Current account

PARIS: The French current account deficit widened by 7.9 per cent in November to 4.106 billion euros from October. The current account shortfall in the first 11 months of the year surged to 30.5 billion euros from 7.5 billion in the same period of 2004. The current account is a broad measure, covering trade in goods and services as well as certain financial transfers. — AFP

Kia sets record in EU

SEOUL: Kia Motors Corp continues its record breaking growth in the Western European market. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) ‘2005 New Passenger Car Registrations,’ Kia achieved 39 per cent year-on-year sales growth with 230,743 units sold in 15 EU member countries in 2005, thereby cementing its position as the fastest growing automaker in the Western European market for three years in a row. It was the region’s fastest growing automaker in both 2003 and 2004, with impressive year-on-year sales growth. — HNS

CSR meet in Kolkata

KATHMANDU: Suraj Baidya, chair person of Employers’ Council (EC), FNCCI and Badri Prasad Ojha, director general of the council is representing Nepal at a meeting on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) being organised in Kolkata on Thursday. Rrepresentatives from SAARC countries are taking part in the meet. — HNS

HAN’s reaction

KATHMANDU: Handicraft Association of Nepal (HAN) has welcomed the barter trade as a positive note of the fiscal ordinance. Meanwhile HAN has also condemned the government disparity over the pashmina industry. The government’s decision to decrease custom duty over raw materials of carpet industry and discard the necessity for pashmina industry is not justifiable, states a release. — HNS

Low quality honey

CHITWAN: Farmers have said that the market of Nepali honey has been affected by the low quality honey imported from India. “Some 800 metric tonnes of honey worth Rs 2 million do not get market annually,” said the Nepal Bee-Keeping Farmers Association. Dhrubatara Lamichhane, president of the association, said, “multinational companies in Nepal are selling low quality honey which they could not sell in the international market.” — RSS