Month: January 2017

The government has announced the setting-up of a buyers’ club for every individual working in the state administration. This “Group of Personnel of the Monegasque Administration” has been established as part of a plan to improve the recognition of their work, the government said on Wednesday, January 18.

A range of services called “Circle A” will enable the staff of the administration to improve their purchasing power, by negotiating preferential rates on services in the field of culture, leisure, travel, events and shows.

The beneficiaries are the staff and retired officials of the state, the Assemblies and Commissions, as well as the Prince’s Palace, the Town Hall and the Directorate of Judicial Services. Approximately 6,000 people are affected.

From the outset, the concern of the government was to favour local commerce. Thus, any merchant, craftsman, company, public entity or association of the Principality issuing goods or services to private individuals has been able to, or can still, offer an advantage or a discount by using the email address: cerclea@gouv.mc.

For its part, UCAM – the Union of Merchants and Artisans of Monaco – which has been associated from the beginning with this initiative, continues to inform and co-ordinate its members.

A secure website will be posted online at the beginning of February listing all the offers available to beneficiaries. Circle A will be enriched as it continues, and any idea or suggestion can also be sent to cerclea@gouv.mc

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The mayor of La Turbie, Jean-Jacques Raffaelle, has taken the initiative in the French media to promote a cable-car link between his village and Monte Carlo.

With 14,000 vehicles passing through his commune every weekday en route to Monaco, the mayor is pressing for an alternative to help relieve the pressure of noise, congestion and pollution.

Although the concept might appear revolutionary, a cable car service to and from the Principality would not be entirely new. In 1893, such a service linked the two communities, only to fall into disuse at the time of the First World War. Also in favour of a radical solution is the fact that several other towns currently employ cable car transport, including Auckland in New Zealand, and Grenoble in France. Berlin is also due to embrace the cable car with a launch planned during a forthcoming international expo on gardens and green spaces.

Mayor Raffaelle believes the Monte Carlo to La Turbie cable car service could be reborn as soon as 2021.

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An armed thief has walked away with diamonds valued at €15 million after threatening two sales assistants at the Harry Winston jewellers on the Croisette at Cannes.

Police are studying video surveillance of the robbery, which took place during daylight hours on Wednesday, January 18. The miscreant was wearing glasses but made no other attempt at disguise, judicial sources said.

In addition to a 7.65mm automatic pistol, the robber produced a hand grenade and made the two female sales assistants open the window display. He left the premises on foot and no one was injured during the robbery, which lasted about eight minutes.

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The Monaco Government is asking residents to reduce power use between 6 pm and 8 pm again Wednesday as the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region is experiencing temperatures below normal.

The French electrical grid — on which Monaco depends for its electrical supply — has been facing “very strong” consumption. In with this exceptional situation, the Government of Monaco and SMEG calls on “all consumers in Monaco to reduce their electricity consumption during peak evening hours in order to avoid power cuts in the region,” the Government said on Tuesday afternoon.

Users are asked to turn off lights in unoccupied rooms, run central heating at no more than 19°C, switch off electrical appliances running on standby, and use washing machines and dishwashers later in the evening.