Business News
Radiokomunikace deal sets new record for purchase of private company
A group of foreign investors led by Lehman Brothers has bought the Czech
telecoms and transmissions company Radiokomunikace, which owns almost 40
percent of the Czech branch of mobile operator T-Mobile. The price, over
1.5 billion USD, is a record for the purchase of a private company in this
country; it has also been described as the biggest acquisition of its kind
in Central Europe. Lehman Brothers, Mid Europa Partners and Al-Bateen
Investment have bought Radiokomunikace from the Altima unit of the Dutch
company Bivideon.
Press: Skodaexport to be sold off
The strategically important state company Skodaexport is to be put up for
sale, according to Mlada fronta Dnes. Skodaexport has in the past built
power plants in China and Turkey and is preparing to build others in India
and Pakistan.
Skoda Auto produces half million vehicles in one year for first time
Roomster
Skoda Auto, meanwhile, has produced its 500,000th car this year - the
first time the half-million barrier has been broken in the firm's 100-year
history. The vehicle was a Roomster. A spokesperson said Skoda Auto was
hoping to produce a total of 530,000 cars this year. In the January to
November period the company reached record sales in 20 countries,
including Germany, France and Russia.
Minister doubts ability of Kapsch to launch truck toll system on time
Photo: CTK
The transport minister, Ales Rebicek, has cast doubt on the ability of the
Austrian company Kapsch to launch on January 1 an electronic toll system
for trucks on Czech roads. However, the firm's chairman, Georg Kapsch said
the only thing that could delay the toll's introduction was interference on
the part of rivals who bid unsuccessfully in the tender; the company blames
delays in the planned launch of the system on proceedings undertaken by the
Czech anti-trust office following appeals by failed bidders.
Hyundai does "historic" deal with environmentalists
Photo: CTK
The car maker Hyundai has struck a deal with environmental groups and
government agencies aimed at ending legal disputes surrounding the
building of a huge new plant in north Moravia - the South Korean giant's
first factory in Europe. One element of the deal is the halting of plans
to construct two business parks in the region - Czech environmentalists
have hailed it as an historic victory.
Average Czech to spend 8,000 crowns this Christmas, survey suggests
The average Czech is planning to spend nearly 8,000 CZK (370 USD) on
Christmas presents this year; that's according to a poll carried out by
the Respond and Co. agency in October. Forty percent of the survey's 921
respondents said they would spend more than last year; the same percentage
said they would lay out the same amount as in 2005.
