BIZ BRIEFS

Functional industries

HETAUDA: Altogether 42 industries at the Hetauda Industrial Estate are operational at present, according to the management of the industrial estate. Earlier, 12 industries including the Hetauda Textile Factory, Nepal Synthetic Textile, Unique Packaging, Koala Plastic, Everest Food and Narayani Animal Feed Industry were closed due to financial crisis. About 15,000 people are said to have been directly or indirectly benefited by the industries that have been currently functioning. — RSS

Shortage of coins felt

DHANGADHI: Mid-western development region is facing a shortage of coins for long. People here complain that they are facing hard time carrying out their daily businesses following the shortage of coins and currency of less value as their circulation has been halted by Nepal Rastra Bank in Dhangadhi. — RSS

Inflation up in Taiwan

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s inflation rate picked up sharply in May on the back of higher food and oil prices. It said the consumer price index (CPI) in May rose by 2.30 per cent year-on-year and 0.21 per cent month-on-month after gains of 1.61 per cent and 0.15 per cent in April. The May core price index, which excludes prices of fresh vegetable/fruit, fishery products and energy, was up by 0.56 per cent from a year earlier. — AFP

CAH plans expansion

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s second-largest banking group, Commerce Asset-Holding (CAH), announced a sweeping restructuring plan as it prepares to become a regional player with a major offshore expansion. The new expanded group will have combined assets of about $26.3 billion. Under the restructuring scheme, a new unit, CIMB Newco, will acquire Commerce Asset-Holding’s wholly owned Bank Bumiputra-Commerce Bank as well as publicly-listed investment house CIMB Bhd which will be de-listed from Malaysia’s bourse. — AFP