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Day: 21 October 2020

More restrictions likely for towns surrounding Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
21/10/2020

The Alpes Maritimes is expected to be one of a number of departments in France to be elevated to ‘maximum alert’ on Thursday and subjected to a strict new 9pm curfew.
Government spokesman Gabriel Attal announced on Wednesday that “a number of departments will switch to maximum alert” on Thursday 22nd October and will therefore be affected by the latest restrictions on movement.
It follows a speech by Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi on social media on Tuesday, in which he said: “Despite everything, our territory is experiencing an alarming progression of the epidemic.”
He revealed that 81 of the 100 Covid-designated hospital beds throughout the department are occupied, while all of the 36 ICU beds are in use. An additional seven patients requiring intensive care have been placed in alternative arrangements.
“The situation in our department is therefore very worrying,” said the mayor. “There is a real risk of going into the maximum alert zone, resulting in the application of a curfew.”
Meanwhile, the French government is expected on Thursday to extend the state of health emergency until 16th February. According to Gabriel Attal, the government also intends to apply measures restricting movement, gatherings of people and the opening of establishments until at least 1st April 2021, on all or part of the country, depending on the epidemic situation.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex will hold a press conference at 5pm on Thursday to reveal the latest measures. It comes six days after the 9pm curfew was imposed on several large metropolises, including Paris.
For the first time since May, the total number of Covid-19 patients in France currently in intensive care exceeded the 2,000 mark on Monday evening. It is still far from the peak of the epidemic, when more than 7,000 Covid-19 patients were in intensive care.
 
 

Partnership boosts digital transition support

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/10/2020

Actis and Docaposte are now official partners and ready to help Monegasque companies in their journeys to a digital transition with the new online platform mademat.mc.

Monaco-based Actis, a subsidiary of the Telis Group, has joined forces with Docaposte, the digital branch of La Poste Group, to support Monaco’s companies in their digital transitions.

The website offers to “manage the professional exchanges of companies and institutions with their dedicated audiences…customers, suppliers, administrations, citizens, internal audiences, etc.” by giving companies one place to store, access, organise, sign and send documents.

The partnership brings together two reputable agencies to fulfil the same goal: helping Monaco make the leap to become a completely digital society in the coming years.

“The combination of know-how and solutions from Docaposte and Actis makes it possible to offer a secure and complete digital transition to Monegasque companies,” says Marion Soler, CEO of ACTIS. “We are delighted with this collaboration, which will bring the best to the Principality.”

Gérard Ca, Managing Agent for Docaposte, adds that his company is “delighted with this partnership which allows us to offer Monegasque companies trustworthy solutions, in full compliance with regulations.”

The website allows data to be stored in a protected cloud, which can be accessed at any time and helps classify, index and archive company paperwork, sends invoices and e-billing information through secure links, and allows for e-signatures to prevent the need for printed documents. It all makes for an easy and convenient option for many businesses looking to make the switch.

Actis has been around since 2003 providing risk prevention solutions for clients, as well as offering the first eco-responsible data centre in Monaco.

Docaposte, with 6,400 employees and nearly 70 sites in France, helps companies to optimise and digitise their business processes, as well as their customer, employee, supplier and citizen relationship paths.

 

 

New app lets you buy unsold items

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/10/2020

A new application for smartphones created in Monaco called Ecoslowasting, which sells stock that would otherwise go to waste, is now online and ready for use.

Ecoslowasting, a waste-saving app first introduced last July during the 4th Energy Transition Meetings, has now been officially launched on both the App Store and Google Play.

Founder Elisa Alberto has worked for months with Monaco-based company Actis, a subsidiary of the Telis Group, to refine the app, making it as user-friendly as possible for buyers and merchant-sellers.

“I benefited from real follow-up, from real listening to my needs, both functionally and in terms of user interface or visual identity,” said Ms Alberto. “From the design of the application to its release, the Telis teams have really supported me in this project and have brought real added value. Nothing could be easier than using the app available for IOS and Android.”

The app is an ingenious way to prevent nearly out-of-date, end-of-series or unsold stock from heading to the rubbish heap. Partner traders can now post these unsold items on the digital platform, where they can be sold onto the public at reduced prices.

Buyers go onto the app and choose the items they want and pay securely online. They are then given instructions as to where their products will be and when they will be ready, and they pick them up at the indicated time with their confirmation e-mail. Consumers win, sellers win and the environment wins.

The app is available in English, French and Italian and can be accessed at https://apps.apple.com/fr/app/ecoslowasting/id1532853185 and on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details

 

Photo courtesy Ecoslowasting
 
 

Red Cross amasses €175,000 for Storm Alex victims

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/10/2020

The Monaco Red Cross leapt into action after Storm Alex putting out the call for donations, and the people responded.

The Monaco Red Cross, under the leadership of its President Prince Albert II, has been instrumental in providing relief to the victims of Storm Alex, which destroyed large parts of the Vésubie and Roya valleys, cutting off the population and taking several lives.

Donations mounting to €75,000 came in from the community, the Urban Planning Department and the Friends of the Urban Planning Department, who collected food, hygiene and cleaning products, as well as animal feed. They used their own offices as a make-shift collection centre before the products were transported to the Red Cross for distribution.

Meanwhile, the Monaco Red Cross dedicated a further €100,000 for the relief of the victims of the Vésubie and Roya valleys.

In a statement, the Monaco Red Cross said it would like to “sincerely thank all donors and companies for their generosity and support, as well as the Monegasque company Héli Air Monaco, Monaco Logistique and the Monaco Government with the Urban Planning Department for their logistical assistance.”

The outpouring has been so great that the Monaco Red Cross officially stopped taking donations as of 20thOctober, at the request of the affected villages.

 

Photo © Monaco Government Department of Urban Planning

 
 

Panthera Solutions secures 2nd European award

by: Staff Writer
21/10/2020

Monaco-based Panthera Solutions has again been named Best Financial Service Provider Europe, excluding banks, by the international magazine The European in its 2020 awards. 
The European magazine, in a syndicated media agreement with the Thomson Reuters Group, hold the annual European Global Banking and Finance Awards to honour financial institutions in different categories. It recognises organisations and individuals that stand out from the crowd and are consequently moving their industries forward. Good governance, the capacity to influence and innovate, while providing standards of excellence are highly important areas amongst others.
Their award programs are tailored to provide a detailed analysis of the best universally in all market divisions, and were evaluated by a judging panel with extensive experience across a range of sectors, supported by a highly dedicated research team.
“We are particularly proud to be winning this award for the second year running, which further underscores the dedication and commitment behind the Panthera team and the importance we place on the quality of our intervention framework,” said Markus Schuller, Founder Managing Partner of Panthera Solutions. “Despite the uncertainty and challenges 2020 has brought, we have remained committed to pushing forward and adapting, such as converting much of the Panthera Academy to online and thus continuing to provide those services to clients despite travel limitations.
Managing Partner Biljana Kling added: “I am perhaps more delighted with this second award that Panthera has won than the first, simply as it shows we are able to maintain a very high quality of service with our clients and the Panthera team should be extremely proud of that. Transforming the investment decision making process for an investor, demands a skilful approach and intervention and Panthera are continually pushing the boundaries of this exciting field and development.”
 
Photo: Gregory Gadzinski, Luca Signoretti, Biljana Kling, Markus Schuller, Victoria Barker, Matthias Strolz of Panthera Solutions