In Brief
Phone regulator appeals reversal of fine for Vodafone Greece’s telecommunications regulator appealed against a court decision that reverses a 1-million-euro fine imposed by the watchdog on Vodafone’s Greek unit. The regulator also plans to appeal against court decisions reversing fines imposed on cellular operators Cosmote and TIM Hellas, which is now called Wind Hellas, according to an e-mailed statement from the National Telecommunications and Post Commission. The regulator fined the companies, the country’s three biggest mobile-phone operators, 1 million euros each in March 2006 for breaching competition rules linked to text messages. The three breached regulations when they simultaneously raised prices for short text messages in 2005, the watchdog said. (Bloomberg) PPC workers call for resignations Striking workers of the Public Power Corporation (PPC) yesterday called for the «immediate removal» of the corporation’s CEO, Takis Athanassopoulos, board member Costas Michalos and all those who during the ongoing strike have exceeded their role, acting on (the government’s) orders.» Earlier, an Athens court forbade any future repetition of recent strikes without the preconditions specified by law, that is, the existence of adequate skeleton staff and four days’ prior notification to the employer and the government. Belgrade bridge Serbia yesterday picked Austria’s Porr AG as the best bidder in a tender for the construction of a 929-meter-long bridge in Belgrade, the first in the Serbian capital in 37 years. Porr won over France’s Bouygues Travaux Publics, Italy’s Grandi Lavori Fincosit, Max Boegl of Germany and Russia’s Mostotrest. «The design and construction of the bridge will cost a net 118.64 million euros, plus 5 percent for possible unforeseen cost,» the Belgrade Land Development Agency said in a statement. (Reuters) Bulgarian growth Bulgaria’s economy grew by a preliminary 6.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007, up from 6.2 percent a year ago and 4.9 percent in the third quarter of 2007, statistics office data showed yesterday. Full-year growth in the Balkan country stood at a preliminary 6.2 percent, slightly down from 6.3 percent in 2006. The government sees economic growth staying healthy and above 6 percent over the next three years, despite tighter global credit conditions. (Reuters) Ericsson wins Wind order Ericsson, the world’s largest maker of wireless networks, won an order from Greek telecom operator Wind Hellas. Ericsson will provide network design and system integration, and supply equipment to Wind Hellas, the Stockholm-based company said yesterday in a statement. (Bloomberg)
