Tag: Public Finance
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Rachel Reeves Budget: Fair and Necessary Choices for UK
Setting the Scene: What to Expect from Reeves After weeks of anticipation, the details of this year’s Budget are about to be laid bare. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has signaled that this will be a Budget built on the idea of “fair and necessary choices” designed to stabilize public finances while steering the UK toward growth.…
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Labour Faces Budget Spotlight: Unity urged as Reeves charts course
Overview: A Budget in the Spotlight As the nation braces for the Budget, the political chatter centers on Chancellor Rachel Reeves and how Labour will present its fiscal strategy. The press framing focuses on two intertwined strands: a call for party unity behind the Budget and attention to safeguarding vulnerable groups, including abuse victims. The…
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Income Tax Threshold Freeze Could Push Half a Million Pensioners into Tax
Overview The upcoming Budget is under pressure to address how changes to the income tax system could affect millions of households. New analysis suggests that extending the freeze on income tax thresholds, a policy that keeps the point at which people begin paying tax unchanged for several years, could pull as many as half a…
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UK gambling firms spent £2bn on advertising last year, sparking tax calls and concern
Overview: a £2bn advertising boom in Britain’s gambling sector British gambling companies spent what critics are calling an “astronomic” £2 billion on advertising and marketing in the previous year. This figure highlights a surging drive to attract players across a range of platforms, from bookmakers and online casinos to slot machines in retail venues. The…
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Lawyer Says Government Must Pay RM150,000 Damages in Absent Teacher Case, Not Plaintiffs
Overview: Onus of Payment in the Absent Teacher Case A lawyer representing the plaintiffs has asserted that the responsibility to pay the RM150,000 in court-ordered damages rests squarely on the government. The assertion comes in the wake of a high-profile case involving an absent teacher, where a court mandated compensation but the question of who…
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Rachel Reeves’s Budget Moment: Navigating Fear, Skepticism, and Sky-High Expectations
Introduction: A Moment of High Stakes As Labour’s Rachel Reeves edges closer to delivering her party’s Budget response, the atmosphere surrounding the event is charged with anticipation, fear, and scepticism. For many observers, this moment represents more than a routine financial statement—it’s a test of political credibility, economic credibility, and the ability to translate broad…
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Archbishop Urges Reeves to Spare Churches from VAT Raid in Budget Warning
Overview: a call to protect church VAT exemptions The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, has implored Chancellor Rachel Reeves to rethink proposed changes that could effectively amount to a VAT raid on churches. In the lead-up to the Budget, church leaders argue that any loss of VAT relief on repairs to listed religious buildings would…
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A Make-or-Break Budget: Inside the Treasury Ahead of Labour’s Crucial Day
Introduction: The high-stakes moment Every budget is a test case in political leadership, but few moments feel as taut as the run-up to a party’s key budget day. In the corridors of the Treasury, a delicate balance exists between fiscal prudence and political signalling. For Labour, the upcoming budget represents not just a ledger of…
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Budget Aid Dominates Ethiopia’s ODA, Treasury Sees Minimal Flow
Overview: A Tale of Two Flows in Ethiopia’s Development Aid The Ethiopian Ministry of Finance recently disclosed a striking feature of the country’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the 2023/24 fiscal year: only 15 percent of government-to-government aid was disbursed through the national treasury. This statistic underscores a widening gap between the channels through which…
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Collect Receipts: A Path to Closing Ghana’s Public Revenue Gaps
Ghanaians Urged to Collect Receipts to Strengthen Public Revenue Taxpayers across Ghana are being urged to demand and retain receipts for all tax payments and tolls as a practical step toward closing loopholes in public revenue generation. The push, led by experts and government officials, emphasizes that accountability starts with the individual citizen. By keeping…