TUESDAY, 1.30PM
VOLKSWAGEN, the largest car builder in Europe, intends to increase output from its SA factory to 100 000 cars a year, from last year’s 67 5000, German newspaper Die Welt reported on Monday.
Quoting VW management board member Peter Hartz, Die Welt said VW’s SA plant plans to return to profit next year. VWSA built Golfs, Polos, VW buses and Audi A4s to the value of R4,2-billion last year, to take 23,1% of the local market. Part of the expansion plans involve a proposal to export Audi A4s to Australia.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
ORIBI OIL LANDS The first shipment of crude oil from the Oribi oilfiled off Mossel Bay was delivered to Cape Town harbour at the weekend, where a tanker disgorged 65 000 barrels of oil at the Caltex refinery. Negotiations are already under way for the sale of the next shipment.
SWAZI CELLPHONE TENDER SWAZILAND will this week release international cellphone tender proposals, intended to find a strategic partner for parastatal Posts and Telecommunications Corporation. In terms of a government performance benchmark, a cellphone network has to be operational in the kingdom by December this year. The tender is expected to attract responses worldwide, including from SA’s cellphone network operators, MTN and Vodacom.
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