The Independent, 24/1/01
Front page:
* Broking firm Merrill Lynch subject of speculation that it is about to quit NZ;
* People's Bank may founder if Labour doesn't support capitalising it;
* Government questions merits of dairy mega-merger;
* Court battle looms over control of non-toxic weed-killing company, Waipuna International, involving its former
chairman and former National Party president Geoff Thompson;
Elsewhere in the paper:
* NZIER quarterly survey of business opinion shows big surge in confidence;
* Enza's hopes of recovering anything from a disastrous joint venture with Chiquita in Chile - write-offs already at $17
million - look remote as Chiquita faces possible bankruptcy;
* Rocom Wireless says the NZSE's New Capital Market was more costly and cumbersome than expected. The NZSE says it is
looking at how to improve it. Rocom spent $300-400K to raise $2 million;
* publishers of Netguide take newcomer Net Magazine to court alleging that Net Mag looks too much like theirs;
* Savoy Equities - the remnant of the failed Britomart development whose principal, Jihong Lu, was declared bankrupt
late last year - has cut permanent staff from 30 to 2;
* high-fashion magazine Flash folds after three issues;
* E-loan down to three staff after merger with The Warehouse. Started with 15;
* Clear Communications determined that Zfree will eventually pay its way.
ends