In Brief
Intracom says it has OTE contract with Motorola Telecoms equipment maker Intracom said yesterday it and Motorola had received an 8-million-euro contract to extend fixed-line operator OTE’s secure digital mobile radio communications system. Intracom said the project called for the procurement, installation and turnkey delivery of TETRA equipment for OTE’s OTElink network in Attica and expansion to the Greek cities of Patras, Thessaloniki and the island of Crete. It will also cover the expansion of coverage for Olympic Airways at the Athens International Airport. TETRA stands for terrestrial trunked radio. It is a system for secure digital mobile radio communications by public safety officials. (Reuters) Greek men top self-employed in retail The retail trade sector in Greece has comparatively more self-employed men than that of any other EU country, with 60.2 percent, and the second lowest percentage of women employed in it, with 46.7 percent, according to Eurostat. Italy comes second and last respectively, with 58.9 and 45.6 percent. The UK and Denmark have the lowest percentages of independent retailers, with 11.9 and 12.2 percent, respectively. Greece also has a higher percentage of people employed full time in retailing, with 94.9 percent, when the EU average is 70.1 percent. Labor Minister Dimitris Reppas said yesterday women represent 32.6 percent of the Greek workforce, while the unemployment rate among them is 12.9 percent, compared to 4.7 percent for men. Power importation The Electric Energy Transportation System Managerial Authority (DESMHE) yesterday signed a contract with Atel Hellas for the use of the country’s northern grid to import 40 MW of power in 2002. According to DESMHE, the contract – the first of its kind – is the first step in the implementation of power market deregulation and is the result of a public tender. It is to be followed by three further contracts with other importers. Attica sells Superfasts Ferry operator Attica Enterprises said yesterday it has agreed with the Australian state government of Tasmania and shipping company TT-Line Pty Ltd to sell two of its Superfast ferries for an undisclosed amount. Superfast III and Superfast IV ferries will be used in the Bass Strait, which links Tasmania to the Australian mainland. (Reuters) Social benefits The Finance Ministry is proposing to spend 182 million euros on supplementary benefits to the long-term unemployed aged 45-65, poor households in remote areas and low-income families with school-age children. The proposal, part of the National Action Plan for social integration, is included in a draft bill. Bond market down from January The value of bonds traded on the electronic secondary market in February totaled 37 billion euros, against 15 million a year earlier, and 42 million in January. Interest was strongest for three- and seven-year durations.
