BELGIUM - Hewitt Associates has been contracted by the Belgian construction sector to develop an administration system for its pension scheme, pensioB.

CANADA - Philippe Ithurbide has been promoted to executive vice-president of fixed income at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.

GORDON Brown's decision to cut pension tax credit in 1997 is not solely to blame for increased pressure on workplace pensions, the National Association of Pension Funds claims.

UK - The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has spoken out on the scandal surrounding chancellor Gordon Brown's controversial 1997 decision to remove tax relief from corporate pension funds.

MALTA - Outlays on pensions have been blamed for the 5.7% increase in social security spending, according to a report by the Maltese National Statistics Office.

Brown faces backlash over CBI claims

US - Corporate pensions plans had a bumper year in 2006 as assets and investment returns went up and the value of liabilities decreased, claimed a report issued by Wilshire Consulting.

THE ROYAL Bank of Scotland and the Bank of New York have sold their offshore securities services joint venture to BNP Paribas.

JAPAN - Noboru Terada joins MSCI Barra as a senior advisor from the Japanese Government Pension Investment Fund.

F&C ASSET Management is to offset its emissions in a bid to become carbon neutral.