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The latest transparency reviews of government policy measures have found inconsistent performance across departments as to whether a motivated citizen can see what evidence the government has used, and why plans are expected to work.

The assessments, run by the independent charity Sense about Science, covered the government's flagship National Planning Policy Framework, 'Get Britain Working' White Paper, and Water (Special Measures) Bill: 

The aim of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's revised National Planning Policy Framework, published in December 2024, is to ensure a 'sufficient' number and 'range' of homes. It is supported by calculations of new housing requirements, and a clear rationale for proposals to enable local authorities to build more houses to meet new targets, though scorers found it difficult to find and follow plans for evaluation.

[Policy rated transparent – see full report: https://senseaboutscience.org/national-planning-policy-framework-report]

 

The 'Get Britain Working' White Paper produced by the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Treasury and the Department for Education cited evidence about the scale and the impact of the issue, but assumptions underpinning the costs and how these were calculated were missing, and no evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of supporting evidence was provided.

[Policy rated NOT Transparent – see full report: https://senseaboutscience.org/get-britain-working-white-paper-report

In contrast, Defra's Water Bill clearly set out the rationale behind decisions, making it easy for people to understand the evidence and the reasoning. Transparent decision making gives the public – whether people agree with the policy or not – the basis for rational, evidence-informed, discussions on how we can do things better.

[Policy rated Transparent – see full report: https://senseaboutscience.org/water-bill-report

Tracey Brown, Director of Sense about Science, said:

"People cannot trust government decisions if they can't see the evidence behind them.  As repeated surveys have shown, voters do not accept 'policy now, evidence later' and neither should Parliament. The onus is on ministers and departments to demonstrate why proposals are expected to fix the issues facing society." 

Each policy was reviewed at the point when it (with any relevant documents) was first published for consideration by citizens, parliament and the media. The scores were crowd-sourced from volunteers around the UK, using the Evidence transparency framework developed by Sense about Science and Institute for Government.

[The Evidence transparency framework provides a transparent, systematic method for assessing the use of evidence across the full range of government policymaking, with a 0-3 scoring system for how easily a motivated citizen can work out what evidence has been used for different aspects of a policy. https://senseaboutscience.org/transparency-of-evidence/evidence-transparency-framework/] 

Sense about Science will continue to provide public transparency ratings of major policy announcements until departments consistently abide by government rules and guidance on evidence transparency, and enable legislators and the public to properly assess the evidence behind policies.

[See https://senseaboutscience.org/transparency-of-evidence/government-show-your-workings/ for links to Government rules and guidance including the HM Treasury's Rainbow Books, the Government's Analysis Functional Standard, Guidance to implement the Concordat to Support Research Integrity within government, The Office for Statistics Regulation's guidance on Intelligent Transparency and the Code of Practice for Statistics to Government Social Research: Publication Protocol.] 

74% of British adults think it is important that the government shows all the evidence used to make important policy decisions (with only national security considered a valid reason for not doing so) - but 49% of the public think the government is poor at explaining both the advantages and disadvantages of their policies in the round, compared to only 11% who think the government does it well.

[Survey Data summary results: https://senseaboutscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Ipsos-Sense-about-Science-Evidence-transparency-2024-survey.pptx; full data files available upon request. Ipsos interviewed a representative quota sample of 1,043 adults aged 18-75 in Great Britain. Interviews took place on the online Omnibus between 19-22 April 2024. Data has been weighted to the known offline population proportions. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of errors.] 

Sense about Science is an independent charity that works to ensure the public interest in sound science and evidence is recognised in public life. It has conducted crowd-sourced cross-department evidence transparency spot checks since 2015.

[https://senseaboutscience.org/ with links to all reports: https://senseaboutscience.org/transparency-of-evidence/transparency-assessments/ ]

 

The K visa is a new addition to the ordinary visa categories with the new rules taking effect on October 1. China announced on Thursday that it will introduce a new type of visa — a K visa — for young foreign talent in science and technology.

The new visa type was unveiled after Premier Li Qiang signed a State Council decree to promulgate a decision amending the country’s regulations on the administration of foreigners’ entries and exits. 

 

The decision came as China puts a greater emphasis on building a more proactive, open and effective talent policy.

The K visa is a new addition to the ordinary visa categories and the new rules will take effect on Oct 1, according to the decision, which was drafted by the Ministry of Justice, along with the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Public Security and the National Immigration Administration.

Applicants for the K visa should be young international professionals in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from prestigious universities or research institutions. In addition, it will be available to individuals involved in educational or research activities at prestigious universities or research institutions, according to a joint statement released by the four departments on Thursday night.

K visa holders are permitted to engage in activities in fields such as education, science and technology, and cultural exchanges, according to the joint statement.

Multiple entries

Before this addition, there were 12 visa types classified based on the purposes of visiting China, including the L visa for sightseeing and tourism, the D visa for permanent residence and the G visa for transit through the country.

Compared with other visa types, the K visa will offer holders more convenience in terms of the number of entries, validity period and duration of stay. The eligibility criteria for the K visa are set based on applicants’ age, educational background and work experience, without requiring them to have an employer or inviting organization within China, according to the statement.

The application process for this visa is designed to be more convenient, streamlining the steps for eligible applicants, it added.

The Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Public Security, along with embassies and consulates abroad, will step up collaboration in management of the issuance, extension, renewal and replacement of K visas, as well as the residence and stay of K visa holders. They will provide appropriate assistance to applicants and holders of K visas in accordance with the law, the statement said.  China Daily 

The Central Bank of South Sudan and the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement, granting Abu Dhabi some influence over South Sudan’s monetary operations, including the secure printing of currency.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed in the presence of high-ranking officials, establishes a framework for cooperation in security printing of banknotes, payment systems, and technical training.

Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Benjamin Bol Mel, South Sudan’s vice president, attended the signing ceremony.

Security printing of banknotes refers to specialized processes designed to prevent counterfeiting.

A Closer Look at the Deal

Under the cooperation agreement, the UAE’s Omlat, a subsidiary of its central bank, will oversee banknote production for South Sudan—a country struggling with hyperinflation, currency instability, and a history of financial mismanagement.

It remains unclear whether South Sudan’s government plans to replace De La Rue, the British company currently printing its currency.

Meanwhile, Al Etihad Payments, another UAE central bank entity, will develop South Sudan’s domestic payment card infrastructure in two phases.

The deal also includes training for South Sudanese banking officials at the Emirates Institute of Finance.

UAE officials have portrayed the agreement as a step toward stronger economic ties. Khalid Mohammed Balama, governor of the UAE Central Bank, said the MoU aligns with efforts to “develop strategic partnerships” with South Sudan.

Dr. Addis Ababa Othow, governor of the Central Bank of South Sudan, praised the UAE’s financial sector expertise.

The timeline for implementing the agreement remains unclear.

Last month, reports indicated that South Sudan’s central bank plans to print more money to address a severe liquidity crisis—a move economists warn could further devalue the South Sudanese pound (SSP) and exacerbate inflation. Radio Tamazuj

The high-level diplomatic and business mission will see Farrell engage with key stakeholders across government, academia.

 
 

In Summary


  • The visit features significant academic outreach, with Farrell set to visit institutions including KCA University and Daystar University.
  • He is also set to participate in a specialised CPO Forum featuring roundtable discussions that will include dinner networking sessions, fostering deeper industry relationships. 

The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Global CEO Ben Farrell is set to headline a global summit in Nairobi to address trends and urgent matters in the sector.

Dubbed “The future of supply chain & CIPS strategic positioning, the forum will bring together chief procurement officers and industry leaders for high-level discussions on supply chain transformation and professional development. 

In a statement, the global institute said that Farrell’s visit reinforces the organisation’s commitment to advancing procurement and supply chain excellence across East Africa.

The high-level diplomatic and business mission, running from August 8-15, will see Farrell engage with key stakeholders across government, academia, and industry to strengthen CIPS’ strategic positioning in the region’s rapidly evolving supply chain landscape.

The visit features significant academic outreach, with Farrell set to visit institutions including KCA University and Daystar University.

“The visit is a phenomenal step towards the establishment of a CIPS Kenyan office with the key government engagements we wish to underscore CIPS’ commitment to working closely with regulatory bodies to enhance procurement standards and governance across the region,” Farrell said.

He is also set to participate in a specialised CPO Forum featuring roundtable discussions that will include dinner networking sessions, fostering deeper industry relationships.

“This ongoing visit represents a pivotal moment in CIPS’ East African strategy,” said Joshua Gitoho, CIPS Kenya President.

“The level of engagement across government, academia, and industry demonstrates the region’s growing importance in global supply chain networks.

 

He said that the visit is expected to yield concrete outcomes in terms of enhanced training programmes, stronger regulatory partnerships, and expanded professional certification opportunities across Kenya. by VICTOR AMADALA, The Star

CIPS continues to be the world’s largest procurement and supply professional organization, with members in over 150 countries working to elevate procurement standards and drive supply chain excellence globally.

The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU), in collaboration with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) in Uganda, has arrested seven individuals for allegedly defrauding a Nigerian businessman of $70,000 in a fake gold transaction.

At a press briefing held at the Unit’s offices at the Parliamentary Building, Senior Officer Bamwiine Muhorozi said the suspects tricked Mark Gbillah into believing they could supply him with seven kilograms of gold through their companies, Legacy Refinery Limited and Emerod Agency Limited.

Investigations revealed that the firms had no gold to sell.

Those arrested include Paluku Kisasi (Congolese), Safari Akonkwa (Congolese), Isaac Mpende (Congolese), Abdul Madjid Kahirima (Ugandan), Mabwongo Prince (Congolese), Kajjubi Tevin Kyome (Ugandan), and Tibasiima Barbra, also known as Katushabe Sharon (Ugandan).

They allegedly posed as gold sellers, clearing agents, company representatives, and a secretary to execute the scam. 

According to Bamwiine, the arrest was made possible after Gbillah quickly reported the matter to the Unit.

“Working together, we set up a controlled meeting with the fraudsters, leading to their arrest before they could extort additional funds,” he said.

 A search at the suspects’ rented premises in Muyenga, Kampala, uncovered about 150 kilograms of fake gold bars and imitation gold nuggets, which authorities say were used to deceive multiple potential victims.

Bamwiine noted that while the Unit had intercepted similar scams in the past, this case was significant because the suspects were caught in the act. He urged the public and investors to conduct due diligence before engaging in business transactions.

“Verify with the relevant authorities and continue reporting suspicious activities to safeguard yourselves from scams,” he advised. By Temitope Abe, Channels Television

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