Thai inflation eases

BANGKOK: Thailand’s inflation rate in December eased to 5.8 per cent from 5.9 per cent in November for a second consecutive monthly fall as food prices turned lower. For the year, inflation was 4.5 per cent in 2005, up from 2.7 per cent in 2004, driven mainly by high oil prices. Core inflation, excluding volatile food and energy costs, was 1.6 per cent for the year. Inflation hit a peak of 6.2 per cent in October, the highest level since 1997 Asian financial crisis. — AFP

Trade surplus falls

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s trade surplus fell by 17.4 per cent in November to $2.31 billion from a revised surplus of 10.52 billion in October. The November figure was up by 45.3 per cent from a year earlier, marking the 97th consecutive monthly surplus since November 1997. Exports in November fell by 12.5 per cent month-on-month but were up by 11.19 per cent from a year earlier. MITI attributed the lower exports in November to the reduced number of working days due to festivals and public holidays in the month. — AFP

Accounts seized

SEOUL: Prosecutors said they have seized accounting records of some Samsung Group affiliates in a probe of allegations of irregularities in the transfer of wealth from the group’s owner to his son. Investigators said they had also examined bank accounts held by the group owner, Lee Kun-Hee, to check whether personal assets had been transferred to his son and three daughters. Samsung Group did not wanted to comment. — AFP

No rate hike in US

WASHINGTON: The Federal Reserve’s long-running campaign of rate hikes is approaching its end, minutes of the US central bank’s December meeting indicated. The minutes noted that at the December 13 meeting, Fed decision-makers agreed that ‘some further measured policy firming’ would be needed to keep inflationary pressure in check. But while future policy action will depend on incoming data, most Fed members believe that ‘the number of additional firming steps required probably would not be large’. — AFP

Japan’s economy good

TOKYO: Japan’s major companies have an increasingly optimistic outlook about the country’s economy and believe the upbeat momentum will continue. Of the 123 major firms polled by the Sankei Shimbun, 119 companies or 97 per cent, indicated that the Japanese economy was improving. The figure was sharply higher than the less than 50 per cent who gave optimistic responses in the same survey in May. Roughly 70 per cent of the firms in the Sankei poll said they believed the current growth trend would continue at least through this year. — AFP

Proton to sell Wira

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s national carmaker Proton plans to begin assembling and selling its medium-sized Wira model in Indonesia early this year in a fresh attempt to bolster falling sales. Most of the Indonesian-assembled Wira cars will be used as taxis in Indonesia. Proton’s Indonesian unit, PT Proton Edar Indonesia, was holding negotiations with some 10 taxi operators in the capital Jakarta and Makassar. — AFP

New candy in market

KATHMANDU: Lord Shiva and Confectionary Pvt Ltd has started distribution of candy- CandyMan in the market, according to a press release issued here today. The gum filled candy is the first of its kind in Nepal with a fixed price of Rs 1 per piece. — HNS

Training concludes

BHAKTAPUR: Small and medium scale industrialists were trained on advantages and challenges they will face after entering the WTO regime, at a two-day long training programme organised by South Asia Watch and Trade Economics and Environment and Bhaktapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry on January 3-4, states a press release. Speaking at the closing programme, Yubak Rajbhandari, president of BCCI said, “BCCI is always open to help industrialists regarding the WTO.” — HNS

Beltronix bags ISO

KATHMANDU: Beltronix Industry has won the ISO 9001:2000 certificate for manufacturing, sales and service of its branded computer, the Beltronix Business Machine (BBM), Beltronix PC, according to a press release issued here today. The BBM offers one-year parts replacement guarantee and two years service warrantly. — HNS