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International Business News
$458m subsidy for Malaysian rice farmers this year
A1P, Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia will spend 1.472 billion ringgit (458 million dollars) this year to subsidise rice farmers and import more rice from Thailand to bolster its stockpile, the agriculture minister said Tuesday.
Agriculture minister Mustapa Mohamed said the government would also spend an additional 254 million ringgit to boost local rice production, as the price of Asia's staple diet continued to soar.
"We want to make sure that the interest of the low-income earners are protected and that is why the government is willing to accept a big loss as a result of the large subsidies we are giving," Mustapa told reporters.
"We cannot afford to let down the poor in society who will be hit the hardest by the increase in rice prices," he added.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi late Monday announced the country would, for the first time, spend at least 725 million ringgit to subsidise foreign rice imports to keep retail prices of the staple affordable.
Nissan Motor warns of sliding profits
AFP, Tokyo
Japan's Nissan Motor Co. said hiesday it expects net profit to tumble almost 30 percent this year due to sluggish sales in maturing markets, a stronger yen and high material costs.
Japan's number three automaker reported annual net earnings of 482.26 billion yen (4.7 billion dollars), up 4.7 percent from the previous fiscal year, when its profits fell for the first time under onetime saviour Carlos Ghosn.
Operating profit gained 1.8 percent to 790.83 billion yen in the year ended in March as revenue increased by 3.4 percent to 10.82 trillionyen, acompanystatementsaid.
Ghosn hailed the results as a strong performance in what he said was "a challenging and volatile environment."
The automaker sold 3.77 million vehicles, an increase of 8.2 percent from the previous year, despite a decline in the Japanese, US and European markets.
Morgan Stanley, rivals raise billions for infrastructure projects
AFP, Washington
US investment bank Morgan Stanley said Monday it had raised four billion dollars for a new investment fund that will target large-scale global infrastructure projects.
In a separate announcement, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), which was set up by Credit Suisse and US conglomerate General Electric, said it had raised an even larger war chest of 5.64 billion dollars to support a rival infrastructure investment fund.
Major infrastructure projects have become more attractive to potential investors in recent months as the US property market remains stuck in a rut and as investors have become wary of troubled investments such as mortgage-backed securities.
Attractive incentives for halal industry in Malaysia
Ann/ The Star
The Malaysian government is offering attractive incentives to attract businesses for the halal industry in the country.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said these incentives included investment tax allowance or exemption on statutory income from export sales and were especially for industry players in processed foods, cosmetics and personal care, pharmaceuticals, halal ingredients, and livestock and meat products.
“There will also be exemption from import duty on raw materials as well as double deduction on expenses incurred in obtaining international quality standards," he said before opening the two-day World Halal Forum on Monday.
Australia boosts skilled migration numbers in budget
AFP, Sydney
Australia will boost its skilled migrant intake 30 percent to record levels in a bid to overcome a shortage of skilled workers, the government said Tuesday.
As part of the centre-left Labor government's first budget, Immigration Minister Chris Evans said an extra 31,000 skilled migrants would be allowed into Australia permanently in 2008-2009.
Evans said the extra allocation would take skilled migrant numbers to 133,500 for the year, by far the largest component of Australia’s total migrant intake of 190,300.
He said former prime minister John Howard’s conservative government had not allowed enough skilled migrants into Australia, leaving employers struggling to fill vacancies.