AsiaPulse News articles from July 2002

AsiaPulse News archives from July 2002

OPEN - ASIA PULSE INTERNATIONAL - JULY 1, 2002.
July 1, 2002... Good Morning. This is the Asia Pulse International service of business intelligence, news, tenders and expert commentary on the economics of Asia provided by Asia Pulse Pte Ltd (Asia Pulse). Asia Pulse reserves all rights including...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS LOWER - JULY 1, 2002.
July 1, 2002... SYDNEY, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar opened the new financial year softer and may trade even lower ahead of tomorrow's Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) board meeting. At 0700 AEST, the Australian dollar bought $US0.5634/39...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JULY 1, 2002.
July 1, 2002... SYDNEY, July 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: - More than 4000 jobs will be lost in rural NSW by punishing new curbs on farm water usage from today, according to the NSW Farmers Association. -...

TELSTRA CONFIRMS FULL OWNERSHIP OF HK'S CSL.
July 1, 2002... SYDNEY, July 1 Asia Pulse - Telstra Corp Ltd (ASX:TLS) today confirmed it has obtained full ownership of Hong Kong mobile provider CSL Ltd. In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange, Telstra said it had made changes to its joint...

SHARES IN AUSTRALIAN GAS LIGHT CO IN TRADING HALT.
July 1, 2002... SYDNEY, July 1 Asia Pulse - Shares in the Australian Gas Light Company (ASX:AGL) will be placed in a trading halt at the commencement of the market today ahead of an announcement by the company. AGL asked for the trading halt, because it...

S KOREA TO HOLD AVIATION TALKS WITH SE ASIAN COUNTRIES.
July 1, 2002... SEOUL, July 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea will hold consecutive meetings with Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, in July to discuss opening bilateral airlines starting from Busan in preparations of the October Busan Asian Games. ...

VIETNAM IS EMERGING AS MAJOR COMPETITOR IN CASHEW EXPORTS.
July 1, 2002... KOCHI, July 1 Asia Pulse - For years India's main competitor in the cashew kernel market has been Brazil, the birth place of the product, but recent trends show that Vietnam is emerging as a major contender in the sector, a top official of the...

CHINA PRODUCES 1.1 MLN TONS OF SYNTHETIC RESIN/COPOLYESTER IN MAY.
July 1, 2002... BEIJING, July 1 Asia Pulse - China produced 1.1083 million tons of synthetic resin and copolyester in May this year, 6.98 per cent more than in the year-earlier period, according to the China Petrochemical Association. The output of...

MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS MOVE INTO CHINA'S CHEMICAL SECTOR.
July 1, 2002... BEIJING, July 1 Asia Pulse - China's huge market capacity and rapid economic development have attracted foreign chemical giants to the country. A recent survey shows that multinational corporations have not only entered the downstream...

INDIA'S WILLIAMSON MAGOR REPORTS HIGHER LOSS IN 2001-02.
July 1, 2002... KOLKATA, July 1 Asia Pulse - Tea producer Williamson Magor & Company Limited (BSE:WILM) reported a significantly higher net loss of Rs 211.1 million (US$4.33 million) during the financial year ended 31 March 2002 against a marginal loss of Rs...

INDIAN FOODGRAIN OUTPUT ESTIMATED AT 211.32 MLN TONNES IN 2001-02.
July 1, 2002... NEW DELHI, July 1 Asia Pulse - India pegged its foodgrain output at an all time high of 211.32 million tonnes in 2001-02, registering a growth of 7.8 per cent over the previous year's actual output of 195.92 million tonnes. The projected...

BAJAJ ALLIANZ SELLS 2,421 TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICIES VIA TIE-UP WITH GALILEO INDIA.
July 1, 2002... NEW DELHI, July 1 Asia Pulse - Bajaj Allianz has sold 2,421 travel insurance policies worth over Rs 3.11 million (US$63,744) through its tie up with Galileo India. "The online travel insurance services has received a phenomenal response...

INDIAN GOVT REVIEWS TEA MARKETING CONTROL ORDER.
July 1, 2002... NEW DELHI, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Indian government is reviewing the Tea Marketing Control Order (TMCO) to look into the feasibility of reintroducing the compulsory selling of 75 per cent tea through the auction system. "Allowing the...

INDIA'S AUTO PARTS BODY WINS 'OUTSTANDING PARTNER' AWARD.
July 1, 2002... NEW DELHI, July 1 Asia Pulse - Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) has been conferred the 'Outstanding Partner' award 2002 by the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO). JETRO is the official trade and investment...

INDIAN SOYA PROCESSORS TO VISIT JAPAN AND MALAYSIA.
July 1, 2002... NEW DELHI, July 1 Asia Pulse - To improve the productivity of soya processing units, enhance exports and step up environmental performance, a delegation comprising processors and refiners will be shortly visiting Japan and Malaysia. The...

RELATIONS BETWEEN US AND TAIWAN EXPECTED TO IMPROVE: INSTITUTE.
July 1, 2002... WASHINGTON, July 1 Asia Pulse - Stressing the importance of good communication, Richard Bush, the outgoing chairman and managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), said on Friday that he expects relations between the United...

TAIWAN, HK SIGN 5-YR AVIATION AGREEMENT.
July 1, 2002... TAIPEI, July 1 Asia Pulse - A five-year aviation agreement between Hong Kong and Taiwan was signed Saturday evening in Taipei. Under the agreement, which will come into force on July 1, the China Airlines, EVA Airways, and Mandarin Airlines...

TAIWAN PRESIDENT TO ARRIVE IN SENEGAL FOR VISIT.
July 1, 2002... PARIS, July 1 Asia Pulse - President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan will arrive in Dakar Monday for a two-day state visit to Senegal. Tou Chou-seng, Taiwan's ambassador in Dakar, said the government of Senegal has attached a great importance to...

CALL FOR TAIWAN AND JAPAN TO BOLSTER COOPERATION.
July 1, 2002... TAIPEI, July 1 Asia Pulse - National Security Council Secretary-General Chiou I-jen stressed Sunday that Taiwan and Japan should develop comprehensive cooperation relations. Chiou made the remarks when he delivered a speech at the...

INT'L SYMPOSIUM ON DIGITAL TV, BROADCASTING STARTS IN TAIPEI.
July 1, 2002... TAIPEI, July 1 Asia Pulse - An international symposium on digital television and digital broadcasting will be held July 1-2 in Taipei to promote the development of these two sectors in Taiwan. The 2002 International Digital Broadcasting and...

IRAN LAWMAKERS RATIFY IRAN-OMAN TRADE AGREEMENT.
July 1, 2002... TEHRAN, July 1 Asia Pulse - Iranian parliament and the Guardians Council ratified an agreement between Iran and Oman on encouraging joint investment, Ministry of Economy and Finance reported on Sunday. "The agreement takes effect from...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN STOCKS OPEN HIGHER - JULY 1, 2002.
July 1, 2002... BRISBANE, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian sharemarket began the new financial year on a positive note, with falls in the banking sector failing to offset robust starts by News Corp and Telstra. By 1010 AEST, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200...

AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING PERFORMANCE INDEX RISES IN JUNE.
July 1, 2002... SYDNEY, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index rose to its highest level since September 1994 and is expected to continue to drive growth into the September quarter. The PMI rose to 60.1 in June, a rise of 0.2...

IRAN COUNCIL APPROVES TAXATION AGREEMENT WITH MACEDONIA.
July 1, 2002... TEHRAN, July 1 Asia Pulse - The agreement on the avoidance of double taxation between Iran and Macedonia was confirmed by the Guardians Council and forwarded to the Ministry of Economy and Finance for enforcement. The ministry said in a...

IRAN CREATES 490,000 JOBS LAST YR: MINISTER.
July 1, 2002... TEHRAN, July 1 Asia Pulse - Some 490,000 job opportunities have been created in Iran over the past Iranian year (ended March 20, 2002), Iran's Minister of Mines and Industries Eshaq Jahangiri said here on Sunday at a seminar on occupation. ...

IRAN, ITALY FINALIZE AGREEMENT TO ELIMINATE DOUBLE TAXATION.
July 1, 2002... ROME, July 1 Asia Pulse - Iran and Italy here on Saturday finalized the outlines of an agreement to exempt their mutual economic transactions from double taxation on Saturday. Following the approval by both countries' economic ministers of...

IRAN EXPORTED 83 TONS OF SAFFRON LAST YR.
July 1, 2002... MASHHAD, Khorassan Prov, July 1 Asia Pulse - Some 83 tons of saffron were exported from Iran to European, Asian and American countries in the past Iranian year (ended March 20, 2002), an official told IRNA on Sunday. "Iran produces 156...

FRANCE KEEN TO INCREASE ITS INVESTMENTS IN IRANIAN PROJECTS.
July 1, 2002... TABRIZ, East Azarbaijan Prov, July 1 Asia Pulse - French Ambassador to Tehran Francois Nicoullaud here on Saturday announced France's readiness to undertake more economic projects in Iran. "Officials of the French Embassy's Economic and...

PAKISTAN LEAVES EXPORT REFINANCE RATE UNCHANGED AT 8%.
July 1, 2002... KARACHI, July 1 Asia Pulse - The export refinance rate under Export Finance Scheme remains unchanged at eight per cent per annum for July, according to a circular of State Bank of Pakistan here on Friday. The central bank has kept the...

PAKISTAN BOARD SIGNS CONTRACTS WITH 22 SOFTWARE FIRMS.
July 1, 2002... ISLAMABAD, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) has signed contracts with 22 local software companies to help them achieve ISO-9001 certification and selected eight software firms for consultancy. PSEB would...

WORLDCOM SCANDAL UNLIKELY TO ROCK PAKISTAN TELECOMMUNICATION CO.
July 1, 2002... KARACHI, July 1 Asia Pulse - As the US administration and regulators grapple with WorldCom's financial fraud of US$3.8 billion - far bigger in money terms than Enron's - analysts here are feverishly calculating the possible fallout on Pakistan...

PAKISTAN ALLOCATES FUNDS FOR FEASIBILITY STUDY IN THAR COALFIELD.
July 1, 2002... ISLAMABAD, July 1 Asia Pulse - The government has allocated an amount of Rs 71 million (US$1.19 million) to conduct a mining feasibility study on an evaluated block of Thar coal-field in the current fiscal year. On completion of this...

INDONESIA TO ANNOUNCE WINNING BID FOR JAKARTA ROAD PROJECT SOON.
July 1, 2002... JAKARTA, July 1 Asia Pulse - Minister of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure Soenarno said on Friday the government will soon announce the winning bidder for the Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR) project. "Next Wednesday, I will discuss...

DPM LEAVES FOR LONDON TO PROMOTE S KOREA AS INVESTMENT DESTINATION.
July 1, 2002... SEOUL, July 1 Asia Pulse - Deputy Prime Minister Jeon Yun-churl left for London Monday to attend an explanatory session on Korean economy slated for Wednesday. The session is designed for the head of South Korea's economic policies to...

INDONESIAN GOVT BANS CATTLE IMPORTS.
July 1, 2002... JAKARTA, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture since June 25 has banned imports of all cattle-related products from countries affected by mad cow diseases. Director General for Cattle-Breeding Sofyan Sudradjat, said at...

JAPAN PANEL EYES STREAMLINED TAX SYSTEM FOR FINANCIAL PRODUCTS.
July 1, 2002... TOKYO, July 1 Asia Pulse - Varying taxation practices now applied to different financial products should be streamlined and simplified, a Financial Services Agency research panel said in a report released Friday. In particular, the panel...

JAPANESE MORNING NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JULY 1, 2002.
July 1, 2002... TOKYO, July 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of the morning edition of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) today: - Takeda Chem, Others To Start R&D On Bone, Blood Regeneration - Economic Policy Council To Reconsider Own Role - M'bishi To...

KOREA'S DRUG BODY FINDS INSECTICIDE IN LOCALLY-PRODUCED LETTUCE.
July 1, 2002... SEOUL, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) said Monday it has discovered a toxic chemical exceeding permitted limits in lettuces produced locally and then disposed of them. The KFDA has conducted a close...

PAKISTAN IMPORTS 1.1 MLN TONNES OF OILSEEDS THIS YR.
July 1, 2002... ISLAMABAD, July 1 Asia Pulse - Pakistan has imported about 1.1 million tonnes oilseeds this year, inflating the import bill to Rs 27 billion (US$450.902 million), against Rs 24 billion last year, Food and Agriculture Ministry sources said on...

MARUBENI, CHUBU ELECTRIC TO SUPPLY POWER TO UNY STORES.
July 1, 2002... TOKYO, July 1 Asia Pulse - Marubeni Corp. (TSE:8002) and Chubu Electric Power Co. (TSE:9502) agreed Friday to provide power to supermarket operator Uny Co. (TSE:8270) under a partial-supply arrangement. Such arrangements where several...

NO NEW TAX IN BUDGET OF PAKISTAN'S NORTH WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE.
July 1, 2002... PESHAWAR, July 1 Asia Pulse - North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Finance Minister Farid Rehman on Friday presented the provincial government's Rs46.8 billion (US$781.56 million) revenue receipts budget for the 2002-03 financial year, showing a...

JAPAN'S TAISEI FIRE TO CUT CORPORATE CLAIM PAYOUTS 26 PCT.
July 1, 2002... TOKYO, July 1 Asia Pulse - Failed Taisei Fire & Marine Insurance Co. will reduce insurance claim payouts to corporate clients by about 26 per cent, according to the company's rehabilitation plan. The firm's receiver announced Friday that...

JAPAN'S FY02 CRUDE STEEL OUTPUT TO TOP 100 MLN TONS.
July 1, 2002... TOKYO, July 1 Asia Pulse - Crude steel production will rise 3.2 per cent on the year to 53.91 million tons for the first half of fiscal 2002, and will exceed 100 million tons for the full year thanks to buoyant exports to Asia, the Ministry of...

DENMARK'S NEG MICON MARKETS LARGE WIND TURBINES IN JAPAN.
July 1, 2002... TOKYO, July 1 Asia Pulse - NEG Micon KK has started selling one of the world's biggest wind turbine. Developed by the firm's Danish parent, NEG Micron A/S, the wind turbine has a rotor diameter of 92 meters and resembles a large Ferris...

JAPAN TO BEGIN SALES VOUCHERS FOR CFC RECYCLING IN SEPT.
July 1, 2002... TOKYO, Jul 1 Asia Pulse - The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association and Japan Automobile Recycling Promotion Center will as early as mid-September start selling CFC recycling vouchers at convenience stores under a new system designed to...

JAPAN'S RCC BAD-LOAN PURCHASES TOTAL US$142 BLN IN JAN-JUNE.
July 1, 2002... TOKYO, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Resolution and Collection Corp. bought bad loans worth 169.9 billion yen (US$1.42 billion) on a principal basis from 20 healthy financial institutions during the April-June period, according to the RCC's revised...

AUSTRALIAN INTERNET JOB ADS DOWN IN JUNE.
July 1, 2002... SYDNEY, July 1 Asia Pulse - Internet job advertisement were down in June, but optimism remained strong in the local market, according to the latest job ads survey. Recruitment group Olivier's Internet Job Index dropped 1.4 per cent June....

JAPAN'S SUPPLY EQUIP OPS SHOULD BE SPLIT FROM BIG UTILITIES:FTC.
July 1, 2002... TOKYO, July 1 Asia Pulse - With an aim to encourage new market entrants, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) on Friday proposed that major electric power companies separate their monopolized operations of power transmission equipment, and transfer...

AUSTRALIAN STOCK MARKET'S CAPITALISATION DOWN IN 2001/02.
July 1, 2002... BRISBANE, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Australia stock market had $A45 billion ($US25.18 billion) wiped off its value during 2001/02 as investors endured a rocky ride, mainly because of the shockwaves from the September 11 terrorist attacks. ...

JAPAN'S SUMITOMO CORP SHAREHOLDERS TO SELL 46.5 MLN IN SHARES.
July 1, 2002... TOKYO, Jul 1 Asia Pulse - Six major Sumitomo Corp. (TSE:8053) shareholders plan to sell 46.5 million shares in the company, or 4.4 per cent of its outstanding shares, the major trading company said Friday. Sumitomo for its part will sell...

ANALYSTS BELIEVE AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR CAN STRENGTHEN FURTHER.
July 1, 2002... SYDNEY, June July 1 Asia Pulse - Australia's dollar gained more than five US cents over 2001/02 and strategists believe it can push higher in the new financial year. Propelled by US dollar weakness and wide interest rate differentials, the...

AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO PERFORM.
July 1, 2002... SYDNEY, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian economy is expected to continue to perform over 2002/03 after it defied international gloom to deliver strong growth in 2001/02. Consumer spending will be the key to how strong economic growth is...

INDONESIA'S ANNUAL MEDICINE SALES TOTAL US$1.6 BLN.
July 1, 2002... BANDUNG, W Java, July 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesia's medicine sales have an annual turnover of Rp15 trillion (around US$1.6 billion) and are the highest in Southeast Asia, the Indonesian Association of Pharmaceutical Companies said. "The...

TELSTRA TO UPGRADE TELECOMS IN RURAL AUSTRALIA.
July 1, 2002... CHARLEVILLE, QUEENSLAND, July 1 Asia Pulse - Telstra (ASX:TLS) will spend $A187 million ($US104.63 million) upgrading rural telecommunications over the next year which will provide almost every Australian with mobile telephone coverage. ...

INDONESIA TO CONSTRUCT 10 TOLL ROADS BY 2010.
July 1, 2002... JAKARTA, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Indonesian government plans to construct ten toll roads at a total cost of Rp 15.6 trillion (around US$1.64 billion)in Java, Sumatra, some parts of Kalimantan and Sulawesi islands by 2010, Minister of Settlement...

CHINESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JULY 1, 2002.
July 1, 2002... BEIJING, July 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: PEOPLE'S DAILY - President Jiang Zemin arrived Sunday at the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) for the fifth anniversary of the SAR and the inauguration of its...

AUSTRALIA'S BONLAC, NZ'S FONTERRA TO MERGE OPERATIONS.
July 1, 2002... SYDNEY, July 1 Asia Pulse - Australia's Bonlac Foods Ltd (ASX:BFL) and New Zealand's Fonterra Cooperative Group will merge their consumer food products operations in Australia and NZ. The two said the deal creates a powerful new...

MOTOROLA TO EXPAND MARKET IN CHINA.
July 1, 2002... BEIJING, July 1 Asia Pulse - Motorola will continue to expand its market share in China, with this year's sales of automobile-related and standard electronics predicted to rise by 25 per cent over last year, the company has announced. Last...

NUMBER OF FEMALE PART-TIME WORKERS ON THE RISE IN JAPAN.
July 1, 2002... TOKYO, July 1 Asia Pulse - A growing number of Japanese women are working on a part-time basis, many of them after losing their permanent jobs. In May, women working under employment contracts of more than a month and less than a year...

MALAYSIA STOPS IMPORTING WOOD FROM INDONESIA.
July 1, 2002... PONTIANAK, W Kalimantan, July 1 Asia Pulse - Malaysia stopped importing wood from Indonesia on June 24, following international pressure and the rejection of wood exports from that country by the international market. Indonesian Forestry...

VIETNAM AIRLINES OPENS THREE MORE INTNL AIR ROUTES IN 2002.
July 1, 2002... HANOI, July 1 Asia Pulse - Since the early part of this year, Vietnam Airlines has opened three more direct international air routes linking Ho Chi Minh City to Tokyo, Hanoi to Tokyo, and Ho Chi Minh City/Hanoi to Moscow. Vietnam Airlines'...

NETDIMENSIONS PROVIDES E-LEARNING SOLUTION TO VISA ASIA PACIFIC.
July 1, 2002... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) HONG KONG, June 28 /PRNewswire Asia-AsiaNet/ -- Visa Business School Asia Pacific uses the Enterprise Knowledge Platform to deliver training for staff at 687 member institutions ...

VIETNAM'S INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION VALUE UP IN H1.
July 1, 2002... HANOI, July 1 Asia Pulse - Vietnam's industrial sector attained a production value of 125.9 trillion VND (US$8.3 billion) in the first half of this year, a year-on-year increase of 13.9 per cent, according to the General Statistics Office. ...

VIETNAM HAS 263 FOREIGN INVESTED PROJECTS LICENSED IN SIX MONTHS.
July 1, 2002... HANOI, July 1 Asia Pulse - Vietnam attracted 263 foreign invested projects totally capitalized at US$473.5 million in the first half of this year. Though the number of projects increased 12.8 per cent year-on-year, the registered...

SHANGHAI VOLKSWAGEN TURNS OUT TWO MLN CARS.
July 1, 2002... SHANGHAI, July 1 Asia Pulse - Shanghai Volkswagen Corporation has just announced that it is now a full fledged automaker, after 18 years of operation and the production of two million cars. "The two million cars we have produced have put an...

AUSTRALIA'S BIOTECH GENETIC TO EXPAND IMMUNAID AIDS PROJECT.
July 1, 2002... MELBOURNE, July 1 Asia Pulse - Australia's Biotech Genetic Technologies Ltd (ASX:GTG) has announced plans to expand an AIDS research project acquired by its 60-per cent owned subsidiary Immunaid Pty Ltd. GTG said it was in talks with a...

CHINA SEEKS FOREIGN INVESTORS IN GOLD MINING.
July 1, 2002... YANTAI, Shandong, July 1 Asia Pulse - China would welcome foreign investment in its gold production, according to an official with the State Economic and Trade Commission (SETC). Cheng Fumin, head of a gold administrative bureau under the...

INDIA'S VSNL IN TALKS WITH LAWYERS ON WORLDCOM EXPOSURE.
July 1, 2002... NEW DELHI, July 1 Asia Pulse - Indian telecommunication major Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSE:VSNL) said that it is in touch with its American lawyers as it begins an assessment of its exposure to Worldcom, estimated at around Rs 5 billion...

CHINA'S 3RD COMMERCIAL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT TO BEGIN OPERATIONS.
July 1, 2002... GUANGZHOU, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong Province, south China, will soon become the third commercial nuclear power operating in China, as its owner the Guangdong Nuclear Power Group, has recently signed a...

CHINESE HOME APPLIANCE MAKERS EYE RUSSIAN MARKET.
July 1, 2002... HARBIN, July 1 Asia Pulse - Russia's growing electrical home appliances market has attracted more and more Chinese manufacturers to the annual Harbin Trade Fair. Among the exhibitors at this year's fair, the 13th so far, were such...

VIETNAM WORKS ON HIGH-QUALITY PLYWOOD FOR FURNITURE.
July 1, 2002... HANOI, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Vietnamese government is encouraging the development of high-quality plywood as an ecologically-sustainable material for furniture as part of efforts to plug the gap in supply and demand. The Vietnam Forestry...

INDIA'S ONGC PRE-PAYS US$506 MLN ADB LOAN TO BECOME DEBT FREE.
July 1, 2002... NEW DELHI, July 1 Asia Pulse - India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (BSE:ONGC) (ONGC) has pre-paid all of its US$506 million foreign currency loan to become a debt free company. "We have pre-paid the last of the foreign currency loan of...

WORLD BANK TENDER-CAMBODIA, DEMOBILIATION, REINTEGRATION PROJET.
July 1, 2002... *** Asia Pulse Tender *** ******************************************************** WORLD BANK INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES SERVICE PROCUREMENTS - JUNE 2002 ******************************************************** ...

VIETNAM MINISTRY URGES GREATER FOREIGN INVESTMENT INCENTIVES.
July 1, 2002... HANOI, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has urged the government to further attract foreign investment by putting in place appropriate measures. It called for practical measures to accelerate new investments...

INDIA'S SOUTHERN PETROCHEMICALS POSTS US$44.06 MLN FY LOSS.
July 1, 2002... CHENNAI, July 1 Asia Pulse - India's Southern Petrochemicals Industries Corporation Ltd (BSE:SPIC), currently reeling under a heavy debt burden, has reported a net loss of Rs 2.15 billion (US$44.06 million) for the year ending March 31,...

CHINA'S LONGNAN PREFECTURE TO START PROCESSING LEAD & ZINC ORES.
July 1, 2002... LANZHOU, July 1 Asia Pulse - Longnan Prefecture in China's northwestern Gansu Province has started refining and deep processing lead and zinc ores instead of just selling the raw materials. Statistics provided by the prefecture's...

STATISTICS - INDONESIA'S PULP INDUSTRY (1996-2001).
July 1, 2002... JAKARTA, July 1 Asia Pulse - The output and exports of Indonesia's pulp industry from 1996 to 2001: A. Production --------------------------- Year Production Growth ('000 tons) (%) ...

STATISTICS - INDONESIA'S UREA INDUSTRY (1996-2001).
July 1, 2002... JAKARTA, July 1 Asia Pulse - The output and exports of Indonesia's urea industry from 1996 to 2001: A. Production --------------------------- Year Production Growth ('000 tons) (%) ...

VIETNAM'S DA NANG PLANS TO BECOME CENTRAL HUB BY 2020.
July 1, 2002... HANOI, July 1 Asia Pulse - The city of Da Nang plans to become Vietnam's central economic hub for transport and education by 2020 through a newly-approved development master plan. The plan sees Da Nang becoming central Vietnam's most...

STOCKS - MALAYSIAN STOCKS DOWN IN MORNING TRADE - JULY 1, 2002.
July 1, 2002... KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Malaysian sharemarket was 0.5 per cent lower in mid-morning trade on profit-taking in selected bluechips, brokers said. At 11.39 a.m., the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Index shed 3.25 points...

INDIA'S WIPRO PLANS TO OPEN MARKETING OFFICE IN CHINA.
July 1, 2002... NEW DELHI, July 1 Asia Pulse - Indian IT major Wipro Ltd (BSE:WIPR) said it is planning to set up a marketing office in China within the next year, and will also establish a software development centre in France in the near future. Wipro,...

CHINA ISSUES REGULATION TO PROTECT CITIZENS WORKING ABROAD.
July 1, 2002... BEIJING, July 1 Asia Pulse - Chinese citizens planning to work abroad must sign labor contracts with their overseas employers before leaving the country under a new law. The Regulation on Intermediary Organs Specializing in Overseas...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR DOWN AT NOON - JULY 1, 2002.
July 1, 2002... SYDNEY, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar was softer to noon, with local market participants selling the domestic currency. At 1200 AEST, the Australian dollar bought $US0.5613/18 compared with 0.5642/47 at Friday's close. The...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN STOCKS DOWN AT NOON - JULY 1, 2002.
July 1, 2002... MELBOURNE, July 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian sharemarket had slipped into negative territory by noon, as falls in gold, banks and financial services stocks proving too great for a rally in market giant News Corp. Shares in Telstra Corp...