Archive
International News Services archives articles supplied to clients one year or more after initial publication. These articles are protected by a password and not made available to readers without permission from clients. They are used as a background resource by agency journalists. Upon client requests, International News Services will remove such articles from the archive or not upload them in the first place. They are included to demonstrate the breadth of topics undertaken by the agency and also to help promote clients’ coverage.
COCONUT OIL
BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKA, in Columbo
SRI Lankan soap and coconut oil manufacturer BCC Lanka Ltd is to invest SL Rupees 25 million (GBPounds 180,000), in automating its coconut oil manufacturing plant, while increasing its soap production facility in order to re-launch its entire product range, which includes Sovereign Bar and Suvendra soap brands.…
HINDUSTAN LEVER
BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKA
HINDUSTAN Lever Ltd is to aggressively launch its reformulated Lifebuoy soap brand, by way of novel indirect marketing in rural India, that of persuading villagers to take more care with their personal hygiene. The campaign will range across nine states, to achieve double-digit growth in Lifebuoy’s sales figures, which currently stand at around two million soaps sold daily.…
SAFE SAW
BY MATTHEW BRACE, in Sydney
A NEW precision saw is set to make plumbing, building and electrical work safer and more accurate. The Kango KS150 saw is an Australian invention and on trial release Down Under. It could be available worldwide within six months.…
INSURANCE MEDIATION
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Union’s Council of Ministers has just approved – in principle – a proposed directive on insurance mediation. Final agreement on the legislation could come by midsummer. The directive requires that all those carrying out insurance or reinsurance mediation be formally authorised by the statutory authorities of Member States on the basis of appropriate knowledge and ability, good repute, the possession of professional indemnity insurance and financial capacity where appropriate.…
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Commission has adopted a new strategy for health and safety at work for 2002-2006, which would cover new types of workplace risk, such as bullying and violence at work and stress-related illnesses. The plan also seeks to develop office and factory risk prevention programmes.…
TRIESTE CENTRE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A TAX break approved by the European Commission in 1995 benefiting Italy-based insurance companies operating in eastern Europe is likely to be withdrawn, following the launch of a state aid inquiry by Brussels which is expected to criticise the scheme.…
NO CLAIM BONUS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The European Commission is take legal action against France and Luxembourg in a final bid to remove the compulsory no-claims bonus system for third party motor insurance in the European Union. The two countries are now alone in the EU in sticking to a system which the Commission claims is in breach of the third non-life insurance directive (92/49/EEC) and constitutes a barrier to free competition.…
INSURANCE MEDIATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s Council of Ministers has unanimously agreed the proposed directive on insurance mediation, a decision that almost guarantees its passage into EU law. The proposal will now receive a second reading by the European Parliament; if it does not make many changes, final approval could come before Brussels’ political summer recess.…
FINLAND ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE FINNISH government has been ordered by the European Commission to change legislation that disqualifies car passengers from insurance cover when the driver is drunk and involved in an accident. Brussels says this exclusion of passengers’ injuries contravenes the EU’s second motor insurance directive, which seeks to harmonise national regulations for the sector and to safeguard the interests of persons who may be injured in a motor vehicle accident.…
FINANCIAL CONGLOMERATES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union ministers and MEP’s are considering changes to the EU’s directive on the supervision of financial conglomerates, which, claim parliamentarians, will make an Enron-style scandal far less likely in Europe. The proposed new law would cover insurance companies, investment firms and credit institutions that are part of such groups, setting rules on the amount of supplementary capital that they should command.…