch up on 10 of the biggest news stories this week, as selected by Arabian Business editors. UAE announces Eid Al Adha 2025 holidays The UAE has announced Eid Al Adha 2025 holidays for the public and private sectors. The holidays will begin on 09 Dhu Al-Hijjah 1446 AH, corresponding to Thursday, June 05, 2025, and will continue until 12 Dhu Al-Hijjah 1446 AH, corresponding to Sunday, June 08, 2025. Official work will resume on Monday, June 09, 2025. UAE petrol prices to change for June 2025 The UAE is set to announce petrol prices for June 2025 this week. Petrol prices increased fractionally in May, following two months of increases, although prices for motorists filling up on Super 98, Special 95, E-Plus 91 and diesel have remained stable. It is currently significantly cheaper to fill up a tank than year ago, with all categories becoming more affordable, despite prices fluctuating throughout the past 12 months. The UAE Ministry of Finance has issued a Cabinet Decision introducing a new tax treatment option for unincorporated partnerships. The move is part of the government's ongoing efforts to enhance tax transparency and improve the business environment. Under the Federal Decree-Law No. (47) of 2022 on the Taxation of Corporations and Businesses, unincorporated partnerships are generally regarded as tax transparent entities. New Dubai road to cut journey times from 20 minutes to just 3.5 A new road in Dubai will slash journey times in one neighbourhood from 20 minutes to less than four. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is set to open a new entry and exit point to Al Warqa directly from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road early June 2025, aiming to facilitate smoother access to and from the neighbourhood. Once complete, the project will increase road capacity by 5,000 vehicles per hour, reduce travel time by 80 per cent—from 20 minutes to just 3.5 minutes—and cut trip distances from 5.7km to 1.5km. The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE), and the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) as part of the Real Estate Sandbox. Zand Digital Bank has been appointed as the banking partner for the pilot phase. Binghatti Holding Ltd has acquired freehold land spanning over 8 million square feet of gross floor area for its first large-scale master-planned residential community in Dubai. The Dubai-based real estate developer, known for luxury-branded residences, expects the development to have a total value exceeding AED 25 billion. The land sits in Nad Al Sheba 1 within Dubai's Meydan district. The area previously housed the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, which served as the former venue for the Dubai World Cup. The location maintains connections to major roads and sits near Dubai's key landmarks. Disneyland Abu Dhabi triggers real estate shift: Price moves, investor interest and new hotspots identified Disney recently announced a theme park in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, marking its seventh destination globally. According to real estate experts, the announcement is already positively impacting the capital's property market. While the project is years from completion, early signs point to growing investor interest, increased inquiries for off-plan units, and early price adjustment discussions. 'Even for an established, world-class tourism and leisure hub, Yas Island's recent announcement of Disneyland Abu Dhabi is a major touristic coup, and yet another reason why Yas is one of Abu Dhabi's most dynamic residential investment destinations. The news has put Yas firmly in the spotlight and immediately boosted investor confidence in this world-class destination,' Riyad Magdy, Chairman and Founder, Oia Properties, said in an exclusive interview with Arabian Business. EXCLUSIVE: Dubai real estate giant Sobha Realty eyes 3 Texas cities for major U.S. expansion Dubai-headquartered luxury property developer Sobha Realty has revealed more of its plans to expand into the United States market, with Texas cities forming the 'cornerstone' of its international growth strategy. The company, which has operated in the UAE since 2013, will focus on Dallas, Houston, and Austin for its U.S. debut. In an exclusive interview with Arabian Business, Ravi Menon — Chairman of Sobha Group — cited the cities' rapid population growth, strong economic fundamentals, and demand for luxury residential developments as key factors in the decision. UAE malls in 'non-prime' areas could face pressure from Chinese goods diversion amid U.S. tariffs The new U.S. tariffs imposed by Donald Trump could create 'ripple effects' throughout global supply chains that could eventually reach the UAE market, according to PP Varghese, Head of Professional Services at Cushman & Wakefield Core. 'While the UAE doesn't heavily import directly from the US, many products pass through complex international supply chains where tariff-related price increases get passed down,' he told Arabian Business. UAE takes legal action against 30 domestic worker recruitment rulebreakers The UAE is penalising domestic worker recruitment offices over rule breaking and violations of guidelines. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has taken legal action against 30 domestic worker recruitment offices across the UAE after confirming their involvement in 89 violations flagged during the first three months of 2025. The measures form part of the Ministry's ongoing efforts to implement its integrated field and digital monitoring system, which aims to identify and address any violations by domestic worker recruitment offices and ensure their compliance with relevant legislation.
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Biden's Parting Gift to Retirees Is Boosting the Economy
In some ways, it's still Joe Biden's economy, and Donald Trump is just reaping the benefits. Well, Trump and hundreds of thousands of police, firefighters, teachers and other public sector retirees. Over the past few months, personal income data have been flattered by what is, at least in some sense, the biggest short-run boost to Social Security coverage ever. The Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law on Jan. 5, repealed provisions that had limited or blocked benefits to around 3 million people, mostly retired public sector workers and their families, who were already receiving separate government pensions.
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
National Insurance hike leaves hole in Wales' budget
Higher National Insurance payments for doctors, nurses and teachers has left the Welsh government with a £36m hole in its budget, according to the finance minister. Last year, the UK government increased the amount employers have to pay in National Insurance (NI) with the Welsh government, which employs tens of thousands of public sector workers, left with a £257m Finance Minister Mark Drakeford said he had added £36m from Welsh government reserves while the the Treasury provided £185m to help plug the gap. However, it still leaves £36m to find, which could come from cuts to other services, as Drakeford said the government "cannot afford to cover the entire shortfall". "The UK government should treat the public sector the same across the UK and make good on its pledge to fully fund these extra costs," he added. The row is the latest dispute between the Labour administrations in Cardiff and London ahead of next year's Senedd Minister Eluned Morgan said earlier this month she would "not stay silent" if Sir Keir Starmer's government takes decisions "we think will harm Welsh communities". Analysis - BBC Wales political editor Gareth Lewis Welsh ministers have tried and so far failed to get extra cash to cover the rise in National Insurance contributions for the public argument has been that the normal way of working these things out - the Barnett formula - does not take into account the disproportionate size of Wales' public sector compared to Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives criticised the UK government decision to increase the tax in the first place and also want full compensation for them to seize on this and claim Wales is being hit by a double whammy - the increase is harming both Welsh businesses and the public Labour's relationship with UK Labour, and whether two Labour governments working together is better for Wales is becoming one of the main themes of next year's election campaign.
ABC News
a day ago
- Business
- ABC News
Is transparency enough to protect consumers and the public interest? - ABC Religion & Ethics
Transparency has been the favoured ethical solution to the problem of political and corporate corruption in the twenty-first century. In my interactions with senior leaders from around Australia, transparency is consistently named as a key personal as well as institutional virtue — accordingly, it features in many of their organisation's values and codes of conduct. From disclosure statements for banking, financial and technological services to open-government initiatives projects and real-time political donation registers, Australian leaders and both private and public sector organisations have shared the faith of liberal democracies worldwide that transparency achieves two important goals: inhibiting corruption by exposing it to the 'disinfectant' of 'sunlight'; inhibiting corruption by exposing it to the 'disinfectant' of 'sunlight'; fostering public trust by demonstrating an individual or institution has nothing to hide. But does transparency actually achieve these aims? Evidence suggests that, while transparency is a necessary tool in the anti-corruption arsenal, it is insufficient on its own to halt corruption or repair declining levels of social licence and trust. What other virtues, practices, or systemic approaches might complement transparency to create a more holistic framework of institutional integrity? How can leaders and organisations move from revealing information to cultivating a culture of genuine ethical commitment, where transparency is just one example of a deeper, more substantive moral infrastructure? Transparency and moral corruption In 2017 the federal government established the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry. The inquiry was long overdue, preceded by a cascade of post-Global Financial Crisis corporate scandals in which golden parachutes were plentiful and meaningful accountability was scant. As Commissioner Kenneth Hayne made clear in the final report issued in 2019, detecting corruption was not enough to deter it. Instead, he argued, 'misconduct will be deterred only if entities believe that misconduct will be detected, denounced and justly punished.' Cornell University's Sunita Sah concurs that disclosure is not enough. In a report commissioned by the Royal Commission, Sah shows how transparency measures fail to reduce the incidence of the sort of conflicts of interest rife within Australia's banking and financial services sector. According to one report, 93 per cent of advisors without a conflict of interest gave clients financial advice that served the client's interests, while those who were conflicted did the same in a mere 18 per cent of cases. Other research has shown that disclosure — the prescribed solution for mitigating the harms of conflicts of interests — has little effect. In one study, advisors who disclosed their conflicts to a client felt that disclosure 'morally licensed' them to give that client biased advice. Indeed, some advisors gave even more biased advice after disclosing a conflict to counteract what they anticipated would be the discounting of that advice by the client. They needn't have worried. This research suggests that when advisors disclose their conflicts to clients, it increases the trust the client has in the advisor's advice. Why? Because they interpret the disclosure as an indication of the advisor's ethical bona fides . As this latter example makes clear, transparency in the form of disclosures relevant to decisions are seen as an essential step in securing a valid consent whether that consent is to the provision of financial advice, a medical procedure or the terms of service for a phone application. Transparency and trust The implicit promise of transparency is to inform clients or citizens in ways that increase their engagement and trust. Certainly, this seems to be the purpose of the parliamentary register of members' interests — in which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, for example, dutifully registered the business or first-class upgrades provided to him by Qantas. Indeed, the fact that he had complied with such disclosure requirements was his primary defence when the then-leader of the Opposition continued to ask questions about the practice that commentators agreed did not pass the 'pub test'. It failed the pub test because, while our representatives would like to believe that open disclosure of corruption is sufficient to satisfy the conditions for public trust, the public disagrees. Instead, some seem to feel that insofar as the requirement for such disclosures does not deter the corruption from happening in the first place or lead to the denouncement and punishment recommended by Commissioner Hayne, the problem is not solved. The key take-away for leaders is that sunlight is only the best disinfectant when it deters corruption from happening in the first place, or when it leads to denunciation and punishment: For the individual required to disclose , becoming aware of the limits such disclosures have on self-serving behaviour is critical — which is to say, if you want to avoid undermining public trust (a worthy goal) the solution is to avoid self-serving behaviour, not disclose it when it occurs. , becoming aware of the limits such disclosures have on self-serving behaviour is critical — which is to say, if you want to avoid undermining public trust (a worthy goal) the solution is to avoid self-serving behaviour, not disclose it when it occurs. For institutional leaders, the time to consider the limits of disclosure schemes in preventing corruption and undermining the public trust required for social licensing is now — the evidence of its limited efficacy and unintended consequences is in. To be clear, this does not mean that disclosure plays no role in an effective anti-corruption and pro-trust approach — simply that it is not a stand-alone measure. Instead, transparency measures need to be coupled with other practices that deter corruption in the first place and/or build public trust. Perhaps the most powerful advice is that of Sunita Sah herself: 'Even when legal regulations are weak or unenforceable, or awareness of bias is low, professionals may comply with standards when reminded of relevant ethical norms simply because putting the [client/citizen] first is the right thing to do.' Leslie Cannold is an Associate Professor of Ethics and Impact and the Resident Ethicist at the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership at Monash University.
