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Day: 4 November 2021

Simplifying customs in a post-Brexit world

by: Lauren Coles
04/11/2021

A new customs office has been inaugurated on Port Hercule and Franzosini Monaco has become the first to be granted customs clearance declarant permission in Monaco.
Situated between France and Italy, the Principality of Monaco is an active transport and logistics hub, with potential to grow. Christian Tepoorten is a 20-something resident of Monaco, a Swiss national who came here to grow his family-run transport and logistics company that has been operating in Switzerland since 1929. Franzosini Monaco has been working in transportation and logistics in the Principality since August 2020 and recently became the first Customs Agency granted authorisation by the new Monaco Customs Authorities. Previously, all customs authorisations in Monaco were approved by the Nice customs authorities.
According to Tepoorten, his company’s new Customs Agency will serve any business or individual looking to import or export goods, including clearing customs for art on behalf of galleries, or helping clear customs on behalf of yachting agents. But the larger goal is to facilitate smoother logistical relations between the Principality, Switzerland, Italy, and the world – especially the UK.
The arrival of Brexit created a considerable increase in their workload amid the chaos, and as a result, the family opened F&B, a joint venture Customs Agency in the UK, just after Brexit. The Dover-based office is a powerful link in helping freight forwarders understand the new procedures for the movement of traffic to and from the UK, Post Brexit.
“We will make it possible to enrich and develop the opportunities of the Principality in its logistics chain,” said Tepoorten. “Our new Customs Agency in Monaco will provide personalised service with a single point of contact.”
The Principality of Monaco occupies an influential place in international trade through the presence of a multitude of internationally-oriented decision makers on its soil. The company aims to enrich and develop the opportunities of the Principality in its logistics chain, and strengthen the offer of other forwarders already in place.
 
 
 
 
 
 

E-Rally showcases the Principality’s green credentials

by: Luke Entwistle
04/11/2021

The recently installed electric parking system Monaco ON played a very important role in the fifth edition of the ACM’s electric rally series.
Preceding the COP26 conference in Glasgow by only a matter of days, the Monte-Carlo e-rally showcased Monaco’s own commitment to green mobility through the use of their brand new electric parking system. Monaco ON charging points, easily identifiable due to their bright yellow branding, serve to make green mobility, and by extension green living, an affordable, practical reality.
Starting in Chateauneuf in the Loire, a region known for its green initiatives, drivers began their 1,000-kilometre journey towards Monaco. Amongst those taking part were the Daghe Munegu (Come on, Monaco) team comprising four cars, relating to different Monegasque departments. The Urban Planning Department were represented by two cars – a male and a female team, whilst law enforcement and the Mairie were also represented in the race.
The course took the drivers through some of the most beautiful landscapes in France, passing through the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes regions. After two full days of driving, participants arrived in Monte-Carlo on the evening of 22nd October. The next stage of the E-rally, the departure from Monaco, was to commence the next morning, however upon arrival in Monte-Carlo, the drivers were tasked with finding a Monaco ON charging point, with the help of the Your Monaco card, to complete the first stage of the event.
The exercise shone a light on the Principality’s flagship project that brings free, easy-to-use and extensive electrical charging stations to the centre of Monaco. It is hoped that the new electrical infrastructure will accelerate the move away from fossil fuels, and towards a greener approach to mobility and transportation.
Both the men’s and women’s Urban Planning departments teams earned respectable results, finishing 14th and 22nd respectively.
 
 
 

Supporting a circular economy this Christmas

by: Stephanie Horsman
04/11/2021

Carlo, the payment app that rewards buyers for local purchases, will be again offering gift vouchers to employers who wish to give their workers an end of year treat this holiday season.

Launched in 2019, local app Carlo has been a huge success story. The app, which allows people to purchase goods from 317 local businesses with their smartphone while giving them 5% cash back on their purchases, has provided Covid-wrecked businesses a boost whilst giving savvy consumers a chance to save and spend on things they would be buying anyway.

Last year, Carlo went the extra mile, offering local companies and employers the possibility to give gift vouchers to their employees for a holiday bonus or as a special indulgence. The government was amongst the first to jump on this and in the end gave out roughly 10,000 vouchers to civil servants, state and municipal workers, non-medical staff at Princess Grace hospital and retired civil service workers. A selection of local vendors soon followed suit.

The programme was so popular that Carlo has brought gift vouchers back for the 2021 holiday season.

The app, which boasts 21,000 users, has processed almost €13 million in transactions since inception. These purchases have generated €900,000 in customer rewards and are hugely beneficial to the local economy as the cash back rewards are spent in other local businesses, which generates more consumer awards, creating a circular system good for both purchaser and seller.

Since the launch, over €2 million in VAT has been earned by these transactions making it good for the government as well.

Outside the gift voucher programme, the app has taken on a life of its own with consumers using the app independently. In September 2021 alone, there were 450 daily transactions using Carlo, representing 70% of all active users.

Personal data collected at registration is stored in accordance with the law using the latest technology and transactions are made through Lemonway, an ACPR-Banque of France approved institution. The QR code system means that purchases are practical, fast and safe.

Carlo has been refining its functionalities since its introduction and now boasts features such as bill sharing, digital marketing, improved interfacing and partner showcasing.

 
 
 

COP26 deal making coal redundant

by: Stephanie Horsman
04/11/2021

In a stunning concession, a new deal forged at the COP26 summit has seen 190 countries and organisations pledge to phase out coal-fuelled power generation as well as refraining from building new plants in the coming decades.
Once a staple for energy production, coal’s reputation has taken a serious hit in recent years. The COP26 has taken direct aim at this hugely polluting fossil fuel source, citing it as the single biggest contributor to climate change and in the process has gained pledges from more than 40 nations and dozens of organisations to start shifting away from its use.
Top coal-using countries such as Chile, Vietnam and Poland have all signed on to the pact, as have several major banks who have agreed to discontinue financing the coal industry.
Signatories have agreed to end all new investment in the industry both at home and abroad. Developed nations have said they will no longer use coal as a power source from the 2030s, and developing countries have stated they will be done with coal in the 2040s.
“The end of coal is in sight,” UK Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said at the climate summit in Glasgow. “The world is moving in the right direction, standing ready to seal coal’s fate and embrace the environmental and economic benefits of building a future that is powered by clean energy.”
Separately, an international campaign aimed at phasing out the fuel called the Powering Past Coal Alliance said it had garnered 28 new members, including Ukraine who pledged to quit coal dependency by 2035. Coal produced about a third of Ukraine’s power last year.
Gains in ending coal use have been made in recent years, but it still produced around 37% of the world’s electricity in 2019. In order to make the shift to stay in accord with the pledge, major investment in heavy coal-using nations will be needed to make their energy sectors cleaner. The UK and the USA announced an $8.5 billion (€7.36 billion) partnership with South Africa on Tuesday to help them phase out coal faster, but more will be needed to assist other nations struggling to make the switch.
This big step forward has been marred slightly by the fact that some of the planet’s biggest coal users, Australia, China, the US and India, have not signed on. China, though, has conceded it would stop funding non-domestic coal plants, though internal projects were not discussed.
Countries such as the UK, Ireland and Germany have spent the last few decades transitioning from coal power to other cleaner forms, giving them a significant leg up.
 
 
 

Paw Patrol interactive show is coming to town

by: Stephanie Horsman
04/11/2021

The crew from the wildly popular Paw Patrol series is coming to save the day at the Grimaldi Forum in Paw Patrol the Rescue, a fun show for kids and kids at heart.

Save the date! Paw Patrol the Rescue, a “musical adventure full of gags, rhythm and action”, is coming to the Grimaldi Forum on 8th December, giving kids a chance to see all their favourite characters on stage, up close and personal.

The interactive show will feature all the series’ most beloved characters: Chase, Marcus, Stella, Ruben, Rocky, Zuma, Everest and Ryder, who will go on a quest to locations like the Great Valley, the Control Tower, Seal Island and Jake Mountain.

In the show, the inhabitants of Great Valley have come together for a Mayor’s Race where Mayor Goodway is pitted against the mayor of neighbouring Foggy Bottom. When Mayor Goodway disappears during the race, it is up to the Paw Patrol to find out what happened to him and solve the mystery.

Paw Patrol the Rescue will have two performances on Wednesday 8th December, one at 2:30pm and the second at 5pm at the Grimaldi Forum. Children aged three and up are welcome, but reservations are needed to ensure a place.