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Republicans and the White House have a short period to overcome their differences on infrastructure, Senator Roy Blunt said

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) faces reporters after the Senate Republican lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., May 18, 2021.
REUTERS/EVELYN HOCKSTEIN
David Morgan
U.S. Senate Republicans and the White House could have as little as a week to 10 days to overcome their differences on infrastructure and strike a deal to revitalize America's roads and bridges, a top Republican said on Sunday.
Senator Roy Blunt, who is among a group of Republicans negotiating with the Biden administration, said the two sides are still far apart on how to define infrastructure, which President Joe Biden views as a wide-ranging topic that includes climate change and social issues such as elder care, as well as roads and bridges.
"I do think we've got about a week or 10 days to decide if we can work together on this or not," Blunt said in an interview on the television program "Fox News Sunday."
Blunt gave no reason for his prediction. Some Democrats have suggested Biden could give Republicans until the end of May to agree on legislation. The Senate is also scheduled to depart for its Memorial Day holiday break at the end of this week.
On Friday, the White House pared down Biden's initial $2.25 trillion infrastructure proposal to $1.7 trillion in a bid to move closer to a deal with Republicans. Senate Republicans, including Blunt, dismissed the gesture as insufficient.
Some Republicans believe the success of current infrastructure negotiations could determine how much bipartisan scope there is for other White House priorities.
"This is the test. This will determine whether or not we can work together in a bipartisan way on an important issue," Republican Senator Susan Collins, a leading advocate of bipartisanship, told ABC's program This Week.
Biden's sweeping proposal includes traditional infrastructure projects but also seeks to rechart the direction of the U.S. economy with its focus on climate change and social programs.
Republicans have rejected Biden's plan and instead called for an approach limited to roads, bridges, airports, waterways and broadband access. They unveiled an initial proposal costing $568 billion.
'STILL PRETTY FAR APART'
Despite Biden's stated interest in bipartisanship, Democrats and White House officials say the president could decide to move forward without Republican support, if Republican lawmakers are unable to agree on a bipartisan plan.
"He will not let inaction be the answer and when it gets to a point where it looks like that is inevitable, you'll see him change course," Cedric Richmond, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, told CNN's State of the Union program on Sunday.
"But for now, we're engaged in what we want to be a bipartisan infrastructure bill that invests in the backbone of this country, the middle class, and our future," he added.
Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, told CBS' Face the Nation program: "If they're not coming forward, we've got to go forward alone."
Collins said the White House's move to pare back the Biden proposal simply moves some of the original spending into separate legislation now on the Senate floor.
"So I think we're still pretty far apart," said the Maine Republican.
Collins and other Republicans have pointed to the mammoth size of the Biden plan as a reason for their opposition, saying the spending raises concerns about the deficit and federal debt. Republicans also reject Biden's plan to pay for infrastructure by raising taxes on U.S. corporations.
Blunt said spending is not the biggest difference facing negotiators now.
"Our biggest gap is defining what infrastructure is," he said. "If we get to a definition of infrastructure that the country would have always accepted, that becomes a much narrower space than it appears to be right now," he said.
(Reporting by David Morgan; additional reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Bill Berkrot)
Reuters, MAY 23, 2021 / 11:39 AM EDT
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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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