Latest news with #EducationSector
Zawya
5 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Bank Nizwa presents exclusive offers to professionals across education and healthcare sectors
Muscat: Driven by its commitment to providing banking services that meet the diverse and evolving needs of its customers, Bank Nizwa, the leading and most trusted Islamic bank in the Sultanate of Oman, has announced the launch of a profession-based retail product bundle designed exclusively for individuals working in the Education and Healthcare sectors. This new offering not only acknowledges their invaluable contributions to society but also provides a comprehensive, convenient, and value-driven banking experience. This profession-focused bundle is a testament to Bank Nizwa's dedication to delivering Sharia-compliant, customer-centric solutions that cater to lifestyle, career needs, and long-term aspirations. At the heart of the bundle is the Salary Account, offering a suite of exclusive benefits such as savings plans, recurring saving deposits, and Mudaraba-based investment options; empowering customers to plan and manage their finances with confidence and purpose. Additionally, eligible professionals can access preferential profit rates on financing products, enabling greater financial flexibility to achieve their aspirations. As part of the offering, customers will also receive a Gold Credit Card with a first-year waiver on the annual fee. The card unlocks a range of benefits, including discounts and promotional offers from Bank Nizwa's partner merchants. Furthermore, to provide added value and peace of mind, the bundle includes Takaful coverage for domestic helpers, offering support and protection for household employment needs. Commenting on the offering, Mr. Mohamed Al Ghassani, Chief Retail Banking Officer at Bank Nizwa, stated: 'As the nation's preferred Islamic financial services provider, we remain dedicated to consistently innovating unique and enhanced offerings to our valued customers, with the aim to meet their evolving needs, and ease their financial management necessities. At Bank Nizwa, we recognize the essential role those working in the healthcare and education sectors play in building a better Oman. This bundle is a gesture of appreciation and a meaningful way to support their lifestyles, professional demands, and long-term aspirations. Our aim is to be their trusted partner, offering solutions that align with their values and career aspirations.' Reflecting Bank Nizwa's unwavering commitment to customer-centricity, this occupation-specific bundle stands as a testament to the bank's dedication to understanding the unique needs of professionals in education and healthcare sectors. The bundle empowers customers to take confident, well-informed financial decisions while laying the groundwork for a stable and prosperous future. By offering holistic and Sharia-compliant financial solutions under one offering, Bank Nizwa continues to empower its customers to make confident financial choices and build a secure future.
Arab News
5 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan's militancy-hit Balochistan unveils ‘largest' $3.6 billion annual budget
ISLAMABAD: The government in Pakistan's militancy-hit Balochistan on Tuesday unveiled its $3.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2025-26, which provincial Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani described as the 'largest' one in the province's history. Balochistan is Pakistan's largest province by land size but its poorest by almost all social and economic indicators. The province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has been the scene of a low-lying insurgency for decades where ethnic separatist militants demand a greater share of the province's mineral resources for locals. Nosherwani presented the budget for the upcoming fiscal year in the Balochistan Assembly in Quetta, with Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai chairing the session. 'For the upcoming fiscal year, the total budget is estimated at Rs1,028 billion [$3.63 billion]— the largest in the province's history,' Nosherwani told lawmakers during the budget session. 'Out of this, the non-development budget is Rs642 billion [$2.26 billion] while the overall provincial development (PSDP) budget is Rs249.5 billion [$878 million],' he added. The finance minister pointed out that the budget includes a Rs42 billion [$148.3 million] surplus, describing it as a 'historic milestone' for the province. Nosherwani said the government has earmarked over Rs120 billion [$423.5 million] for the schools sector and Rs29.1 billion [$102.7 million] for the higher education sector. The provincial government has also allocated Rs87 billion [$307 million] for the health sector, ₨26 billion [$91.8 million] for the agriculture sector and Rs1 billion [$3.53 million] for food, he said. He said the government had decided not to purchase new vehicles, except for the ones required by law enforcement personnel. 'To create employment opportunities in 2025–26, the provincial government plans to introduce 4,188 contract positions and 1,958 regular jobs across departments,' Nosherwani said. He credited the provincial government for not overlooking any segment of society in the annual budget. 'These measures cover government employees, women, pensioners, youth, migrants, laborers— people from every walk of life,' the finance minister said.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Tertiary Education Minister Penny Simmonds says staff numbers at polytechnics abysmal
Vocational education minister Penny Simmonds. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver Tertiary Education Minister Penny Simmonds says staff numbers at some polytechnics are so high they are abysmal. Appearing before the Education and Workforce Select Committee to answer questions about the government's Budget decisions for Tertiary Education, Simmonds said institutions' ratio of staff to students was critical for their viability. She said polytechnics had reduced their staff numbers by 8.2 percent on a headcount basis and about 4.9 percent on a full-time equivalent basis but their staff to student ratios were still lower than they were in 2016-17. "Those ratios are critical to the viability of an institution. If you're running at a ratio of less than one to 18 for academic staff to students, you are in financial trouble and they are low," she said. Simmonds said a number of polytechnics were "incredibly damaged by the last four or five years under Te Pūkenga". She said they had lost domestic enrolments, failed to rebuild international enrolments quickly, and had not responded quickly to changes. Simmonds said Te Pūkenga should have addressed staff surpluses at loss-making polytechnics more quickly. She said it had not become financially sustainable, even though it recorded a financial surplus last year. Simmonds and Universities Minister Shane Reti insisted government funding for tertiary education was increasing as a result of the Budget. Committee member and Labour Party MP Shanan Halbert said Budget figures showed total tertiary funding would drop $124m in the 2025/26 financial year to $3.79b. Tertiary Education Commission officials said the drop was due to the end of the previous government's temporary, two-year funding boost and moving the fees free policy to the final year of students' study. Simmonds said the government ended equity funding for Māori and Pacific students because it wanted to target extra funding to needs not ethnicity. She said if a Māori student who was dux of their school enrolled in a polytechnic qualification, their enrolment would attract the equity weighting, even though they had no need of additional support, which she said did not make sense. Tertiary Education Commission chief executive Tim Fowler told the committee enrolments had grown so much that institutions were asking for permission to enrol more students this year than they had agreed with the commission in the investment plans that determined their funding. "We've had most of the universities come to us and ask to exceed their investment plan allocation... over 105 percent this year. In previous years, I think we might have had one in the past decade, so unprecedented levels of enrolments," he said. Fowler said it was the commission's job to balance that growth, favouring government priorities such as STEM subject enrolments and removing funding from under-enrolled courses. "We're continually adjusting in-flight what that investment looks like and where we see areas where there is demand that we want to support we try and move money to it. Where there's areas of under-delivery, we try and take that out as quickly as we possibly can so it doesn't fly back to the centre - we want to reinvest it elsewhere," he said. "The challenge for us this year, there are far fewer areas of under-delivery than there is over-delivery." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
21-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Fiji DPM responds to concern over teacher shortages
Fiji's deputy prime minister says Fiji is losing teachers to Australia and New Zealand and can't afford to match pay to bring them back.
Saba Yemen
01-05-2025
- General
- Saba Yemen
Marib officials inspect summer school activities
Marib - Saba: Local and Mobilization leaders in Marib province on Thursday inspected summer schools in Mahliyah, al-Abdiyah, Harib al-Qaramish, and Badbadah districts. Mobilization Officer Badr al-Majsh encouraged students to utilize the summer programs for skill development and religious knowledge, praising the efforts of organizers, teachers, and parents. The Deputy Head of General Mobilization and the Director of Badbadah district reviewed student attendance and engagement in Quran memorization and cultural activities. Officials from the Martyrs' Families Care Authority and the Education Sector visited schools in Harib al-Qaramish emphasizing the courses' importance in protecting youth from soft war tactics. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
