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Tax hits highest level on record for Britons as UK also has highest property…

Tax levels have hit the highest record (Image: GETTY) The UK's tax level across the economy has increased to its highest rate on record, according to new data from the OECD. It came as separate figures showed the UK also now faces the highest level of property taxes across the developed world. The OECD's (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) annual revenues statistics update found the total tax-to-GDP ratio across the UK hit 35.3 percent for the 2022/23 financial year - the highest since OECD records began in 2000. It represents a 0.9 percentage point increase from the 34.3 percent record a year earlier. It ranks…

Consolidation in newspaper printing: Experts discuss the why and how

Den Text in deutscher Sprache lesen. The well-attended event featured a high-calibre panel of experts, including Jürgen Schulze , Head of Sales Service and Production Management at Süddeutsche Zeitung; Christian Siebert , Publisher of Hamburger Abendblatt (Funke Mediengruppe), and Christian Wilms , Managing Director Printing at Styria in Graz. Andreas Gierth , a member of the World Printers Forum Board and Head of Production and Strategic Procurement at Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung served as the moderator for the event. Topics such as consolidation in newspaper printing, especially the closure of printing plants , is gaining…

U.S. Solar Sector Poised For Slowdown In 2024 After A Frenetic 2023

The U.S. solar sector enjoyed a banner year in 2023, with installed capacity increasing 55% Y/Y to a record 33 GW, mainly driven by robust growth by residential solar and high energy prices. Hardly surprisingly, the Sunshine State, Florida, continues to dominate state solar rankings, installing 2.5GW of new capacity in the first half of the year, more than 50% higher than second-ranked California. " The United States is now a dominant player in the global clean energy economy, and states like Florida, Texas, Ohio and Georgia are at the forefront of this job growth and economic prosperity. The solar and storage industry is…

Solihull's Urban Growth Company to close down

A company set up to maximise development and regeneration opportunities connected with the arrival of in Solihull is to close and come under the purview of the local council. Urban Growth Company (UGC) was established in 2016 as a special-purpose vehicle to work on behalf of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, supported by the West Midlands Combined Authority. It will now cease to be a standalone company and its operations will transfer over to the council in the coming weeks, resulting in eight job losses. UGC's main remit was centred around a project known as 'The Hub'. Covering 3,210 acres next to the M42, The Hub comprises…

Manufacturers see ‘anaemic’ picture at year end - but welcome signs of stability

North West manufacturers say trading conditions at the end of the year are “anaemic” - but that there are welcome signs of stability after the uncertainty of the pandemic. In the latest Q4 Outlook survey, published today by Make UK and business advisory firm BDO, Make UK upgraded its growth forecast for manufacturing in 2023 to +0.8%. But it is forecasting growth in 2024 of just +0.1% due to weak prospects in both the UK and its largest market, the Eurozone. The survey showed output in the weakened towards the end of the year. It is forecast to turn more positive in the first quarter of next year at with a positive balance of 6%,…