BIZ BRIEFS

Accord to reform customs

KATHMANDU: An agreement was reached between the governments of Nepal and the People’s Republic of China on April 28 on making mobile container scan/vehicle x-ray inspection system available at Birgunj customs within a year. The agreement was signed by the director general of the customs department Krishna Hari Banskota and the Economic and Commercial Attaché at the Chinese embassy on behalf of their respective governments. Under the agreement a 32 tonne x-ray machine (11.4 by 2.4 by 4.2 metre) will be made available.Training will be available to six persons. — RSS

Reforming public service

KATHMANDU: If politicians, buerocrats and other power elits in Nepal could internalise and put into action plans regarding development and progress of the country in connection with good governance then there will be no problems achieve the objectives of public service reform, said Dr Madhu Nidhi Tiwari. Tiwari was presenting a paper at the seminar ‘Public Service Reforms’ organised by Management Association of Nepal (MAN) and supported by Enabling State Programme Nepal. The programme was chaired by Dr Arzu Rana Deuba, president of MAN. Rajendra Kumar Khetan industrialist, Bishnu Bahadur Karki former auditor general and Dipendra Purush Dhakal former governor also were present during the programme. — HNS

Euro-zone inflation jumps

BRUSSELS: The euro-zone’s annual inflation went above the European Central Bank’s target in April for the first time this year, rising to two per cent from 1.7 per cent in March, a preliminary estimate by European Union showed on Friday. The figure was slightly above the central bank’s definition of price stability as ‘close to, but below’ 2 per cent — probably lessening chances for any quick cut in interest rates. — AP

Google files for its IPO

SAN FRANCISCO: Internet search engine leader Google Inc filed its long-awaited IPO plans on Thursday, setting the stage for the company to make its stock market debut — a move that could still be months away. Without specifying a price per share, Google said it hopes to raise $2.7 billion with an initial public offering that’s created the biggest high-tech buzz since the dot-com bubble burst four years ago. — AP

US economy up by 4.2pc

WASHINGTON: The US economy grew at a 4.2 per cent annual pace in the first quarter of 2004, the government said on Thursday in a report that disappointed some but also showed creeping inflationary pressures. Gross domestic product — total economic output — barely picked up from a 4.1 per cent growth pace in the last quarter of 2003, the Commerce Department said. — AFP