Take advantage
of new banks,
DC tells traders
RESIDENTS have been urged to
take advantage of the increase in
number of commercial banks in
Busia and borrow loans to en-
able them engage in productive
activities.
"We should seize this opp |
BUSINESS
TIPS OF THE DAY
Preparing for change
. Examine your corporate culture to dis-
cover any impediments to change. Some
traditions and practices may need to be
revamped to meet new needs.
. Keep talking about c |
Shilling weakens against dollar
THE KENYA shilling weakened
slightly against the dollar yes-
terday in thin trade, and traders
forecast it would remain trapped
in a range for the remainder of the
session.
At 0845 GMT, comme |
TELKOM KENYA
LAUNCHES NEW
SERVICE BRAND
TELKOM Kenya yesterday came
up roaring in the telecommuni-
cation market with the launch
of the Orange Business Services
brand.
The service is targeted at
businesses and enterprenuers
and wi |
East African cables posts low profits
EAST AFRICAN Cables posted
lower Q1 profit yesterday and
said future growth would be
dependent on regional power
expansion.
The cable maker said pretax
profit for the first quarter fell
19 perc |
G8 ministers
to meet on
food security
and supply
FOOD security and boosting
global agricultural output to
stamp out hunger will top the
agenda of the first ever meeting
of farm ministers from major
industrialised and developing
nations this we |
Zimbabwe
grain output
to fall in 2009
ZIMBABWE'S maize output
is expected to fall to 396,250
tonnes during the 2008/09
season compared with 417,000
tonnes in the 2007/08 season,
the Commercial Farmers' Un-
ion of Zimbabwe (CFU) said |
CARMAKERS VIE FOR CHINA
SALES AMID GLOBAL SLUMP
CARMAKERS are cut-
ting any costs they can
these days, but China
is one place where they
won't be skimping as
they battle for custom-
ers in one of the world's
few remaining growth
markets.
|
Fewer people now
taking long-haul
business journeys
AIRLINES worldwide filled 21
per cent fewer executive class
seats in February than the
same month a year ago as fewer
people took long-haul business
trips, industry group IATA said
yesterday.
|
KenGen to
meet local
power need
in two years
POWER producer KenGen has
said it will be able to meet the
country's electricity needs in
two years.
This follows the recent
launch of construction works of
the second phase of the Sondu
Mir |
Bank opens
new branch
FIRST Community Bank, a
fully-fledged Islamic bank, has
opened a branch in Kisumu.
This brings to seven the
number of branches it has
opened since commencing op-
erations in June last year.
|
BOOK BED AND
BREAKFAST...
CATCH A VIRUS
There has been a huge in-
crease in the number of viruses
and worms, also called "mali-
cious code," on the Web with
624,267 identified in 2007
compared with 1.6 million last
year, according to |
Angola eyes onshore oil search
ANGOLA state-owned oil com-
pany Sonangol is mulling a re-
turn to onshore oil exploration
despite the global financial cri-
sis, the head of exploration for
Sonangol, Severino Cardoso,
said yes |
Shilling stable but likely to weaken
THE KENYA shilling was stable
against the dollar yesterday
but is expected to weaken
marginally in coming days on
corporate activity as players
eye political risk in East Africa's
largest econom |
BUSINESS
TIPS OF THE DAY
Leasing equipment
. Keep in mind that leasing equipment
instead of buying it can help you man-
age your company without tying up funds
needed for working capital.
. Use leasing to help you |
EMPLOYERS NOW CREATE
OWN 'FACEBOOK' AT WORK
MORE employers who are
worrying about workers
spending too much time
on Facebook are finding
that social networking
tools can have a useful
role in the workplace.
That notion is fueling a ri |
Britain taken to task over privacy
THE European Commission
started legal action against
Britain yesterday for what
the EU executive called a
failure to keep people's on-
line details confidential.
EU Telecoms Commis-
sioner |
Global
advertising
spending to
drop by 7pc
GLOBAL advertising spending
is set to fall 6.9 per cent this
year to $453 billion, a media
agency has said, cutting a previ-
ous forecast.
The Internet the only me-
dium to attract higher exp |
China seeks to
ease S Korean
concerns
CHINA yesterday sought to
ease concern in South Korea
about China's rise as a global
economic power, saying its de-
velopment was an opportunity
rather than a threat.
South Korea said on Mon- |
Dell set to launch
new smartphones
DELL, the world's No.2 PC
brand, plans to enter the lucra-
tive but crowded smartphone
market by year-end with an ini-
tial rollout in China as it looks
for new revenue sources, two
analysts sai |
Coast hotels
benefit from
local visitors
in spite of
hard times
THOUSANDS of Kenyans from
Nairobi and upcountry flocked
the Coast for Easter holidays,
boosting the local tourism in-
dustry.
Hoteliers in Mombasa said
bed occupancy from the domes-
tic tour |
GRAFT, TAX REGIME
STOP YOUTH FROM
DOING BUSINESS
YOUNG people intend-
ing to start up a business
should expect to grease
the hands of those meant
to facilitate them, a
Steadman Survey report
released this week can
reveal.
The Business Lea |
TOP RETAILERS
HOPE TO GET
GOOD RESULTS
DESPITE THE
BAD ECONOMY
RETAILERS targeting
young people are beat-
ing the hard economic
times, with some posting
better - t han - expected
results.
US retailers that cater to
young people ended up at t |
Financial crisis speeds up publishing
THE financial crisis is
happening so fast that
books about it can be
outdated before they hit
the shelves.
Some US publishers and au-
thors are responding by bring-
ing books to market faste |
BUSINESS
TIPS OF THE DAY
Developing policies
. Think ahead. Establish policies before
you need them. Doing so helps avert crises
and awkward situations, and helps solve
problems before they arise.
. Determine wh |
Nintendo console loses stream in Japan
NINTENDO Co Ltd said sales
of its Wii game console have
lost some steam in Japan, but
it aims to boost demand again
by launching a new version of
its blockbuster "Wii Sports"
software in June.
|
France rejects anti-piracy Bill
FRANCE'S parliament rejected a
Bill on Thursday that proposed
disconnecting Internet users if
they download music or films
illegally, with the ruling UMP
party failing to turn out in
force to ap |
EBay buys rival's stake
EBAY Inc has agreed to buy a
controlling stake in South Ko-
rean online retailer Gmarket Inc
for $413 million (Sh33 billion),
at a 32.5 per cent premium,
news service eDaily reported
yesterday.
|
Phone users snub
mobile banking
over security fears
BANKS and cellphone compa-
nies have a long way to go to
persuade US consumers to use
their cellphones for banking, as
many worry about security and
extra fees and others are not
even aware they |
AGENTS REMAIN OPTIMISTIC
DESPITE GLOBAL RECESSION
THE recession is biting,
but relentless promot-
ers are insisting that the
party is still on.
With the summer music
festival season just around the
corner, leading international
festival pro |
Japan eyes
economic
stimulus
from comics
JAPAN'S manga-loving prime
minister, Taro Aso, has long
touted the importance of "soft
power" content such as comics
and anime to boost Japan's glo-
bal diplomatic status.
Now he's targeting |
Microsoft,
Yahoo talking
on search deal
THE chief executives of Micro-
soft Corp and Yahoo Inc met
last week to discuss potential
partnerships between the
companies' Internet search
and advertising operations, the
technology bl |
INNOVATIVE WAY TO
MINT THAT MILLION
YOU HAVE probably
passed by the kiosks and
could not resist the urge
to sit and have a taste
of the yummy fruits, or
maybe just drooled and
hurried away for fear of
temptation.
|
Unite and work together, youth told
THE YOUTH have been asked
to remain peaceful and venture
together in business regardless of
their religious or tribal affilia-
tion. The Council of Imams and
Preachers of Kenya organising
secret |
BUSINESS TIPS OF THE DAY
For success
. Be When starting a business always
chose the location wisely. The right loca-
tion ensures you never lack clients since
they need your service.
. Start small, look for a bus |
End in sight for electric power hitches
SMALL and medium size
entrepreneurs have a need to
adapt to new technology that
avoids power-related problems.
This will help them to save
their data and equipment from
getting damaged. Regional |
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
CRISIS, STATES TOLD
WORLD BANK Vice President for Africa
Obiageli Ezekwesili has challenged coun-
tries to use the global economic downturn
as an opportunity to rapidly transform
their economies through diversifying
|
KRA fails to meet target
KENYA'S revenue collections
in the first nine months of the
current 2008/09 financial year,
came in at Sh340.8 billion, 4
percent below its Sh354.8 bil-
lion target, the tax authority
said.
|
Don't set cane prices,
KSB urges millers
SUGAR millers in the country
have been barred from setting
cane price without reference
to the industry statutory com-
mittee.
The Kenya Sugar Board (KSB)
said all the factories should pay
f |
Solar-powered cooker
wins Sh6m prize in
climate competition
A $6 (Sh480) cardboard box
that uses solar power to cook
food, sterilise water has won a
$75,000 prize for ideas to fight
global warming.
The "Kyoto Box," named after
the United Nations' Kyot |
Mountain
of money
|
Motorists
receive cash to
scrap old cars
JAPAN is set to pass legislation
to encourage consumers to buy
new cars as part of a $154 billion
(Sh12.3 trillion) economic stim-
ulus package, including $2,500
(Sh200,000) in cash incentives
f |
JOBSEEKERS GET SURGERY
TO LOOK MORE YOUTHFUL
WHEN the going gets
tough, some of the tough
get going to the plastic
surgeon's office.
Some surgeons and patients in
the US are now citing increased
interest in surgery among peo-
ple wanti |
CMA to play bigger role as watchdog
THE CAPITAL Market Author-
ity yesterday pitched a bigger as
a stock market watchdog.
CMA is now signatory to
the International Organisation
of Securities Commissions
(IOSCO).
CMA chief e |
Political jitters reflect on falling shilling
THE KENYA shilling slid
against the dollar yesterday,
weighed down by banks cover-
ing short positions in the wake
of renewed political jitters.
At 10.30am, commercial
banks quoted the unit a |
Apple hopes prices
will boost sales
APPLE Inc and major music la-
bels are betting that the launch
of three-tier pricing at the
iTunes Music Store will boost
music sales with a new mix of
song-based packages and give
consumers mor |
KEBS MOVES TO
ENSURE SAFETY
OF CONSUMERS
THE KENYA Bureau of
Standards (Kebs) has
stepped up its fight
against counterfeit goods
by organising impromptu
visits to major outlets to
ckeck for the standardi-
sation mark.
Rift Valley |
CFC Bank
opens new
branch in
busy town
CFC STANBIC Bank yesterday
spread it wings to Nakuru with
the opening of its branch with-
in the town's central business
district along Kenyatta Avenue.
The financial institution is
the lates |
Sweet relief in
cane pay pledge
AGRICULTURE Minister Wil-
liam Ruto, through Kenya Sugar
Board, is set to get Sh500 mil-
lion from the Treasury to bail
out hundreds of farmers who
are yet to be paid for cane deliv-
eries to Mu |
A QUARTER OF WORLD FIRMS
SET TO FREEZE PAY: SURVEY
A QUARTER of the world's com-
panies plan to freeze salaries this
year, a global survey shows.
However, employees in
South America and India can
look forward to robust rises, the
repor |
Yahoo seeks more partnerships in fresh bid
to beat competitors in digital music market
YAHOO Inc is partnering with
other online music providers
as the Internet giant tries a
fresh approach to getting an
edge in the evolving digital
music business.
The new version of Yahoo
Mus |
BUSINESS
TIPS OF THE DAY
Preparing for change
. Keep talking about change so that em-
ployees think in terms of change and help
make it happen.
. Make expectations clear. Key employees
should know that embracing c |
Minister says
recession
might not
be a surprise
SOUTH African Reserve Bank
Governor Tito Mboweni said
yesterday he "might not be sur-
prised" to see another quarter of
negative growth, which would
send Africa's biggest economy
into recession. |
China stimulus to
sustain region,
says World Bank
THE developing economies of
East Asia and the Pacific face
slowing growth this year but
the region will remain the
world's fastest-growing because
of the impact of China's multi-
billion dollar |
Researchers unveil high-yield tea
THE TEA Research Foundation
of Kenya has released a new tea
variety that can fetch more
revenue than the ordinary
black tea.
The TRFK 306/1 purple tea, as
its known, had its experimental
pha |
COOKER USES TRASH
TO FEED SLUM'S POOR
KENYA'S huge and
squalid slums don't have
much of anything, except
mountains of trash that
fill rivers and muddy
streets, breeding dis-
ease.
Now local designers have
built |
Single East African tourist visa sought
THE FAST-TRACKING of a
single tourist visa for the East
African Community maybe the
answer for a tourism sector that
is inclined towards the regional
market.
But this dream is still way
to c |
BUSINESS
TIPS OF THE DAY
. Examine your corporate culture to dis-
cover any impediments to change. Some
traditions and practices may need to be re-
vamped to meet new needs.
. Keep talking about change so that employ |
Newspaper mogul says papers should start
charging readers to access news on the Web
RUPERT Murdoch, whose media com-
pany News Corp owns one of the few
US newspapers that makes people pay
to read its news on the Web, said more
papers will have to start doing the same
to survive. |
POVERTY, AFFLUENCE ARE
THE TWO FACES OF CHINA
IS China big fish or a
small one in the economic
pond? That's the question
that economists are grap-
pling with as the two faces
of the emerging power-
house play out.
Success in winning Chi |
US jobless
rate hits
25-year
high: report
THE US unemployment rate
soared to 8.5 per cent last
month, a 25-year high, as em-
ployers slashed jobs and cut
workers' hours to the lowest
level on record, the government
said.
In a report |
Giant miner's
copper smelter
partially burnt
ZAMBIA'S Nchanga copper
smelter, owned by the country's
largest copper mine, was par-
tially burnt, but it was not im-
mediately clear if there was any
impact on production, a mine
official said |
Sony PS3 outsells
Nintendo Wii game
SONY'S PlayStation 3 outsold
Nintendo's Wii in March for
the first time in 16 months in
Japan, thanks to hot new PS3
titles from Sega Sammy and
Capcom, a game magazine pub-
lisher said.
Vide |
