Category: Government

  • Natwest buys back £1bn in shares from Treasury as government stake drops to 11%

    NatWest has bought £1bn of its own shares from the UK Treasury, reducing the government’s stake in the FTSE 100 lender to just over 11%. This buyback, the second of its kind in 2024, saw NatWest acquire 263 million shares at 380.8p per share, a move chief executive Paul Thwaite…

  • Fraser Institute News Release: 7-in-10 provinces had combined government debt burdens that exceeded the size of their entire economies in 2022, curbing economic growth

    Article content VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Combined federal and provincial government debt in seven provinces exceeds the value of all goods and services produced in those provinces through 2022, dampening economic growth and living standards, according to a report. A new study published by the…

  • Fraser Institute News Release: 7-in-10 provinces had combined government debt burdens that exceeded the size of their entire economies in 2022, curbing economic growth

    Article content VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Combined federal and provincial government debt in seven provinces exceeds the value of all goods and services produced in those provinces through 2022, dampening economic growth and living standards, according to a report. A new study published by the…

  • UK government pledges £500m to expand broadband and mobile coverage in rural areas

    In its first autumn budget, the Labor government allocated £500 million to improve broadband speed and mobile phone coverage across the UK, with a particular focus on rural areas. Councilor Rachel Reeves highlighted that the funding will boost ongoing projects such as the £5bn Gigabit Project, which targets 99% gigabit…

  • GOV.UK Forms to streamline public access to government services across the UK

    The UK Government has launched GOV.UK Forms, a new digital tool designed to make the public’s access to essential government services online faster and easier. After a successful pilot phase, the platform has now been launched in all government departments, allowing citizens to complete applications and forms online without the…

  • Cost of running government rises by Sh12bn despite austerity pledge

    The cost of running public offices under the national government rose by about Sh12 billion in the first quarter of the current financial year despite austerity measures announced following the collapse of a new, higher tax plan. Latest data from the National Treasury showed that state ministries, departments and agencies…

  • UK Government nets £1.5bn profit from Octopus-Bulb deal, closing the bailout chapter

    The UK government has secured a £1.5bn windfall following Octopus Energy’s takeover of collapsed energy supplier Bulb, marking the conclusion of the Bulb rescue saga. Octopus Energy has paid more than £3bn to the government, providing a major financial boost amid pressing budget constraints. The government intervened in November 2021…

  • UK Government nets £1.5bn profit from Octopus-Bulb deal, closing the bailout chapter

    The UK government has secured a £1.5bn windfall following Octopus Energy’s takeover of collapsed energy supplier Bulb, marking the conclusion of the Bulb rescue saga. Octopus Energy has paid more than £3bn to the government, providing a major financial boost amid pressing budget constraints. The government intervened in November 2021…

  • Nine commercial banks minted Sh110.39bn from government securities

    Kenya’s nine top-tier banks have generated a total of Sh110.39 billion in interest income from their investments in government securities in six months. Disclosures from the lenders’ unaudited financial statements show that the interest income they earned from their investments in government securities increased by 17.87 percent to Sh110. 37…

  • UK government borrowing surges to £16.6bn in September, exceeding forecasts

    UK government borrowing rose to £16.6bn in September, beating expectations and putting additional pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of her first Budget next week. According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the deficit for September rose by £2.1 billion compared to the same month last year,…

  • UK government borrowing surges to £16.6bn in September, exceeding forecasts

    UK government borrowing rose to £16.6bn in September, beating expectations and putting additional pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of her first Budget next week. According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the deficit for September rose by £2.1 billion compared to the same month last year,…

  • One-third of UK businesses urge government to cut Brexit red tape

    Nearly a third of UK businesses are urging the government to reduce regulation and red tape after Brexit to support British trade, according to a survey by Santander Bank. The survey reveals that although there is a growing sense of optimism among SMEs, many are calling for action to ease…

  • Rayner’s workers’ rights overhaul could cost employers up to £5bn annually, government warns

    Angela Rayner’s ambitious reform of workers’ rights could burden UK employers with nearly £5 billion in extra costs every year, according to an impact assessment published by the government. The reforms proposed in the Employment Rights Bill could lead companies to raise prices, cut wages, or reduce investment as they…

  • Rayner’s workers’ rights overhaul could cost employers up to £5bn annually, government warns

    Angela Rayner’s ambitious reform of workers’ rights could burden UK employers with nearly £5 billion in extra costs every year, according to an impact assessment published by the government. The reforms proposed in the Employment Rights Bill could lead companies to raise prices, cut wages, or reduce investment as they…

  • Can the Government save US ecommerce from Temu and Shein? By Investing.com

    Investing.com – The US government is now facing a growing e-commerce challenge: the growing influence of Chinese retail giants Temu and Shein. Both platforms have revolutionized the US market with their ultra-low-cost products and unique consumer-to-manufacturer business models, providing huge price advantages over local competitors. With the recent proposals made…

  • Private Christian Schools to sue government over VAT plans

    Three private Christian schools and a group of parents are preparing to launch a legal challenge against the government’s plan to impose value-added tax on school fees. Emmanuel School in Derby, the Christian Branch School in Yorkshire and King’s School in Hampshire, along with parents, claim that the tax would…

  • India, S. Korea bonds to join FTSE Russell government indexes in 2025 By Reuters

    (Reuters) – Russell Global Indexes said on Tuesday it will include Indian sovereign bonds in the Emerging Market Government Bond Index (EMGBI) from September 2025, following the inclusion of the index by JPMorgan and Bloomberg Index Services, which could attract billions of dollars into bonds. Local. . The London-based index…

  • Santander calls for government focus on leadership, digital, and sustainability skills to future-proof UK economy

    Santander Bank in the UK has urged the government to prioritize leadership, digital and sustainability skills in its new National Skills Plan to address the UK’s productivity crisis and prepare the workforce of the future. In a newly published report entitled Tomorrow’s Skills, Santander highlights three key societal shifts –…

  • West Ham chairman blames government tax crackdown for super-rich exodus ahead of budget

    David Sullivan, the chairman of West Ham United and one of Britain’s richest individuals, has criticized the government’s tightening of tax rules for non-residents, blaming the changes for driving the wealthy out of the country. Sullivan, who is the football club’s largest shareholder, has cut the asking price for his…