The debate on when, and how quickly, to exit the lockdown has been posed as a choice between health and wealth. But that is the wrong way of looking at it. For a start, the longer the lockdown persists, the more negative the health impacts for some people. There has been an increase in […]
Mental health is a global challenge, but poor mental health is at crisis levels in Northern Ireland. That crisis is in part an ongoing impact from the Troubles, Siobhan O’Neill, professor of mental health science at Ulster University, says in the latest Holywell Trust podcast. “We’re seeing a rise in mental health problems in
Government in Northern Ireland needs reform, but the fact that it works at all is actually impressive given the past, says Jess Sargeant of the Institute for Government, a London-based think-tank. She was speaking in the first of a new series of podcasts produced by the Holywell Trust, which feature opinions from policy experts who
It is too soon to assess the impact of Covid-19 – but we know it is terrible in health, social and financial terms. The eventual impact will be determined by the virus itself and how governments mitigate it – can a vaccine be developed, and if so, how quickly?; do people who have caught the
The Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity and provides essential services to those with the disease and their families. For Robert Butler FCCA, that was a good reason to join as its CFO. “I spent most of my career in the commercial sector,” he explains. “I came late to the not-for-profit sector four
The global economy will almost certainly not grow this year and may go into recession as a result of coronavirus. We know from the 2008/9 financial crash that the weakest economies are likely to be hurt the most. So parts of Northern Ireland could have a tough time this year. Brexit provides additional challenges for
In her role as the Cabinet Office’s director general of propriety and ethics, Sue Gray was dubbed ‘the most powerful woman in Britain’ by the ConservativeHome website. Today, though, she has a very different role as permanent secretary of Northern Ireland’s Department of Finance. https://www.accaglobal.com/uk/en/member/member/accounting-business/2020/02/interviews/sue-gray.html
Sue Gray: shaking up Northern Ireland’s Civil Service Read More »
Profit shifting costs countries $100bn to $240bn in lost tax revenue each year, estimates the OECD, with developing nations particularly losing out. In response, the OECD is leading on the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting – BEPS – initiative to reduce the loss in tax revenues. BEPS is proposed through two measures. Pillar One addresses
Participatory budgeting is being used by public bodies around the world to address some of the critical challenges they face. These include lack of trust in the public sector, corruption, the democratic deficit and demands for citizen empowerment. Participatory budgeting – PB – offers the opportunity for community involvement in decision-making, while providing financial transparency.
First, the good news. Derry is one of the most improved small cities in the UK’s devolved nations, according to the 2019 Good Growth Index published by the Demos think-tank and accountancy firm PwC. The bad news, though, is that Derry remains firmly at the bottom of the list as the worst performing small city
Boris Johnson has at last won a vote in the House of Commons in favour of a withdrawal agreement. How significant the passing is of the second reading of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill we will have to wait to see – but it feels very important. As things stand (without promising it will be the