In Brief
Jobless cut beyond target for 2001 Greek unemployment rose to 10.9 percent in the last quarter of 2001 from 10.0 percent in the previous quarter, bringing the average for the year to 10.5 percent, the National Statistics Service (NSS) said yesterday. The figure beats an earlier Greek target of 10.9 percent for unemployment in 2001. NSS said the figure confirmed a downward trend, as the rate fell from an annual average of 11.1 percent in 2000 and 11.9 percent in 1999. Unemployment among women came to an annual average of 15.6 percent, versus 7.0 percent for men, NSS said, with the unemployment rate highest in northwestern and central Greece and lowest in the northern Aegean and on the island of Crete.NSS noted again that the figures «seriously» underestimated the number of foreigners working in Greece, due to the lack of reliable figures. It said it expected a fuller picture on the number of immigrant workers in Greece once the 2001 census was released. (Reuters) Infoquest gets OTE network access Greece’s would-be fourth mobile operator Infoquest took a further step toward launch of its telecoms services later this year, signing an interconnection agreement with dominant fixed-line operator OTE Telecom. Infoquest, one of Greece’s leading info-tech firms, said in a statement late on Thursday it had signed an agreement with OTE that would give it access to the telecoms operator’s network in Athens and Thessaloniki at the initial stage. The agreement will allow callers to use OTE’s fixed network to reach Infoquest’s mobile network. Infoquest plans a commercial launch of fixed and mobile services in the second quarter of 2002. (Reuters) Cyprus Airways The government should cut its stake in Cyprus Airways before deregulation of European routes starts next year, or the state-controlled airline will not be able to compete, the carrier’s chairman warned. The airline is not ready to handle a European-directed deregulation of air transport which comes into effect on January 1, 2003, said Chairman Haris Loizides in an interview with Reuters late on Thursday. «What I have requested from government officials is that, if they want to open up the skies of Cyprus, they should at the same time make sure Cyprus Airways is given a free hand to compete on the same basis as the private companies.» «The only way to do that is to privatize Cyprus Airways.» (Reuters) Chinese-Greek cooperation China and Greece yesterday signed a memorandum of cooperation in olive-tree cultivation and forestry. The memorandum was signed by Deputy Agriculture Minister Fotis Hatzimichalis and the Chairman of the Chinese Forestry Academy Zhen Jianguo, who is heading an 11-member visiting delegation. The scheme includes a reference to the need to maintain biodiversity and develop appropriate technologies. The Enron scandal seems to have sparked a big debate among analysts regarding the quality of profits. Huge sums of investment and goodwill were written off in 2001, reducing profits per share, principally among new technology and telecom companies. The Enron scandal seems to have sparked a big debate among analysts regarding the quality of profits. Huge sums of investment and goodwill were written off in 2001, reducing profits per share, principally among new technology and telecom companies. The Enron scandal seems to have sparked a big debate among analysts regarding the quality of profits. Huge sums of investment and goodwill were written off in 2001, reducing profits per share, principally among new technology and telecom companies.
