AsiaPulse News articles from January 2001

AsiaPulse News archives from January 2001

INDIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JAN 1, 2001.
January 1, 2001... NEW DELHI, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE FINANCIAL EXPRESS - In a stark contrast to previous few weeks' stance, the annual inflation rate remained static at the previous week's 8.01 per cent depite...

STOCKS - BSE OPENS HIGHER - JAN 1, 2001.
January 1, 2001... MUMBAI, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Opening on a firm note, the sensex later crossed the 4000-mark at the initial stages reflecting a smart rally in old economy stocks on the opening day of new account on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) today in the...

STOCKS - DSE OPENS 4 PTS HIGHER - JAN 1, 2001.
January 1, 2001... NEW DELHI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Equities opened on a strong footing on the opening session of the year 2001 yesterday, following renewed buying by institutional investors and domestic mutual funds. The Delhi Stock Exchange sensitive index was...

PAKISTAN NEWSPAPER HEADLINES - JAN 1, 2001.
January 1, 2001... KARACHI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of yesterday's newspapers: THE DAWN - 12 Indian troops killed in Valley - Gulf Cooperation Council states forge defence pact - Sri Lanka says troops gain more ground -...

FOREX - DOLLAR CHEAPER AGAINST RUPEE - JAN 1, 2001.
January 1, 2001... MUMBAI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The U.S. dollar ended mildly cheaper against the rupee at Rs 46.66/67 per dollar, but the pound sterling turned slightly dearer at Rs 69.67/69 per pound at the close of the interbank foreign exchange (forex) market...

STOCKS - BSE CLOSES 17.04 PTS LOWER - JAN 1, 2001.
January 1, 2001... MUMBAI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Old economy stocks stepped into the New Year, with optimism with a noticeable rally on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on fresh buying support from speculators, as well as Indian Financial Institutions (IFIs). ...

INDIA SEEKS INCLUSION IN WTO DISPUTE OVER US STEEL IMPORTS.
January 1, 2001... NEW DELHI, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Protesting against the levy of high anti-dumping duties posed by the US administration on steel imports from India, the Indian government has written a letter to the Chairman of Dispute Settlement of the WTO...

INDIA'S ESSAR, IOC, SCI RACE FOR LNG TRANSPORATION CONTRACT.
January 1, 2001... NEW DELHI, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Essar Shipping and Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) are among the four companies left in race for state-owned Petronet LNG Ltd's contract for transporting five million tonnes of...

STOCKS - OMAN STOCKS CLOSE LOWER - JAN 1, 2001.
January 1, 2001... MUSCAT, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The general price index of Muscat Securities Market (MSM) Monday closed at 201,19 points, a slight drop of 0.1% compared to the previous close. A total of 793,797 scrips worth RO. 2.074 million were traded...

OPEN - ASIA PULSE INTERNATIONAL - JAN 2, 2001.
January 2, 2001... Good Morning. This is the Asia Pulse International service of business intelligence, news, tenders and expert commentary on the economies of Asia provided by Asia Pulse Pte Ltd (Asia Pulse). Asia Pulse reserves all rights including...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JAN 2, 2001.
January 2, 2001... SYDNEY, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW: - The pace of economic growth is forecast to slow significantly over the next six months. - The centenary of Australia's nationhood...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS FIRMER - JAN 2, 2001.
January 2, 2001... SYDNEY, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar opened firmer this morning on gains made Friday night as the euro strengthened against the US dollar and the yen. However dealers said the local currency had not traded this morning, and was...

SOHU.COM LAUNCHES SHORT MESSAGING SERVICES.
January 2, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) BEIJING, Dec. 29 PRNewswire Asia-AsiaNet - 2000-Leading Internet portal SOHU.com (Nasdaq: SOHU) has launched Short Messaging Services (SMS) in partnership with China Mobile...

SINA.COM RECEIVES NEWS PUBLICATION LICENCE IN CHINA.
January 2, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) BEIJING and SUNNYVALE, Calif. Dec. 29 PRNewswire Asia-AsiaNet - SINA.com (Nasdaq: SINA), a leading Internet media and services company for Chinese communities worldwide, announced today...

GENERAL MOTORS INDIA POSTS 178PCT SALES RISE IN 2000.
January 2, 2001... NEW DELHI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - General Motors India (GMI) has announced a 178 per cent rise in car sales at 7,140 units in 2000. The figure compares to 2,561 cars in the previous year and surpasses its target of 7,000 units for the year. ...

INDIAN INFLATION RATE STAYS AT 8.01 PCT.
January 2, 2001... NEW DELHI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - In a stark contrast to the previous few weeks' stance, the annual inflation rate remained static at the previous week's 8.01 per cent despite substantial fall in primary articles' price and a minute rise in the...

INDIAN STATE DECIDES TO AMEND LABOUR LAWS.
January 2, 2001... BANGALORE, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The government of the southern state of Karnataka has decided to amend 'the Karnataka Shops and Establishments Act 1961' to exempt IT establishments from certain provisions of the act,including in working hours and...

SOHU.COM 1ST NET SITE IN CHINA TO RECEIVE NEWS LICENCE.
January 2, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) BEIJING, Jan 2 PRNewswire Asia-AsiaNet - The highest state news regulatory agency in China has officially granted leading Internet portal SOHU.com (Nasdaq: SOHU) a special license to...

CONFEDERATION OF INDIAN INDUSTRY TO HOLD PARTNERSHIP SUMMIT.
January 2, 2001... CHENNAI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The seventh "partnership summit", he flagship international event of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), to be held in Hyderabad in association with the southern state Andhra Pradesh government...

INDIAN AG SCIENTIST CALLS FOR WHITE PAPER ON WTO PACT.
January 2, 2001... THRISSUR, Southern India, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Noted Indian agricultural scientist Prof M S Swaminathan has asked the central government to bring out a white paper on the agreement it had with the World Trade Organisation as many people were...

KDIC REJECTS SEOUL BANK'S PROOF OF LABOR SUPPORT FOR ITS REFORMS.
January 2, 2001... SEOUL, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The Korea Deposit Insurance Corp. said Saturday it could not accept the written consent for Seoul Bank's management normalization plan provided by its union as it does not fulfill stated requirements. The...

DIARY - DELHI INT'L PETROLEUM CONFERENCE, JAN 9-12.
January 2, 2001... NEW DELHI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - More than 500 delegates from India and abroad are expected to participate in the 4th International Petroleum Conference and Exhibition - Petrotech-2001- beginning here on January nine. "The four-day apex event...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN INDEX OPENS HIGHER - JAN 2, 2001.
January 2, 2001... SYDNEY, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The Australian share market has started the new year on an upbeat note, with global media group News Corp attracting early buyers, despite a softer US market. At 1030 AEDT, the all ordinaries index was 31.1 points...

NBCI, ASIACONTENT.COM DISSOLVE JOINT VENTURE.
January 2, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) HONG KONG, Dec. 30 PRNewswire-AsiaNet - NBC Internet, Inc. (Nasdaq: NBCI) and Asiacontent.com (Nasdaq: IASIA), a leading Asian Internet company providing Internet solutions and advertising...

INDIAN STEEL INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO REEL UNDER PRESSURE.
January 2, 2001... NEW DELHI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - India's Steel industry continues to be in the grip of recession in the twilight of Y2K with steel majors registering either losses or decline in profits mainly due to stagnation in demand. The largest steel...

INDIAN COLOUR TV SALES SET TO CROSS 5 MLN MARK.
January 2, 2001... NEW DELHI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The booming colour television (CTV) industry is expected to sell a record five million units this year, much against predictions of gloom, with Indian brands maintaining their dominance over the fiercely aggressive...

INDIA'S TRAI SUGGESTS NO REVENUE SHARING FOR VOICE MAIL CONTENTS.
January 2, 2001... NEW DELHI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday recommended no revenue sharing for content services for Voice Mail/Audiotex Services and extending licences to Content Service Providers to cover the Short...

INDIAN TV AGENCY INVITES BIDS FOR BULK AIR TIME SALE.
January 2, 2001... NEW DELHI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - In another move to boost the revenue of the state-owned DD Metro channel, apex television regulatory authority Prasar Bharati on Friday invited bids for a bulk air time sale. The sale is for five 30 minute...

BOI CEBU APPROVES 23 NEW INVESTMENT PROJECTS.
January 2, 2001... CEBU CITY, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The Cebu extension office of the Board of Investments (BOI) registered and approved 23 new projects valued at a total of P1.629 billion (US$32.8 million) this year. This represents an increase of 179 percent in...

US PAYS PAKISTAN AIRLINES DAMAGES AFTER APPEAL COURT FINDING.
January 2, 2001... KARACHI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The US government paid Pakistan International Airlines almost half a million dollars in damages after a US federal appeals court on Thursday found it unlawfully ordered the airline to pay for the custody of...

PHILIPPINES GOVT SET TO REACH 4 PCT GDP TARGET FOR 2000.
January 2, 2001... MANILA, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The Estrada administration expects to achieve a four per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and an inflation of below the five to six per cent target for the year 2000 despite recent global developments...

PARIS CLUB MAY RESCHEDULE PAKISTAN'S DEBT: FINANCE MINISTER.
January 2, 2001... KARACHI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz said that the Paris Club meeting on January 22 is likely to give a relief of $1.5 billion debt rescheduling as Pakistan has met all the targets of the International Monetary Fund. ...

BELZBERG TECHNOLOGIES SUBSCRIBES TO PRIVATE SHARE PLACEMENT.
January 2, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) TORONTO, Jan 2 CNW-AsiaNet - Belzberg Technologies Inc. (TSE:BLZ) has announced it has entered into a subscription agreement for the private placement of 333,334 common shares at a price of...

INDIA SUFFERS SHARP SETBACK IN SILVER DURING 2000.
January 2, 2001... MUMBAI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Silver suffered a sharp setback on the bullion market during the year following a steep fall in international prices coupled with good inflow of the white metal into the country. Gold showed wide fluctuations...

ADB PROCUREMENT - THAILAND, ROADS.
January 2, 2001... *** Asia Pulse Tender *** ********************************** ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROCUREMENT DECEMBER 2000 ********************************** THAILAND - REGIONAL AND SECOND REGIONAL ROADS...

ADB PROCUREMENT - LAOS, IRRIGATION.
January 2, 2001... *** Asia Pulse Tender *** ********************************** ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROCUREMENTS DECEMBER 2000 ********************************** LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC - DECENTRALIZED...

ADB PROCUREMENT - KAZAKHSTAN, EDUCATION COMPUTERS.
January 2, 2001... *** Asia Pulse Tender *** ****************************************** ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROCUREMENTS DECEMBER 2000 ****************************************** KAZAKHSTAN - BASIC EDUCATION...

CEBU'S EXPORTS TO NOV 2000 DOWN 14 PCT YR-ON-YR.
January 2, 2001... CEBU CITY, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The export sector in Central Visayas fared better in the first 11 months of last year than this year. According to the Department of Trade and Industry records, total exports in the region as of last November...

OIL POLLUTION ADVERSELY AFFECTING STURGEON FRY IN CASPIAN.
January 2, 2001... BANDAR ANZALI, Gilan Prov. Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Oil pollution has caused destructive effects on larvae and sturgeon fry in the Caspian Sea, a senior official with the state fishery organization said here last week. "Oil pollution resulting...

IRANIAN MAJLIS SPEAKER URGES DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATIVES SECTOR.
January 2, 2001... TEHRAN, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Majlis Speaker Mehdi Karroubi called for the removal of obstacles to the expansion of cooperatives sector and said Majlis is ready to help in attaining this goal. Karroubi highlighted the importance the...

KOREAN JOBLESS TO TOP 1 MLN AGAIN: PRIVATE ECONOMIC INSTITUTES.
January 2, 2001... SEOUL, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The number of jobless this year is likely to exceed one million, making unemployment more difficult to manage than last year, private economic research institutes said Tuesday. The government is hoping to manage...

IRAN'S BROADCASTING GROUP IRIB MAY CUT 10,000 JOBS.
January 2, 2001... TEHRAN, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Some 10,000 employees with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) are close to losing their jobs as the body faces a sharp budget deficit, press reported Saturday. "Last week, part of the IRIB's credits...

IRAN'S POWER GENERATION CAPACITY TO RISE TO 150B KW/H BY 2005.
January 2, 2001... TEHRAN, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Iran will generate some 150 billion kilowatt/hours (kw/h) of electricity by the end of the Third Development Plan (2000-2005) which has set the optimal use of energy as one of its targets, announced the deputy energy...

IRAN'S CUSTOMS SERVICES TO CONFORM TO ISO 9000.
January 2, 2001... Tehran, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The Customs Administration of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to practice the management standards of ISO 9000 at the custom houses in a bid to improve services and upgrade customs clearance formalities, it was...

IRAN'S GDP SET TO GROW 5.2 PCT: CENTRAL BANK OFFICIAL.
January 2, 2001... TEHRAN, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Deputy Director of Central Bank of Iran (CBI) for Economic Affairs Akbar Kamijani predicted on Monday that Iran's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will top 5.2 percent in the next Iranian year (starting March 21) compared...

WORLD BANK PROCUREMENT - AZERBAIJAN, OILFIELD CLEANUP.
January 2, 2001... *** Asia Pulse Tender *** ****************************************** WORLD BANK INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES SERVICE PROCUREMENTS DECEMBER 2000 ****************************************** AZERBAIJAN - URGENT...

IRAN'S DAMAVAND TO HOST INT'L APPLE CONFERENCE.
January 2, 2001... DAMAVAND, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - An international conference on apples will be held in this mountainous city next spring, Governor of Damavand Mohsen Safari told IRNA on Monday. According to Safari, a proposal offered by local officials to hold...

JAPAN'S CRUDE OIL IMPORTS FROM IRAN RISE IN NOV.
January 2, 2001... TOKYO, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Japan's oil imports from Iran in November 2000 reached 19.9 million barrels, up 29.5 percent compared to November 1999. An official at Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industries MITI, announced that...

IRAN-S. KOREA TRADE VOLUME HITS US$3.5 BLN DURING JAN-NOV.
January 2, 2001... SEOUL, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Iran-South Korea trade volume followed an upward trend in the January-November period, topping US$3.5 billion, according to a report released by South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The report, a...

IRAN'S MINERAL, METAL EXPORTS UP YR-ON-YR: MINISTRY.
January 2, 2001... TEHRAN, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Iran's Mines and Metals Ministry has announced that the export of minerals and metal products in the first eight months of the year (started March 20) rose compared to the same period last year. The Public...

WORLD BANK PROCUREMENT - BANGLADESH, ROAD REPAIRS.
January 2, 2001... *** Asia Pulse Tender *** ****************************************** WORLD BANK INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES SERVICE PROCUREMENTS DECEMBER 2000 ****************************************** BANGLADESH - DHAKA...

PAKISTANI GOVT ANNOUNCES FIFTH PETROL PRICE RISE IN PAST YEAR.
January 2, 2001... ISLAMABAD, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The Pakistani government has announced an increase in the prices of petroleum products. The increase, which ranges between 6.82 per cent and 22.48 per cent, comes into effect immediately. This is the fifth...

WORLD BANK PROCUREMENT - CHINA, ACCOUNTING REFORM.
January 2, 2001... *** Asia Pulse Tender *** ****************************************** WORLD BANK INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES SERVICE PROCUREMENTS DECEMBER 2000 ****************************************** CHINA - ACCOUNTING...

PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN RESERVES UP 5.9 PCT.
January 2, 2001... KARACHI, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Foreign exchange reserves have increased by 5.9 percent, to US$1.498 billion, reaching close to the IMF target of US$1.7 billion. After the release of US$197 million from the IMF last month as a first tranche,...

SINGAPORE ABOLISHES ALL IMPORT TARIFFS ON ASEAN GOODS.
January 2, 2001... SINGAPORE, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - With effect from 1 January 2001, Singapore has accorded tariff-free access for all ASEAN goods under the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) Scheme for AFTA, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said in a...

KOREAN SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY ENJOYS BOOM IN 2000.
January 2, 2001... SEOUL, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The Korean shipbuilding industry enjoyed a record boom last year, but much of the earnings were eroded by losses from funding support for affiliates, industry sources said Tuesday. Hyundai Heavy Industries...

WORLD BANK PROCUREMENT - CHINA, COMPANY TRAINING.
January 2, 2001... *** Asia Pulse Tender *** ****************************************** WORLD BANK INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES SERVICE PROCUREMENTS DECEMBER 2000 ****************************************** CHINA - ENERGY SERVICE...

KOREAN SHIPPING INDUSTRY ESTIMATED TO HAVE MARKED RECORD SALES.
January 2, 2001... SEOUL, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Korean shipping firms are estimated to have had record sales last year, industry sources said Tuesday. Topping the list is Hyundai Merchant Marine, with estimated sales of 5.1 trillion won (US$4 billion) last year,...

STOCKS - KOSPI UP, KOSDAQ INDEX DOWN - JAN 2, 2001.
January 2, 2001... SEOUL, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Korean shares are relatively flat early Tuesday, the first day of trading this year. At 10:30 a.m., the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) edged up 1.34 points to 505.96. Kookmin Bank (KSE 23130)...

FOREX - CURRENCIES HIGHER VS RINGGIT IN EARLY TRADE - JAN 2, 2001.
January 2, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Most major currencies trended higher against the ringgit this morning as the euro gained further ground against the US dollar since the end of last year, a dealer said. The greenback was in a downward trend...

PHILIPPINE GOVT, OTHERS TO IMPLEMENT 197 FOREIGN-ASSISTED PROJECTS.
January 2, 2001... MANILA, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The Asian Development Bank (ADB), Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the World Bank (WB) have committed to help the Philippine government effectively implement 197 foreign-assisted developmental...

WORLD BANK PROCUREMENT - CHINA, INDUSTRIAL BOILERS.
January 2, 2001... *** Asia Pulse Tender *** ****************************************** WORLD BANK INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES SERVICE PROCUREMENTS DECEMBER 2000 ****************************************** CHINA - ENERGY...

CENSUS SHOWS MALAYSIA'S SABAH STATE HAS 600,000 FOREIGNERS.
January 2, 2001... KOTA KINABALU, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - About 600,000 of Sabah's population of 2.4 million, or one out of every four people, comprise foreign nationals, according to the Population and Housing Census 2000. Minister in the Prime Minister's...

INDONESIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JAN 2, 2001.
January 2, 2001... JAKARTA, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE JAKARTA POST - State electricity company PLN and the U.S. government-owned insurance company Overseas Private Investment Corp. (OPIC) have reached an agreement on the...

GLOBAL MANAGEMENT CENTRE TO LAUNCH TRADE INFORMATION NETWORK.
January 2, 2001... LAHORE, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The Global Management Centre (GMC) is all poised to launch internationally the Trade Information Network (TIN) which will provide access to markets in the 133 members countries of the G77. TIN, a major trade...

KOREA'S SMALL, INDEPENDENT EXPORTERS RECORD US$3 BLN IN SALES.
January 2, 2001... SEOUL, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Exports by small, independent exporters topped US$3 billion last year, the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) said Tuesday. In its report, the KITA said exports of products from Tongdaemun (East Gate)...

NOKIA SIGNS DEAL WITH CHINA MOBILE TO SUPPLY GPRS NETWORKS.
January 2, 2001... CHINA, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Nokia has signed an agreement with China Mobile Communications Corporation (CMCC) to supply GPRS Core network infrastructure to four provincial networks. Beijing Nokia HangXing Telecommunications Systems Co., Ltd.,...

INDONESIA'S IBRA MEETS 2000 BUDGET CASH TARGET OF US$2 BLN.
January 2, 2001... JAKARTA, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) has met the government's target to raise some Rp 18.9 trillion (US$2 billion) in cash to help finance the 2000 budget. IBRA said in a press statement that it had...

STOCKS - KUALA LUMPUR SHARES OPEN LOWER - JAN 2, 2001.
January 2, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Kuala Lumpur share prices opened lower on extended losses by major market players on the first trading day in 2001 after a late selldown last Tuesday. Banking shares were among the noticeable target for...

ADB PROCUREMENT - BANGLADESH, DHAKA POWER UPGRADE.
January 2, 2001... ***** ASIA PULSE TENDER ***** ****************************************** ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROCUREMENTS DECEMBER 2000 ****************************************** BANGLADESH - DHAKA POWER...

CHINESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JAN 2, 2001.
January 2, 2001... BEIJING, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: PEOPLE'S DAILY - A New Year's tea party is held in Beijing Monday morning. Attending the 2001 New Year's tea party are Chinese leaders Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, Li...

IRAN TO HOST TRADE FAIR IN KARACHI.
January 2, 2001... TEHRAN, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Iran will hold an exclusive trade fair in Pakistan's capital Karachi in March under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between commerce chambers of Zahedan and Quetta. The Public Relations Department at...

MALAYSIAN CENTRAL BANK TO MOP UP US$1.4 BLN TUESDAY MORNING.
January 2, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Bank Negara Malaysia is calling for a tender totalling RM5.2 billion (US$1.4 billion) from the money market this morning. The central bank intends to borrow RM2 billion of three-week money and RM2.5 billion...

INDONESIA PT ARUN EXPORTS 6.7 MILLION TONS OF LNG IN 2000.
January 2, 2001... BANDA ACEH, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Indonesia's PT Arun NLG Co said it exported 118 ships (6.7 tons) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to different countries in 2000 despite the civil unrest in its home province of Aceh. PT Arun's Vice President...

KOREAN MINISTRY ANNOUNCES DIGITAL BROADCASTING MASTER PLAN.
January 2, 2001... SEOUL, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The Information and Communication Ministry announced its master plan for digital broadcasting Tuesday, saying that over 200 channels and 4 million digital broadcasting receivers will be provided by 2005. The...

CHINA'S XINJIANG CALLS FOR BIDDERS FOR COPPER PROSPECTING.
January 2, 2001... BEIJING, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - The government of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the ministry of Lands have published a notice calling for bids for prospecting rights on a huge copper mine in the Tianshan Mountains. Open bidding...

ADB PROCUREMENT - INDIA, POWER DEVELOPMENT.
January 2, 2001... ***** ASIA PULSE TENDER ***** ****************************************** ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROCUREMENTS DECEMBER 2000 ****************************************** INDIA - GUJARAT POWER SECTOR...

ADB PROCUREMENT - CHINA, WASTEWATER TREATMENT.
January 2, 2001... ***** ASIA PULSE TENDER ***** ****************************************** ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROCUREMENTS DECEMBER 2000 ****************************************** CHINA - TIANJIN WASTEWATER...

CHINA BUILDS COPPER PRODUCTION BASE IN GUANGZHOU.
January 2, 2001... GUANGZHOU, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Movement and technical renovation of the Guangzhou Copper Products Plant, a key state project, has been completed recently. It will help ease the market demand for high precision cooperation strips in South...

INDONESIA'S GAIKINDO PREDICTS SLOW GROWTH IN AUTO SALES IN 2001.
January 2, 2001... JAKARTA, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Car sales in Indonesia are unlikely to increase signigicantly in 2001, as ongoing political uncertaintly makes consumers cautious about big purchases, according to chairman of the Indonesian Association of Automotive...

OVER ONE THIRD OF CHINESE FAMILIES TO BUY CARS BY 2005.
January 2, 2001... BEIJING, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - About 32.1 per cent of Chinese families plan to buy cars within the next five years, according to a sample survey by the China National Consumers' Association. Among those surveyed, 3.2 per cent say that they...

INDONESIA'S BALI POSTS 78 PCT DROP IN PLANTATION PRODUCT EXPORTS.
January 2, 2001... DENPASAR, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - Bali's exports of plantation products in the first eleven months of 2000 fell by as much as 78 percent to US$690,000 from $3.1 million in a corresponding period last year. Head of the Bali provincial industry...

CHINA FUTURES ASSOCIATION LAUNCHED IN BEIJING.
January 2, 2001... BEIJING, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - In a major milestone for the country's futures industry, the China Futures Association (CFA) started operations in Beijing on Friday. Representatives from more than 140 futures brokers nationwide unanimously...

INDONESIA TO MAKE BIGGER ECONOMIC ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2001: WAHID.
January 2, 2001... JAKARTA, Jan 2 Asia Pulse - President Abdurrahman Wahid said Indonesia is expected to be able to make bigger achievements in the field of economy in year 2001. The president revealed his prediction on the country's economic prospect in a...