Accounting & Business

PPPs in Ireland

“Public Private Partnerships cannot be regarded as an economically viable option for delivering public infrastructure,” concluded a recent report from the European Court of Auditors.  The EU’s audit body examined PPPs in Ireland, Spain, Greece and France delivering road and ICT infrastructure that were supported by EU funds.  “The PPPs audited suffered from widespread shortcomings

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Follow the Money

Irish company AID:Tech was the first organisation in the world to use blockchain technology to prove that international aid to Syrian refugees in Lebanon was delivered and to whom.  The Irish Red Cross team had almost real time information on the distribution of the aid.  In the process, AID:Tech demonstrated that blockchain can be applied

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Mining in Africa

Mining has become increasingly important for African countries over recent years.  In the period 2001 to 2014, “extractive industries comprised two-thirds of Africa’s exports”, with “a surge in mine openings beginning in 2000”, according to a new report from the World Bank (Mining in Africa: Are Local Communities Better Off?).  This boom has led to

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Drones in Africa

Drones are taking off in the business world, with tax professionals using the technology to check on assets and valuations   Drones may still sound a little like science fiction, but their use is rapidly becoming mainstream. The practical applications of drones are multiplying – from their use as kites for electricity generation to the

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Drones in Asia

Drones are taking off in the business world, with tax professionals using the technology to check on assets and valuations   Drones may still sound a little like science fiction, but their use is rapidly becoming mainstream. The practical applications of drones are multiplying – from their use as kites for electricity generation to the

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Accountants targeted by tax authorities

Accountants are being targeted by the Revenue Commissioners in the latest clampdown on professionals using aggressive tax avoidance schemes.  Commissioners are extending previous operations that examined professionals’ use of tax planning to include accountants, lawyers and dentists.   Investigations into the use of tax avoidance schemes by professionals have proven lucrative for the Revenue Commissioners.

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Repossessing Ireland

  Irish residential property prices were still 29% below their 2007 peak in the summer of this year – despite rising steadily since 2013.  So it should be no surprise that mortgage lenders are sitting on high levels of non-performing housing debt – dealing with borrowers whose incomes have fallen or have lost their jobs

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Drones in the UK

Drones are taking off in the business world, with tax professionals using the technology to check on assets and valuations   Drones may still sound a little like science fiction, but their use is rapidly becoming mainstream. The practical applications of drones are multiplying – from using them as kites for electricity generation to the

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