Business (Page 28)

Thousands of green street cabinets are set to be turned into electric car charging points to tackle the chronic shortage, BT has announced. Despite nearly a million electric cars now on UK roads, there are still only 55,000 on-street charging points available. To create more, BT said it planned to retrofit up to 60,000 street boxes that currently contain broadband and phone cables for nearby homes. With most set to be retired due to the roll-out of full-fibre internet, the telecoms giant said they could instead fit it with two charging points. The first charger is set to be installed in East Lothian, Scotland, in the coming weeks, with further pilots set to roll out across the UK in theContinue Reading

Two million more people will be claiming disability benefits by the end of the decade as mental health problems help to push the cost to taxpayers up by more than 50 per cent. Official forecasts predict that spending on disability benefits will rise by £17 billion a year, to £48 billion in current prices, and there are warnings that spending is running out of control. Depression and anxiety are now the leading reasons for adults to receive such benefits, and the ageing population means that more people are also struggling with joint and back pain. Britain’s ill health is becoming increasingly expensive and will leave the government struggling to find room for tax cuts or money to spend on otherContinue Reading

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said that he is unsure if the government can afford further tax cuts – as a National Insurance (NI) reduction comes into force today. The pre-election cut to NI, from 12% to 10%, will impact around 27 million payroll employees across the UK. A person earning the UK’s average salary of £35,000 will save £450 a year, or £37.38 a month, as a result of this change. Hunt said the reduction, announced in his Autumn Statement last year, means “that a typical family with two earners will be nearly a thousand pounds better off this year”. But Labour argued this wasn’t true, saying frozen income tax and national insurance thresholds mean that many families have beenContinue Reading

Among the many strategies you could implement to help you build your wealth effectively, one such strategy is to invest in a Liquid Reserves Portfolio. But why is this the case? This versatile financial tool can greatly benefit your finances through a range of features and characteristics this investment type has. While the specifics may vary with each portfolio provider, the core principles of investing in a liquid fund or liquid reserves can be applied universally to empower individuals to manage their wealth effectively. What are the main benefits of a Liquid Reserves Portfolio? The primary purpose of a Liquid Reserves Portfolio is to provide a safety net for short-term financial needs. The portfolio invests mainly in short-term fixed-income securities,Continue Reading

Pharmaceutical industry lawyers are legal specialists who have an extensive understanding of the pharmaceutical sector. A pharmaceutical lawyer is an expert in the rules, regulations, and policies governing the creation, manufacture, marketing, and distribution of pharmaceutical medications. These solicitors serve as a link between regulatory agencies, healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical firms, and patients. Concerning About The Pharmaceutical Lawyers The pharmaceutical sector is highly regulated and subject to numerous legal regulations. As a result, having a strong and experienced legal staff to manage these rules and assure compliance is vital for pharmaceutical companies. The legal department’s prominence in the pharmaceutical sector has expanded significantly in recent years, and corporations are investing heavily in enabling their legal teams to meet the industry’s expandingContinue Reading

The number of new cars registered in the UK has jumped by nearly 18% but electric vehicle demand is flatlining, prompting the industry to call for a VAT cut to stimulate sales. Annual figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) on Friday show 1.9m new cars were registered last year, well up on the previous year’s figure of 1.6m and the highest level since the 2.3m registrations of 2019. The increase is a boost for the automotive industry after the pandemic led to supply chain problems and a shortage of vital computer chips that slowed production. Across the year, 315,000 new battery electric vehicles were sold. That was 50,000 more than 2022, but the number beingContinue Reading

The Yorkshire city of Sheffield is to get a new competitor rail service to London, promising faster travel times than the existing trains. FirstGroup, the listed passenger transport company, has submitted plans to launch a so-called open access service between Sheffield and London King’s Cross from 2025. Open access rail services are those in which operators run their own private operations independent of government contracts directed by the Department for Transport. Such operations bear all the risk of the service but also stand to reap all the financial rewards. FirstGroup currently runs such open access services between King’s Cross and Edinburgh, on its discount fare ­Lumo operation, and on services to Hull. Both operate on the east coast main line,Continue Reading

One of the world’s largest insurance companies has been forced to pay thousands of pounds in interest to small businesses whose Covid insurance payout claims were delayed. The QBE Group’s initial payout just before Christmas of more than £386,000 to 86 companies raises the potential for a total outlay by insurers of up to £1.6bn in interest to customers, it is claimed. About 60 insurers have been accused of unfairly delaying making payouts on business interruption policies to 370,000 small businesses, from restaurants and bars to hairdressers and guesthouses. Last year, the UK’s financial ombudsman ruled that an 8% annual rate of interest should be paid on the sum, pro rata, roughly covering the period between the claim being declinedContinue Reading

In an era defined by environmental awareness and sustainability, UK businesses are increasingly turning to solar energy as a viable and strategic solution. The rising importance of renewable energy sources has put solar power in the spotlight, emphasizing its critical role in reducing carbon footprints and operational costs. This trend has catalyzed a growing demand for skilled solar panel installers, as companies seek to harness the long-term benefits of solar energy. The economic and environmental drive The shift toward solar energy isn’t solely a response to ecological concerns; it represents a sound economic decision for businesses. Advancements in photovoltaic technology have rendered solar panels more efficient and cost-effective, making them a practical choice for businesses of various sizes. By tappingContinue Reading

The recent expropriation of Sense Bank by Ukraine has prompted ABH Holdings S.A. (ABHH), the bank’s former owner, to take decisive action. On December 29, 2023, ABHH initiated legal proceedings by filing for arbitration and submitting a detailed statement of claim against Ukraine, seeking full compensation for the unjust seizure of Sense Bank. The case is now in front of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington D.C. ABHH alleges that a calculated series of actions by Ukrainian authorities, involving corporate raiding and war profiteering tactics, resulted in the unlawful seizure of the bank from its rightful owners and beneficiaries, including The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research and UniCredit Bank. The foundation of ABHH’s claim isContinue Reading