Government to spend £9m on Whitehall 'situation room'
March 8, 2021, 12:31 pm

Government to spend £9m on Whitehall 'situation room'

Boris Johnson has also come under fire for the £2.6m spent on a media centre.

Confirmation of project follows other expensive revamps that have drawn ire after 1% NHS pay offer

The government has earmarked more than £9m for creating a US-style “situation room” at Whitehall – the latest in a series of expensive refurbishments that have drawn criticism, given the 1% pay offer proposed for NHS staff.

Downing Street sources confirmed that the government’s review into foreign and defence policy, when it is unveiled on 16 March, will include the creation of a situation centre in the Cabinet Office. The room is due to be operational by the summer.

The Cabinet Office budget has set aside £9.3m for the renovation, which will fit the room with interactive dashboards and heat maps so it can be used as a command centre during emergencies like terror attacks and epidemics.

The situation centre is the latest project in a recent series of building renovations that have attracted ire from the opposition, with Labour accusing Boris Johnson of spending on “vanity projects” while offering only a 1% pay rise to NHS workers.

An analysis by the TUC has found that NHS workers will see their pay fall below 2010 levels in real terms under the government’s planned increase.

The government has spent more than £2.6m on renovations to No 9 Downing Street so it can hold televised question and answer sessions with journalists there, it was recently revealed. The launch of the briefings has been delayed indefinitely by the pandemic.

Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, blasted the revamp of No 9 as indicative of the prime minister’s priorities.

She said: “It would take around 100 years for a newly qualified nurse to get paid this kind of money. It sums up Boris Johnson’s warped priorities that he can find millions for vanity projects, while picking the pockets of NHS workers.”

The disclosure followed the revelation that Johnson is considering setting up a charity to pay for the refurbishment of his official flat above No 11, for which costs are reported to be soaring.

The plans to cover the costs of the works for the property, which he shares with his fiancee Carrie Symonds, have been challenged by a former chair of the standards watchdog and a former charity commissioner.

Sir Alistair Graham, a former chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, told the Guardian he would be “surprised if it was within the law to set up a charity and get tax benefits for the home of a public servant”, adding that it would be an “outrage” if it were permitted to go ahead.

source: Clea Skopeliti

Levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.