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New watchdog will be able to ban dangerous materials used at Grenfell Tower

Announcement by housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, dismissed as ‘too late’ by UK Cladding Action Group
Companies that make dangerous building materials such as those used at Grenfell Tower could be prosecuted and their products banned by a new watchdog announced by the government.
The housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, said the new regulator for construction products was prompted by evidence at the public inquiry into the west London fire of “dishonest practice by some manufacturers … including deliberate attempts to game the system and rig the results of safety tests”.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the regulator would have “strong enforcement powers including the ability to conduct its own product-testing when investigating concerns”.
Offences could be punished with fines or imprisonment, currently for up to three months. It would be funded with up to £10m and be part of the Office for Product Safety and Standards “to encourage and enforce compliance”.
But the announcement was dismissed as “too late” by campaigners representing hundreds of thousands of leaseholders trapped in unsellable high-rise homes that used dangerous materials similar to those used at Grenfell, where the 14 June 2017 fire cost 72 lives.
“It’s good news for buildings to be built in the future but this regulator does literally nothing for the buildings that already have these materials on them,” said Rituparna Saha, the co-founder of UK Cladding Action Group, which represents some of the estimated 175,000 homeowners whose buildings have applied for £1bn in government grants to meet repair bills.
Grenfell United, which represents bereaved and survivors from the fire, added: “A new regulator doesn’t fix what is out there already. It’s been three and a half years and the government still hasn’t come up with a plan to get dangerous materials off homes.
“Kingspan, Celotex and Arconic
Whitehall sources have said the government is exploring the best way to exclude companies that “have played the system” from future contracts funded with taxpayer money.
The public inquiry into the disaster heard last year how in 2013 executives for Celotex had known that “in the event of a fire
Celotex has said it was not a manufacturer’s responsibility to meet building regulations, but admitted “unacceptable conduct on the part of a number of former employees”. Arconic told the inquiry it was entitled to expect the UK regulatory regime to maintain safety and that its product had been “misused”.
One executive at Kingspan, which also made insulation, said in an email that customers worried about the safety of its product could “go fuck themselves”. The firm has apologised for “process shortcomings and unacceptable conduct”.
“The Grenfell inquiry has heard deeply disturbing allegations of malpractice by some construction product manufacturers and their employees, and of the weaknesses of the present product testing regime,” said Jenrick. “We are establishing a national regulator to address these concerns and a review into testing to ensure our national approach is fit for purpose. We will continue to listen to the evidence emerging in the inquiry, and await the judge’s ultimate recommendation – but it is already clear that action is required now and that is what we are doing.”
Building inspectors approved the materials for use on Grenfell and the new regulator is an attempt to tackle the sale of dangerous products higher up the supply chain rather than leaving it solely to local council officials to check what is being used on each site.
In common with most products, building components already have a CE safety mark. Arnold Tarling, a surveyor and building safety expert, said checks should in theory have been carried out by trading standards inspectors but they rarely visited building sites. He also questioned whether £10m would be enough to fund checks of “millions” of building products, with fire tests for example costing as much as £60,000 each.
The government said the new regulator would “in due course” start work “in shadow form” and then operate with new powers after the building safety bill was passed.
source: Robert Booth
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
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.
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