The fear of the 'Freedom Day' in England
July 22, 2021, 10:42 am

The fear of the 'Freedom Day' in England

Zara saleh

On the eve of the so-called 'Freedom Day' in England that lockdown restrictions will end on July 19, the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his chancellor Rishi Sunak went for self-isolation after the Health Secretary Sajid Javid was tested positive. Simultaneously with the end of lockdown rules, the daily record for the positive tests has reached more than 50,000 with approximately 50 deaths per day.

On Monday 19 all Covid-19 restrictions are to end including wearing face masks, so the only self-isolation rules will remain for all people. With the significant rise of positive cases, many UK scientists began to warn the Johnson's 'Freedom Day' with the red flag of hard summer might face the UK people.

Therefore, the rate of Covid-19 positive cases is expected to reach a peak of 200,000 between mid-August and September, and eventually, the NHS possibly might challenge a major disruption with 2,000 cases in hospital per day. Jonathan Ashworth the Labour shadow health secretary has criticised Johnson's government approach for ending the lockdown rules and described it as a "high risk and fatalistic".

The chaos disruption has started since the Euro 2020 football games that played in Wembley and with the upcoming school summer holiday, the risk of an almost higher rate of cases is likely possible despite the fact that most of the UK resident has been vaccinated and 87% of UK adults has been received the first dose of vaccination, and about two-thirds of adults have had the two doses . Consequently, ending the lockdown restrictions could affect mainly the elderly and vulnerable people.

That is why some experts suggest that the government should have to wait for all adult people to be vaccinated before the country going to full unlocking. In order to block spreading a new variant of Covid-19, the under 18s should be vaccinated. The government must provide more educational programs and campaigns among the young generation and encourage them to get vaccinated as most of them still refused to be vaccinated and even they don't believe in such a remedy.

Regarding the business and work, Boris Johnson's approach to self-isolation when there are positive cases in the workplace, such rule can cause a paralyse of several businesses and jobs across the United Kingdom and eventually might led to a major disruption beside the negative health impacts regarding the death cases and more positive spread cases.

Consequently, that means people across the UK are expected to face a difficult summer with a possible high rate of positive cases, and eventually in such disruption in the NHS system will bring a quite tough winter at the end of this year if the government did not take another reconsideration and review regarding their Covid-19 pandemic approach.

by: Zara Saleh 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.