MBL to give bonus

KATHMANDU: Machhapuchhre Bank Ltd (MBL) has proposed to give 15 per cent bonus share to its shareholders from the profit earned by the bank during the fiscal year 2005-06. The bank registered a net profit of Rs 134 million, up by 58 per cent compared to the previous fiscal. MBL, so far, has collected deposit of Rs 7.89 billion and made investment of Rs 6.15 billion and its non-performing loan stands at 0.28 per cent, states a press release. — HNS

Ace Finance shifts

KATHMANDU: Ace Finance Ltd on Wednesday shifted to its own corporate building at Narayanchour, Naxal. Bijayanath Bhattarai, NRB governor inaugurated the new corporate office building built on two-ropani land. A total of Rs 47 million has been spent on land and construction of the building, according to the finance company. The building is equipped with high-tech security features and Wi-Fi connectivity. — HNS

Jobless rate dips

SYDNEY: Australia’s labour market remains tight despite a rash of vanishing vacancies, economists said on Thursday, as official data showed the jobless rate fell to a fresh 30-year low in October. The Australian Bureau of Statistics said the jobless rate slipped a seasonally adjusted 0.1 points to 4.6 per cent, surprising the market, which had predicted a result of 4.8 per cent. However, the number of jobs in the economy also decreased 32,100 to 10.26 million, compared with consensus forecasts of a 7,500 rise. — AFP

Uruguay to repay debt

MONTEVIDEO: Uruguay said it will repay $1.08 billion in debt with the IMF ahead of schedule thanks to the country’s strong recovery from a 2002 economic meltdown. Economy Minister said Uruguay is repaying the debt it took on in a June 2005 standby agreement with the IMF. The accord was set to expire in 2008 and he said Uruguay is canceling its 2006 and 2007 obligations early. — AP