Blair says collaboration on Covid could have cut three months off crisis
February 26, 2021, 12:25 pm

Blair says collaboration on Covid could have cut three months off crisis

Tony Blair receiving the Covid-19 vaccine at Lord’s cricket ground. His institute has launched a report outlining lessons to be learned from the pandemic.

Former prime minister tells the Guardian the world must be better prepared for the next pandemic

World leaders could have cut the length of the Covid outbreak by three months if they had collaborated on vaccines, testing and drugs, Tony Blair has claimed as he launched a report on preparing for the next deadly pandemic.

The former Labour prime minister urged the UK to take the lead in developing a new “health security infrastructure” that would ensure countries coordinate better in identifying emerging new threats as well as developing, testing and manufacturing vaccines and treatments.

“Had there been global coordination a year ago, I think we could have shaved at least three months off this virus,” Blair told the Guardian in an interview.

The report, The New Necessary, published by his Institute for Global Change, argues that in future, with the right international coordination and investment, the creation of a new vaccine could be achieved in as little as 100 days.

“The time that it’s taken for us to identify the virus, to develop a vaccine and to get it into production and distribution has been roughly, 15 months. And the result of that has been that the world has suffered a huge, catastrophic economic event as well as a health event,” he said.

“The obvious lesson to draw for the future is, number one, you have to prepare for the potential of this happening again, or with different variants of this particular virus. And number two, you cannot afford to take this long to get on top of it.”

With Boris Johnson chairing the G7, Blair called on the UK to spearhead the creation of a more responsive system for tracking diseases and collaborating on tackling them.

The report calls on the government to treat preparing for the next pandemic as “akin to a military operation”, tracking the emergence of new diseases using state-of-the-art surveillance and having “surge capacity” ready to produce vaccines and drugs.

It calls for pandemics to be dealt with as potential security threats – like climate change or cyber-attacks, Blair says – to ensure the issue gets the government time and attention it requires.

Johnson was criticised for skipping several Cobra meetings in the early days of the pandemic, leaving them to be chaired by the health secretary, Matt Hancock.

Perhaps ironically, for someone regarded by his critics as an arch free marketeer, Blair argues that in tackling the virus over the past year, “there was a whole series of things left to the market which it was never sensible to leave to the market”.

As an example, he points the bioreactors needed to produce vaccines. “A lot of the companies that were developing the vaccines didn’t have large bioreactor capacity, whereas a lot of the bioreactor capacity was in other large pharmaceutical companies who weren’t doing the vaccines. Now, in a rational world you would have been repurposing some of that bioreactor capacity to accelerate the production of vaccine. I don’t think that was even the discussion that took place at an international level.”

Blair’s institute is part thinktank, part consultancy, advising global leaders on how to make use of emerging technologies.

He has made a series of high-profile interventions during the crisis, advocating some measures that have subsequently been adopted by the UK government, including mass testing and more recently vaccine passports.

Having previously denied it was considering the idea, the government this week announced a review of the idea of “Covid status certificates” that would allow people to demonstrate they have been vaccinated or had a recent negative test result.

Blair, who faced a political revolt when he tried to introduce a nationwide system of ID cards as prime minister, argues that some kind of certification system is inevitable, so the government should take control of it rather than allow it to develop ad hoc.

“What is obvious is that if people are going to be in close proximity with others, they’ll probably prefer to know their Covid status – either test or vaccine,” he said. “Then the only question is, do you just let the system grow up topsy-turvy, with people doing their own thing, and making their own rules and regulations around it, or to try and systematise it. And I just think it’s inevitable that you will move to the second,” he said.

He brushed off claims that some groups – those without access to technology, for example – would be disadvantaged. “There’s a big problem with the inequality between different people with digital connection, but you deal with that by dealing with the problem.”

In response to the idea that such certificates – likely to be held on people’s mobile phones – would create privacy issues like those that helped to sink his ID cards plan, he said: “You know, my personal view is that this resistance was always exaggerated. It was loud, but not actually that broad. I used to say to people, you know, your average supermarket’s got more information on you than the government’s got.”

source: Heather Stewart

Levant

Shamima Begum loses fight to restore UK citizenship after supreme court ruling Alex Salmond to testify at Holyrood over claims of conspiracy against him

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.