2 inmates escape from national penitentiary’s maximum security facility

January 17, 2022 | 10:22 pm

AUTHORITIES are now tracking the two inmates who escaped early Monday morning from the national penitentiary’s maximum-security compound, with the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) describing the fugitives as “armed and dangerous” in a public advisory.

The escapees, identified as Arwin Villeza and Drakilou Yosores Falcon, are convicted of murder and homicide, according to BuCor.

Another prisoner who attempted escape, Pacifico V. Adlawan, 49, was caught after a firefight with the Muntinlupa Police squad.

Three jail guards also suffered gunshot wounds and have been brought to a hospital for treatment.

Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra, in a Viber message to reporters, said he has directed the National Bureau of Investigation to probe the incident along with recent riots at the penitentiary known as New Bilibid Prison.

“I will also recommend to the office of the president that disciplinary action be taken against BuCor officials who may be found guilty of gross neglect of duty,” Mr. Gueverra said. — John Victor D. Ordonez

Push for change: Towards a better future for all

January 17, 2022 | 10:05 pm

Let us take a quick look at our country’s current situation. We are still facing severe and multiple crises, including a health crisis, an economic crisis, an education crisis, an environmental crisis, and a social justice crisis. Given that 2022 is a critical election year for the country, we hope that “political and constitutional crisis” is not added to this already long list.

On the national election, I must say that whatever the outcome may be, we are prepared to work with the duly elected new administration and contribute to its development program for our people.

As we enter the third year of the ongoing pandemic, nearly 3 million COVID cases have been reported, with over 52,000 deaths. To date, only 48% of our population has been fully vaccinated, falling short of the 70% goal set for 2021. The current surge in infection rates is unfortunate, and it threatens to set back our country’s recovery. Any increase in mobility restrictions can cause undue hardship once more for the business sector and the workers who could lose their jobs.

As we all know, COVID infection concerns of customers and workers alike have affected businesses adversely, and many companies have closed down and gone bankrupt. The unemployment rate in 2022 is expected to range between 7% to 9% or roughly three times the pre-pandemic 2.2% in 2019.

The digital divide is keeping the poor out of the emerging digital economy. Children from low-income families have limited access to online education, further exacerbating the education crisis.

With a poverty rate of 17.5% in 2021, there could be up to 19 million poor Filipinos among us. At the same time, millions of Filipinos are still suffering from the devastation caused by Typhoon Odette, and these typhoon victims can attest to our current environmental crisis.

What do we do now? It is time for us not only to do more but also to be more. To be better. We should not be thinking of just going back to the pre-pandemic state of affairs in 2019. In fact, why should we return to the old normal? The pandemic has proved to be an excellent mirror for humanity, and us, highlighting the social and economic inequalities and systemic weaknesses that afflict our people. What we should be striving for right now is a new normal that is genuinely sustainable, resilient, equitable, inclusive, and beneficial for all.

MAP THEME FOR 2022
Based on these observations, our 2022 MAP (Management Association of the Philippines) Board has decided to adopt the theme, “Push for change: Towards a better future for all.”

Last year we did the “Great reset: Leading for the common good.” Building on our past gains, we move forward to push for change.

Our Board will, as is customary, collaborate closely with the various MAP committees, which constitute the lifeblood of our organization. We have made some adjustments to our committee configuration to be more effective. Certain related committees have been consolidated to achieve a more coordinated approach to multifaceted challenges and avoid fragmented solutions.

As a result, we now have just 22 committees, down from 26 last year. But this does not mean a reduction in committee leaders, as we have appointed additional co-chairs and vice-chairs to committees with broader mandates.

3 MAIN THRUSTS FOR 2022
In line with our MAP Theme for 2022, we are pursuing three major thrusts:

The first thrust: policy reform for economic dynamism

We will put together an agenda of policy imperatives and push for their adoption for sustained recovery and continuing progress, whether through executive or legislative action. In addition, we will advocate for good governance and the rule of law in the operation of and policy implementation by relevant public offices.

In the wake of the pandemic, the need for a conducive enabling environment for investment, foreign and domestic, becomes even more pressing. We must address the country’s energy security, resolve foreign ownership restrictions in critical industries, and improve the ease of doing business, to name just a few imperatives.

In addition, we must unleash private sector participation in infrastructure development to benefit from private sector capital, expertise, and efficiency. More broadly, I cannot overemphasize the need to have the private sector on board as an active and dynamic participant in our nation’s quest for sustained development and growth.

During the coming election campaign period, we in MAP will organize and participate in forums featuring the presidential, vice-presidential, and senatorial candidates. These forums will serve as a platform for raising our policy and governance concerns.

By mid-2022, we will invite newly elected and appointed national officials for policy dialogues as they take their positions following the national election. If possible, we will resume our practice of having in-person breakfast conversations with policymakers. Otherwise, we’ll meet virtually.

We shall take a proactive stance on national issues that directly and substantially impact business and/or other sectors of society. Of particular interest to us are management excellence and good governance concerns. We intend to issue public statements on our own as MAP or in collaboration with other like-minded business groups. For greater influence and leverage, concerted action is sometimes, if not often, required.

We have grouped the sector committees that constitute the cluster on Policy Reform for Economic Dynamism, the first of our three thematic thrusts. These committees are: Agribusiness; Diversity and Inclusion; Ease of Doing Business; Energy; Health; ICT; Tax; Trade, Investment, and Tourism; and, Infrastructure and Urban Development. The National Issues Committee will be part of and serve as the lead committee of this cluster. Please note that the new Infrastructure and Urban Development Committee consolidates three previously separate committees: Transportation, Water Security, and Urban Development.

We anticipate that the committees will stay vigilant and monitor developments in their respective sectors while conducting studies on policy agendas they intend to pursue with their counterparts in the government.

The second thrust: human development and well-being

Our workforce has been rendered uncompetitive for decades due to a persistent and pervasive education crisis. Apart from skills training, we need an education system that will produce critically thinking and socially responsible citizens. I’m sure you agree that responsible citizenship is necessary for a well-functioning democracy.

While the issue affects all levels of education in the country, I believe MAP should focus on the higher education sector, where academe-industry collaboration has been found effective, albeit not widely practiced. Such partnerships can improve curricula, augment faculty, provide apprenticeships for students, and facilitate collaborative research and innovation.

However, we are prepared to cooperate with other organizations to address the challenges in our basic education sector.

We intend to push for programs that will generate more graduates from STEM courses (science, technology, engineering, and math) and are ready for work, particularly in data analytics.

Let me tell you about the Agri-Aqua Innovation Challenge project, which we plan to support. The project is a 10-month national competition for startups and students. Its goal is to help students turn their technological ideas into actual products and services that will benefit farmers, fisherfolk, and the rest of our population. For this project, we will join the Department of Science and Technology and the Asian Institute of Management in a government-academe-industry partnership. MAP members will serve as mentors and sponsors to the competing teams.

We are also considering collaborations with educational and other institutions to implement strategic programs with long-term national impact. We are particularly interested in programs that address critical business and social concerns, such as cybersecurity, health, and responsible social media.

One other educational issue we intend to look into pertains to the training of our seafarers. While Filipinos dominate ship crewing globally, very few become captains and senior merchant marine officers, high-paying positions that can benefit their families and the country more.

The third thrust: shared prosperity and sustainability

In November 2020, MAP led a group of 26 business organizations in signing a Covenant for Shared Prosperity. This Covenant, in my view, has the potential to catalyze inclusive and sustainable development. We will assess the Covenant’s progress and consider renewing the signatories’ commitments. We will also make an effort to bring these commitments to a broader range of companies, including MSMEs, in addition to large corporations.

We will look into how Environmental, Social, and Governance metrics (ESG for short) can support the Covenant’s implementation. In this regard, we are discussing possible collaboration on an ESG Reporting project with the De La Salle University’s Animo Labs.

A new ESG Committee will lead our programs and projects under this third thrust. The Committee results from amalgamating three previously separate committees: Corporate Governance, Climate Crisis, and Social Justice.

The three thematic thrusts I have just discussed respond directly to the major concerns that our members expressed through an indicative survey conducted in November last year.

CONCLUSION
We have all witnessed how the ongoing pandemic has accelerated the implementation of technology solutions, like digital transformation. Changes that formerly took years and decades to materialize now happen in a matter of weeks. Indeed, every major crisis presents an opportunity. The larger and more disruptive a crisis, the more opportunities it offers, as New York University Professor of Marketing Scott Galloway highlights in his 2020 book Post Corona.

It appears that the timing could not be better for us to pursue policy reforms to improve the lives and well-being of Filipinos. It is also time to push for changing mindsets towards a more productive workforce and a more robust business commitment to environmental sustainability, social justice, and good governance.

I believe that each of us can contribute to the desired changes. The work may not be easy, but I assure you that end result will be well worth it.

This article is part of the Inaugural Speech of Alfredo “Fred” E. Pascual as the president of the Management Association of the Philippines or MAP for 2022.

Alfredo “Fred” E. Pascual is lead independent director of SM Investments Corp. and former president of the University of the Philippines.

map@map.org.ph

fred.pascual@map.org.ph

How power-to-X technology could help decarbonize Indonesia’s industrial sector

January 17, 2022 | 10:03 pm

As one of the world’s leading economies, Indonesia has announced an ambitious plan to build a green industrial park in North Kalimantan.

Located in the northern part of Indonesian Borneo, the 30,000-hectare industrial area will focus on manufacturing environment-friendly products using low-emission processes and green energy sources.

This plan could provide the momentum needed to boost development of eco-friendly synthetic fuel and chemical industries through what’s called “power-to-X” (P2X) technology.

In Indonesia, the utilization of renewable energy has only focused on decarbonizing electricity generation. Through P2X technology, we can also use renewable energy to tackle challenges in high-emission sectors such as chemical industries and synthetic fuel development.

P2X is a technology to produce synthetic fuel and chemicals using renewable energy. The primary process of P2X is electrolysis: converting raw materials into products using electricity generated from renewable energy.

This process can include:

• water electrolysis to produce hydrogen

• carbon dioxide electrolysis to produce synthetic gas (syngas) and hydrocarbons (compounds that are typically derived from petroleum oil and gas)

• electrolysis of nitrogen from air into ammonia (raw material for batteries and fertilizer)

• electrolysis of oxygen from the air into hydrogen peroxide disinfectants.

Hydrogen production is among the core P2X processes. Hydrogen can be used as an alternative source of clean energy and industrial feedstock for fertilizer manufacturing.

Through P2X, “green hydrogen” could also help reduce our reliance on “black hydrogen” — which is produced from fossil fuels. We can suppress carbon emissions from black hydrogen production by 830 million tons of carbon dioxide per year.

P2X could also accelerate a green transition in heavy industries that still rely on fossil energy (for example, cement manufacturers) through carbon capture technology. Captured carbon dioxide can be transformed into synthetic gas, formic acid (for the rubber industry), methanol and ethanol (alternative fuels) via electrolysis.

The government’s plan to build a hydropower plant in the Kayan River will be an important stepping stone for P2X technology in the North Kalimantan industrial park. Construction has just started in December 2021 and the plant is expected to be operating in 2025.

But such plants generally require enormous areas of land. Thus, their construction has significant impacts on the environment and local communities. Several parties are raising concerns about possible negative impacts on the forest and river ecosystems as well as the people living in the region.

To address the environmental risks, conventional hydropower technology can be replaced with pumped storage hydropower technology — which requires a smaller area than conventional hydropower. Floating solar panels can also be installed along the surface of the river to diversify energy sources.

Based on a recent study, for instance, Kalimantan has vast solar energy potential.

Another factor to be considered is what types of industries are suited for development in the North Kalimantan region.

Due to its high water flow rate (about 1,700 m³/s), the Kayan River is an enormous water source. It can be used to generate vast amounts of green hydrogen — a feedstock to produce ammonia.

Potential buyers are in place, including PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur in Bontang, East Kalimantan — located around 354 km from Tarakan, the capital of North Kalimantan.

Furthermore, synthetic natural gas and methanol production using hydrogen is ideal for providing “green fuels” for the state-owned oil refinery in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan province.

To prove its commitment to developing a green industrial park, the government should consider the following points.

First, the government must formulate strategies for decarbonizing the industrial sector through P2X.

Establishing a clear roadmap can build trust with domestic and foreign investors. This roadmap can become a cornerstone for developing other green industrial parks.

Indonesia can also learn from Germany and Japan, which have produced green hydrogen with P2X technology.

Second, the government should support research in electrolysis technology to increase the economic viability of P2X. Other essential support includes funding from international partners or financial institutions.

Denny Gunawan is a PhD candidate, Particles and Catalysis Research Laboratory, UNSW. He is also affiliated with Energy Commission, Directorate of Research and Studies, Overseas Indonesian Students’ Association Alliance (OISAA).

The transportation sector and the motorcycle taxi

January 17, 2022 | 10:02 pm

The transportation sector — air, water, and land — is among the sectors which have been most adversely affected by the pandemic scare and government lockdowns. While overall GDP in 2020 contracted -9.6%, the transportation and storage industry contracted -31%.

In the first three quarters of 2021, while overall GDP grew 5.1%, the transportation and storage sector grew 6.6% and land transport in particular grew 8.9%, and it comprised 50% of total production of services of the sector (Table 1).

LAND TRANSPORTATION IN TOP 1,000 CORPORATIONS
I checked the performance of land transport companies that belong to the BusinessWorld Top 1,000 corporations, and saw that the numbers are interesting.

First, only one bus company, only one provider of public utility (PU) cars, and two rail companies managed to land in the Top 1,000. And second, trains that move big number of passengers suffered a big decline in gross revenue and net income in 2020. The same could be said of the bus company due to the prolonged lockdown, while the PU car company Grab Philippines managed to grow in net income (Table 2).

This implies that during the pandemic and lockdown, people have avoided mass transportation trains and buses and have used more private vehicles, or have ridden PU cars and motorcycles. The mandatory social distancing and fear of being physically close to strangers in public transport while keeping their cost of mobility low means that demand for private, cheaper transport will stay or increase. Motorcycle taxis would be the fastest and cheapest mode of transportation for poor people who do not have private vehicles, or, even if they can afford to buy a motorcycle, are scared to drive one.

MOTORCYCLE TAXI DUOPOLY
Currently, a motorcycle taxi (MCT) duopoly — comprised of Joyride and Angkas — was appointed and authorized by the government via the MCT Technical Working Group (MCT TWG) composed of the Department of Transportation, the Land Transportation Office, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Philippine National Police, and the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic or I-ACT. There is no law from Congress yet that authorizes MCT so these agencies in the Executive branch arrogated legislative power upon themselves.

Technically there are three players (Joyride, Angkas, and Move It) authorized by the TWG which also excluded a fourth player, Grab, for no clear reason, in the pilot project to study MCT. But Move It is too small so it partnered with Grab which has millions of subscribers, potential drivers, and passengers. Since the TWG has killed the Move It-Grab partnership and Move It is back to being an insignificant player, it is a de facto duopoly.

The supply of MCT is not enough so a fourth black-market MCT — “habal-habal” or unregistered MCT — appeared to fill the supply gap, and there are thousands of them nationwide especially in Davao City and the rest of Mindanao. See these reports in BusinessWorld:

1. “Panel admits two more firms for extended motorcycle taxi trials” (Dec. 20, 2019)

2. “Grab ‘seriously considering’ motorcycle taxi business anew” (Oct. 29, 2020)

3. “Davao City to legalize, regulate motorcycle taxis” (May 9, 2021)

4. “Grab PHL, MOVE IT partner for motorcycle taxi hailing services” (Sept. 23, 2021).

The Move It-Grab partnership was allowed by the TWG to operate on Sept. 23 last year, then disallowed by Oct. 1. Perhaps that one week proved to be too successful and popular with many new drivers and passengers.

By Dec. 10, the TWG officially and permanently terminated the Grab-Move It collaboration. It recognized that the partnership had generated jobs and served the public, but still decided to stop the partnership. The TWG added that new players can come in only if the bill in Congress legalizing MCT becomes a law.

As of November 2020, the duopoly has 10,400 riders (6,400 from Angkas, 4,000 from Joyride) even if the TWG has authorized 46,713 MCT in February 2020. This means tens of thousands of units have been filled up by illegal MCT while the TWG has restricted and continues to restrict new legal MCT players. See this column’s article, https://www.bworldonline.com/tax-pressure-and-motorcycle-taxis/ (Dec. 13, 2021).

HOUSE COMMITTEE REPORT (CR) NO. 1364
On Dec. 6, 2021, the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation reported out CR No. 1364 and filed as House Bill (HB) 10571, “An Act Regulating the Operation of Motorcycles-for-hire,” substituting dozens of earlier bills allowing and regulating MCT. The bill has about 50 legislator-authors and was submitted by Congressman Edgar Mary S. Sarmiento, Chairperson of the House Committee on Transportation.

The new bill has many good provisions. It recognizes Motorcycles-For-Hire as Common Carriers via a transportation network company (TNC) or Online E-Commerce platform provider (OEPP) under Section 5; it sets the Standards and Specifications of Motorcycles (Section 7) and Qualifications of Drivers (Section 10); it allows their franchising and set the franchise requirements (Sections 8 and 9). It also sets Accreditation Requirements of TNCs and OEPPs (Section 11) and so on.

In short, the new HB 10571 sets the formal and permanent recognition of MCTs, regardless of the number of players, in very transparent ways, unlike the non-transparency of the TWG that anointed only a duopoly.

MORE BIG PLAYERS NEEDED
Many agencies in government have the habit of scuttling new and big but transparent players and keep certain sectors of the economy to be served by a few small but bureaucracy-favored players.

Consider the following lists:

• In the Financial Times story “Asia-Pacific High-Growth Companies 2021,” it said many companies from Singapore (Carro, SCI Commerce,…), Indonesia (Kioson, Dana Brata), Malaysia (Carsome, SupplyCart), Thailand (SkillLane) were in the Top 100, there were none from the Philippines.

• In the UN Conference on Trade and Development report “Top 100 non-financial multinational enterprises (MNEs) from developing and transition economies 2019,” several companies from Malaysia (Petronas, Genting) and Singapore (Trafigura, Wilmar) made the list, while there were none from the Philippines.

• The Deloitte report “Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific 2020 Ranking” was dominated by companies from China, India, Japan, Australia, and South Korea, with eight companies from the ASEAN making it to the list like Malaysia’s ARB Berhad, Indonesia’s PT Tokopedia, Singapore’s Blue Wireless PTE. Not one came from the Philippines.

MORE COMPETITION NEEDED
The TWG is wrong and acted against public interest in anointing a duopoly, Joyride and Angkas, to operate without legislation while waiting for the final legislation. It deprived thousands of aspiring MCT drivers from joining legal players with the right to earn income. It deprived thousands of passengers additional choice and options.

The TWG can correct these pitfalls by allowing more players while waiting for Congress to pass HB 10571 into a law since there is already a counterpart Senate bill.

Congress should hasten the legislation of MCT, allow more players and more competition. It is campaign season already, the current legislators can expect more votes from tens of thousands of potential new drivers, and perhaps millions of potential passengers if they are given more choices in getting cheap and fast public mobility.

Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is the president of Minimal Government Thinkers.

minimalgovernment@gmail.com

NIMBYism is good if the N stands for Nuclear

January 17, 2022 | 10:01 pm

THE LIBERAL college town of Amherst, Massachusetts, is considering a ban on new large-scale solar projects that’s supported by, among other groups, the local chapter of the supposedly radical youth climate movement Sunrise.

It’s the latest in a long list of unfortunate instances in which renewable-energy projects have faced opposition not from coal barons or reactionaries, but from progressive types concerned about the land-use impacts of big new energy projects. The National Audubon Society is trying to stop a wind project near Oakland, California, for example, and local Audubon chapters are frequently in opposition to this or that clean-energy project.

What’s more, the US environmental review process allows anyone to invoke environmental concerns to block something they don’t like, regardless of the actual reason. It’s difficult to believe that advocates of offshore oil drilling are sincerely upset about the impact of offshore wind projects on the marine ecology, for example, but they are free to raise that objection. What could have been America’s largest solar farm was canceled last year in Nevada due to a variety of NIMBY (not in my back yard) objections.

These stories are often cited as examples of environmental hypocrisy, to make the left look bad. And certainly there are cases where the NIMBYs are just wrong. Last fall’s defeat of a proposed power line that would have brought Quebec hydropower through Maine into Massachusetts was a genuine disaster, with a small number of forest-protectors serving as useful idiots for fossil-fuel interests. More North American grid integration is critical to the clean-energy transition because Canadian hydropower can balance solar intermittency: America can send electricity north when the sun is shining and the Canadians can let water pile up behind their dams to generate power for when the sun goes down.

That being said, each fight over the site of a renewable project underscores a powerful reality: Decarbonizing the electric grid purely through new wind and solar will require an enormous amount of land. According to the Net Zero America Project, to fully electrify America’s vehicles, buildings, and factories — and then produce all that electricity through renewables — would require land five times the area of South Dakota.

This isn’t necessarily impossible. But it’s not possible without infringing on a lot of woodlands, habitats, nice views and other things that reasonable people are going to want to fight to preserve.

Which is another reason that environmental groups should be more open to the idea of geothermal and advanced nuclear power. Senator Jim Risch and Representative Russ Fulcher, both of Idaho, have introduced a bill that would grant geothermal projects located on federal land the same categorical exemption from the environmental-review process that oil and gas projects currently enjoy.

Environmental groups have largely opposed this on the theory that the US should be making it harder to drill for fossil fuels, not easier to drill for geothermal heat. And they’re not necessarily wrong. Drilling holes in the ground is not generally an ecologically friendly activity, whether those holes are for the purpose of fossil-fuel extraction or something else.

But amid all these debates and controversies over utility-scale solar, offshore wind, and new high-voltage transmission lines, one point is clear: Every conceivable option incurs some tradeoffs. A geothermal project can generate the same amount of power on a much smaller plot compared to a wind or solar project.

The arguments over the role of nuclear power in creating zero-carbon electricity are familiar. But there has been relatively little debate over the impact on land use. On a per-megawatt basis, a utility-scale solar project takes up about 80 times as much space as a conventional light-water nuclear plant. A wind plant, when considering the spacing of the turbines, requires over twice as much space as a solar one.

Meanwhile, a new generation of entrepreneurs is hoping to bring to market a new generation of much smaller nuclear reactors that will be even more space efficient.

These micro-reactors generate less power than existing mega-reactors. But the promise of micro-reactors is that, because they are smaller, they are easier to cool. The Aurora reactor design from Oklo, for example, is cooled with a series of static metal rods rather than water pumps that require their own redundant power sources for safety. If the reactor overheats, the nuclear fuel will expand, reducing its density and ending the reaction.

The micro-reactor industry’s unproven claim is that the smaller scale of these designs will allow them to be mass-produced more cheaply. Environmentalists who oppose new nuclear developments have seized on this claim — and it is speculative, whereas the cheapness of wind and solar power is a present-day reality.

Cost issues aside, however, the smaller footprint of micro-reactors is a huge advantage. If they also prove to be affordable, they could provide an enormous supply of zero-carbon electricity that creates many fewer conflicts about open space. Instead of needing five South Dakotas, we’d be looking at half a New Hampshire. And because reactors can be located near where the power is needed, there’d be less need for new transmission lines.

At the moment, the world is so far from meeting its clean-energy goals that it’s an everything-including-the-kitchen-sink situation. In the short term, that means supporting as much solar and wind power as we can build; promoting renewable power is more important than saving trees and birds (who happen to be facing very serious climate impacts, by the way). In the medium term, that means making it easier to build advanced nuclear plants such as micro-reactors.

Transforming the American energy system is going to require a lot of new zero-carbon electricity. Trying to find more space-efficient ways to provide it should be a priority.

BLOOMBERG OPINION

India’s richest more than double their fortunes during pandemic — Oxfam

January 17, 2022 | 9:55 pm

INDIA’s richest have more than doubled their fortunes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis that’s ravaged the country and worsened poverty, and the government should revisit its policies to redistribute wealth, according to the global Oxfam Davos report of 2022.

The nation added 40 billionaires to 142 last year, when a second wave of infections overwhelmed its health infrastructure and pushed crematoriums and burial grounds to breaking point. They have almost $720 billion in combined fortune, more than the poorest 40% of the population, the group said in a report on rising inequality published Monday.

Wealth has surged globally during the pandemic as the value of everything from stock prices to crypto and commodities has jumped. The world’s 500 richest people added more than $1 trillion to their net worth last year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. India, where urban unemployment climbed as high as 15% last May and food insecurity worsened, now counts more billionaires than France, Sweden and Switzerland combined, Oxfam said.

State policies including the abolition of a wealth tax in 2016, steep cuts in corporate levies and an increase in indirect taxation are among the factors that helped make the rich richer, while the national minimum wage has remained at 178 rupees ($2.4) a day since 2020, the India supplement of the global report said. Reduced federal funding to local administrations amid growing privatizations in the health and education sectors have further boosted inequalities. The nation is home to a quarter of the world’s undernourished people, Oxfam said, citing the World Food Programme.

“Unfortunately, not only has the taxation policy of the Indian government been pro-rich, it has also deprived India’s States of important fiscal resources — both particularly damaging in the context of the COVID-19 crisis,” the report said.

Oxfam is recommending the government imposes a 1% surcharge on the richest 10% of the population to invest in health and education. It notes that the fortune of India’s 10 wealthiest billionaires would be enough to fund the school and higher education of the nation’s children for more than 25 years.

With 84% of the households suffering a decline in income at the start of the pandemic, India is in line with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for the highest increase in poverty. In 2020, the number of poor in the south Asian nation doubled to 134 million, more than Pew research had estimated, Oxfam said. Daily wage workers, the self-employed and the unemployed committed the most suicides, it added, citing official crime data.

The report also highlighted that the leaked Pandora Papers — a collection of 11.9 million documents detailing 29,000 offshore companies and private trusts globally created for tax evasion — found that more than 380 Indians had 200 billion rupees worth of undeclared foreign and domestic assets.

Gautam Adani had India’s largest wealth surge last year and the fifth biggest in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He added $42.7 billion to his fortune, which now stands at almost $90 billion. Mukesh Ambani’s net worth climbed by $13.3 billion in 2021, and he’s now valued at $97 billion. — Bloomberg

Chinese cities on high COVID-19 alert as Lunar New Year travel season starts

January 17, 2022 | 9:55 pm

BEIJING — Several Chinese cities went on high COVID-19 alert as the Lunar New Year holiday travel season started on Monday, requiring travellers to report their trips days before their arrival, as the Omicron variant reached more areas including Beijing.

Authorities have warned the highly contagious Omicron adds to the increased risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission as hundreds of millions of people travel around China for the Lunar New Year on Feb. 1.

Cities such as Luoyang in central China and Jieyang in the south said on Sunday travelers need to report to communities, employers or hotels their trips three days ahead of arrival.

The southwestern city of Yulin said on Saturday those who want to enter should fill in an online form, including their health credentials and trip details, one day in advance.

Over the weekend, the capital Beijing and the southern technology hub Shenzhen each detected one domestically transmitted Omicron case.

The possibility that the Omicron case in Beijing was infected through imported goods can’t be ruled out, Pang Xinghuo, an official at the city’s disease control authority, said on Monday.

Li Ang, vice director at the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, said a local hospital had admitted nine Omicron infections, with six still being treated. He did not say when the infections arrived or why they hadn’t been disclosed earlier.

The city of Meizhou in Guangdong province found one Omicron infection linked to an outbreak in Zhuhai, state television said on Monday.

So far, at least five provinces and municipalities reported local Omicron infections, while 14 provincial areas found the variant among travellers arriving from overseas.

China is yet to show any solid sign of shifting its guideline of quickly containing any local infections, despite a high vaccination rate of 86.6%. The strategy has taken on extra urgency in the run-up to the Winter Olympics, to be staged in Beijing and neighboring Hebei province starting Feb. 4.

Many local governments have already advised residents not to leave town unnecessarily trips during the holiday, while dozens of international and domestic flights have been suspended.

China’s aviation regulator said on Monday it would suspend two flights from the United States over COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of canceled flights this year from the country, where Omicron is spreading, to 76.

China reported 163 locally transmitted infections with confirmed symptom for Sunday, official data showed on Monday, up from 65 a day earlier.

Sunday’s increase in infections was mainly driven by more cases in the cities of Tianjin and Anyang, where Omicron has been found in local clusters.

Tianjin and Anyang reported slightly more than 600 local symptomatic infections from the current outbreaks, smaller than many clusters overseas, but authorities there still have limited movement within the cities and trips to outside. — Reuters

Credit Suisse chairman quits over COVID-19 breaches in latest setback

January 17, 2022 | 9:54 pm

SINGAPORE — Credit Suisse Chairman Antonio Horta-Osorio has resigned after flouting COVID-19 quarantine rules, the bank said on Monday, raising questions over the embattled lender’s new strategy as it tries to recover from a string of scandals.

The abrupt move comes less than a year after Mr. Horta-Osorio was brought in to clean up Switzerland’s No.2 bank’s corporate culture marred by its involvement with collapsed investment firm Archegos and insolvent supply chain finance firm Greensill Capital.

However, the Portuguese banker’s personal conduct has since come under scrutiny, with reports he breached COVID-19 quarantine rules twice in 2021.

“I regret that a number of my personal actions have led to difficulties for the bank and compromised my ability to represent the bank internally and externally,” Mr. Horta-Osorio said in a statement issued by Switzerland’s No. 2 bank.

“I therefore believe that my resignation is in the interest of the bank and its stakeholders at this crucial time,” he said.

The bank said Mr. Horta-Osorio resigned following an investigation commissioned by the board.

In December, Reuters reported that a preliminary internal bank investigation had found that Mr. Horta-Osorio attended the Wimbledon tennis finals in London in July without following Britain’s quarantine rules.

Mr. Horta-Osorio also broke COVID-19 rules on a visit to Switzerland in November by leaving the country during a 10-day quarantine period, the bank said in December.

In late December, David Herro, deputy chairman at Harris, the third biggest investor in Credit Suisse, said Mr. Horta-Osorio retained his absolute support.

Credit Suisse, which announced a new strategy in November aimed at curbing a freewheeling culture that has cost it billions, said board member Axel Lehmann had taken over as chairman with immediate effect.

The bank said Lehmann, the board and the executive board would continue to implement Credit Suisse’s strategy.

Lehmann spent over a decade at rival UBS, where his roles included helming the Swiss personal and corporate banking unit of the bank after a nearly two-decade stint at Zurich Insurance Group. — Reuters

Drinking water, ash big concern as Tonga damage after tsunami

January 17, 2022 | 9:52 pm

SYDNEY/WELLINGTON — Australia and New Zealand sent surveillance flights on Monday to assess damage in Tonga, isolated from the rest of the world after the eruption of a volcano that triggered a tsunami and blanketed the Pacific island with ash.

Australia’s Minister for the Pacific Zed Seselja said initial reports suggested no mass casualties from Saturday’s eruption and tsunami but Australian police had visited beaches and reported significant damage with “houses thrown around”.

“We know there is some significant damage, and know there is significant damage to resorts,” he said in an interview with an Australian radio station, adding that Tonga’s airport appeared to be in relatively good condition.

One British woman was reported missing, he said.

Tonga’s deputy head of mission in Australia, Curtis Tu’ihalangingie, said the surveillance flights were expected to return on Monday evening. He asked for patience as Tonga’s government decides its priorities for aid.

Tonga is concerned about the risk of aid deliveries spreading COVID-19 to the island, which is COVID-free.

“We don’t want to bring in another wave — a tsunami of COVID-19,” he told Reuters by telephone.

“When people see such a huge explosion they want to help,” he said, but added Tonga diplomats were also concerned by some private fundraising efforts and urged the public to wait until a disaster relief fund was announced.

Any aid delivered to Tonga would need to be quarantined, and it was likely no foreign personnel would be allowed to disembark aircraft, he said.

The eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano triggered a tsunami on the shores of Tonga and cut off phone and internet lines for the entire island.

International communication has been severely hampered by damage to an undersea cable, which could take more than a week to restore, he said. Tonga’s cabinet was meeting to decide what help was most urgently needed.

Telephone networks in Tonga have been restored but ash was posing a major health concern, contaminating drinking water.

“Most people are not aware the ash is toxic and bad for them to breath and they have to wear a mask,” Mr. Tu’ihalangingie said.

‘COMPLETELY DESTROYED’
The Ha’atafu Beach Resort, on the Hihifo peninsula 21 kms (13 miles) west of the capital Nuku’alofa, was “completely wiped out”, the owners said on Facebook.

The family that manages the resort had run to safety through the bushes to escape the tsunami, it said. “The whole western coastline has been completely destroyed along with Kanukupolu village,” it said.

British woman Angela Glover was missing after she was washed away by a wave when she and her husband, James, who own the Happy Sailor Tattoo in Nuku’alofa, had gone to get their dogs.

The husband managed to hold onto a tree but his wife, who runs a dog rescue on the island, and their dogs were swept away, New Zealand state broadcaster TVNZ reported.

The Red Cross said it was mobilizing its regional network to respond to what it called the worst volcanic eruption the Pacific has experienced in decades.

Katie Greenwood, the Pacific Head of Delegation for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies told Reuters up to 80,000 people could have been affected by the tsunami.

Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai has erupted regularly over the past few decades but the impact of Saturday’s eruption was felt as far away as Fiji, New Zealand, the United States and Japan. Two people drowned off a beach in Northern Peru due to high waves caused by the tsunami.

More than a day after the eruption, countries thousands of kilometers to the west have volcanic ash clouds over them, New Zealand forecaster WeatherWatch said.

Early data suggests the eruption was the biggest blast since Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines 30 years ago, New Zealand-based volcanologist Shane Cronin told Radio New Zealand.

“This is an eruption best witnessed from space,” Cronin said. — Reuters

Buccaneers take care of business, handle Eagles 31-15

January 17, 2022 | 9:44 pm

TOM Brady threw for two touchdowns as the second-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened defense of their Super Bowl crown on Sunday with a smooth 31-15 victory over the seventh-seeded Philadelphia Eagles in an National Football Conference (NFC) wild card playoff game in Tampa, Fla.

Brady completed 29 of 37 passes for 271 yards in an efficient performance, enabling Tampa Bay to stay home next weekend for a conference semifinal. Mike Evans caught nine passes for 117 yards and a score.

“A lot of guys stepped up,” Brady said. “We’re obviously down quite a few guys. A lot of guys toughed it out today, but in the end, no one really cares. We got a win and we move on.”

Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts struggled for most of his first playoff start, connecting on 23 of 43 passes for 258 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The Eagles weren’t able to run the ball successfully until the game was out of reach, enabling the Buccaneers to tee off on Hurts.

While Tampa Bay sacked the mobile Hurts just twice, it mounted steady pressure and did a solid job of covering his wide receivers. Sixteen of Hurts’ completions were to tight ends and running backs.

The Buccaneers set an immediate tone by marching 75 yards on the game’s first possession. Giovani Bernard got the score on a 2-yard run with 10 minutes left in the first quarter.

Tampa Bay made it 14-0 with 25 seconds left in the quarter when Ke’Shawn Vaughn plunged in from the 1 to finish a 70-yard yard that lasted four minutes. On its next possession, Tampa Bay chewed up 53 yards and nearly five minutes to set up Ryan Succop’s 34-yard field goal that made it 17-0 with 9:16 remaining in the half.

By that point, the Eagles had managed just one first down on three possessions.

The Buccaneers used Philadelphia turnovers to put the game away in the third quarter. When Jalen Reagor muffed a punt, Ross Cockrell recovered for Tampa Bay, and five plays later, Brady hit Rob Gronkowski with a 2-yard touchdown pass.

Two minutes later, Hurts was intercepted by Shaquil Barrett, and Brady hit Evans with a 36-yard touchdown on the next play.

Philadelphia made the final score respectable with two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Boston Scott ran 34 yards with 12:08 left and Hurts hit Kenneth Gainwell for a 16-yard score with 4:45 remaining.

“It definitely hurts because the goal is never just to get to the playoffs,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “The goal is to get in and do some damage in there. So that was everybody’s mindset.” — Reuters

Osaka finding joy again as she kicks off Open defense

January 17, 2022 | 9:44 pm

MELBOURNE — Naomi Osaka said she is enjoying her tennis again and is having fun on the Tour after the defending champion overcame an unexpectedly stiff challenge from Colombian Camila Osorio in her opening round of the Australian Open on Monday.

The Japanese 24-year-old, who also triumphed at Melbourne Park in 2019, won 6-3, 6-3 at the Rod Laver Arena, removing any doubts about her fitness after she withdrew from a recent tune-up event due to an abdominal injury.

The former world number one has slipped to 14^th in the rankings after a tumultuous 2021 season, during which she struggled with mental health issues and pulled out of the French Open following a row over required media appearances.

After losing in the third round of the US Open in September, a tearful Osaka said she was unsure when she would play again.

“I think it kind of came throughout this off-season that I had where I felt like I wanted to come back to play tennis,” Osaka told reporters. “I came back when I wanted to come back.

“I just felt like there are situations where I previously would get upset. But at this point in my life, I’m here because I want to be here and because I find that it’s fun for me. Might as well enjoy it while I still can.”

After her French Open withdrawal, Osaka felt she was being judged by everybody. She said she was trying to change her mindset and the turning point came after the US Open.

“I was just sitting in my house wondering, ‘what do I want to do in the future?’” she said. “I felt like there’s still so many things that I want to do in tennis.

“It’s like a little bit of unfinished business, but also knowing that everything can’t be perfect all the time. I accept the fact that I’ll have dips, and I need to figure out a way to overcome it.”

Osaka quickly got down to business on Monday as she raced to a 5-0 lead in the opening set but a first hold of serve invigorated Osorio, who then started chasing down everything Osaka threw at her.

Osaka needed to save two break points to hold serve for the first set and faced two more in the second stanza before overpowering the inexperienced world number 50 with her aggressive shots from the baseline.

“It always feels special to come back here,” said the 13^th seed, who will next face American Madison Brengle.

RAFA NADAL
Rafa Nadal launched his bid for a record 21^st Grand Slam title with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 trouncing of American Marcos Giron on Monday to reach the second round of the Australian Open.

With Djokovic sent packing by Australian authorities and Roger Federer absent, Nadal can snatch the men’s all-time Slam record outright by claiming the title at Melbourne Park.

The only former champion left in the draw, the Spanish great started superbly at a sunbathed Rod Laver Arena, breaking world number 66 Giron five times for the match and thrashing 34 winners past the outclassed American.

Sixth seed Nadal will face the winner of wild card Thanasi Kokkinakis and qualifier Yannick Hanfmann for a place in the third round. — Reuters

Devin Booker helps Phoenix Suns demolish Detroit Pistons

January 17, 2022 | 9:43 pm

DEVIN Booker scored 30 points in 30 minutes, and the visiting Phoenix Suns rolled past the Detroit Pistons (135-108) on Sunday afternoon.

Booker made 11 of 18 field-goal attempts and sat out the fourth quarter. Cameron Payne had 20 points, five rebounds and five assists, and fellow reserve JaVale McGee supplied 20 points on nine-of-10 shooting from the field and grabbed six rebounds.

Phoenix’s Landry Shamet added 11 points, and Chris Paul had 10 points, six rebounds and six assists. Mikal Bridges also scored 10 points for the Suns, who own the league’s best record and have won six of their past seven games.

Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, the top pick in the 2021 draft, was ejected after being assessed two technicals during the third quarter. The second technical came after he pointed toward a Suns player after dunking, which the officials interpreted as taunting. Cunningham scored 21 points in 25 minutes.

Cory Joseph also had 21 points and added seven assists, and Trey Lyles contributed 18 points and six rebounds.

Suns center Deandre Ayton departed in the first quarter after sustaining a right ankle sprain.

Booker erupted for 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting as the Suns grabbed a 64-54 halftime lead. Payne also was a major factor, contributing 12 points while making all but one of his six field-goal attempts. Cunningham kept his team in striking distance with 13 points.

Booker scored 15 points during a wild opening quarter that ended with Phoenix up 39-35. The Suns had a 10-4 run in the last 3:13 of the second quarter, which included two Payne 3-pointers.

Paul and McGee scored the first two baskets of the third quarter, and Phoenix maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way. A 6-0 spurt by the Suns, which included three points apiece from Paul and McGee, made it 79-60.

Booker hit two free throws with five minutes left in the quarter to nudge the Suns’ lead to 87-67. Booker reached the 30-point mark with 3:28 left in the quarter. The Suns carried a 103-82 lead into the fourth and also scored the first five points of the final quarter. — Reuters

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