Car sales surge August new car sales, benefiting from renewed demand by the car rental=20 sector and recently introduced competitively priced small cars, rose to 20=
969 units. This is 24,8 percent up on the 16 805 units sold during the same=
month last year. Sales of new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and=20 minibuses rose to 11 600 units, 42,4 percent more than the 8 144 units sold=
in August last year. Medium commercial vehicle sales increased 15,3=20 percent and heavy trucks and buses rose by 26,4 percent over the previous=
SA slides A study on the competitiveness of 48 countries, placed South Africa 42nd,=
seven places down on last year=D5s ranking. The United States was placed=20 first, followed by Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Despite poor scores in=
domestic economic strength, internationalisation and being placed last in=
the =D2peoples=D3 category =D1 which looks at workforce attitudes, quality =
life and unemployment =D1 South Africa did fare better in finance and=20 infrastructure, where it scored 20th and 19th respectively.
AT&T to ring Africa
United States telecommunications giant AT&T has launched a $2,7-billion=20 project to ring Africa with undersea optic fibres to improve telephone link=
on the continent and make them cheaper. The project, for which AT&T is=20 seeking African partners, is due to be completed by December 1998 and is=20 being undertaken in co-operation with several regional telecommunications=
Taxing problem plan A plan to restructure South Africa=D5s tax system will be presented to=20 Cabinet in three to four weeks=D5 time. The plan is likely to include the=
amalgamation of the departments of Inland Revenue and Customs and=20 Excise into one tax collection unit headed by an independent board and a=20 chief operating officer.=20
Meat imports stopped The Directorate of Veterinary Public Health has suspended the temporary=20 concession for breakbulk imports of meat because proper veterinary control=
of breakbulk meat imports is almost impossible to maintain. Only cartoned=
meat in sealed, self-cooling containers will now be accepted. =20
Eskom cheapest A survey conducted by the National Utility Services (NUS) has ranked=20 South Africa=D5s electricity the cheapest out of 16 countries. Close on its=
heels, just 1,25 percent more expensive, was Canada, followed by Sweden=20 and Australia. Germany was listed as the most expensive electricity=20
New CE for JCI Coal nMike Rogers has been appointed chief executive of JCI=D5s Coal and Base=20 Metals Division. He succeeds Dr Con Fauconnier who retired at the end of=20