JAKARTA: State-owned investment company PT Danareksa decided

JAKARTA: State-owned investment company PT Danareksa decided
late on Monday to sell its controlling stake in mid-size Bank
Bumiputera to Malaysian-based ICB Financial Holdings Ltd., after
declaring the company the highest bidder.

In a press statement, ICB said that it would buy 58.41 percent
of Danareksa's stake in Bumiputera at a price of more than Rp 150
per share.

The ICB, which is controlled by former Malaysian finance
minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, managed to beat of bids from two
other potential investors: the Bank Panin consortium and local
insurance firm AJB Bumiputera.

Danareksa's shares in Bumiputera are managed by its three
subsidiaries: PT Cipta Usaha Citra Dana, PT Reksasentosa Dinamika
and PT Reksatama Dinamika. -- JP

;AP;
ANPAf..r..
Corporate-Brief-Airlines
HK airlines to raise ticket price
JP/14/Brief

HK airlines to
raise ticket prices

HONG KONG: Hong Kong carriers Cathay Pacific Airways and
Dragonair want to raise ticket prices to cover surging fuel
prices, executives and local media reported on Tuesday.

Dragonair spokeswoman Bonita Chan said her company has asked
Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department to approve a 65 Hong Kong
dollar (US$8.33) fuel per passenger surcharge for each one-way
flight.

The South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday that Cathay
Pacific has also applied for a surcharge without giving details.

Civil Aviation Department spokeswoman Sandra Lai said seven
airlines that fly to Hong Kong had applied for surcharges. Jet
fuel prices have risen more than 30 percent since the beginning
of 2004 to their highest levels in more than a decade. Oil prices
jumped to nearly $42 per barrel on Monday.--AP

;AP
ANPAf..r..
Brief-Singapore-Airline
SIA to charge extra on tickets
JP/14/Brief

SIA to charge
extra on tickets

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines said on Tuesday it will charge
passengers an extra fuel surcharge on flights out of New Zealand,
Australia and Britain in response to rising fuel costs.

The amount of the Singapore Airlines surcharge has yet to be
determined but will be announced "within the next few days," said
How Hwee Yin, an airline spokeswoman.

How said the airline introduced the surcharge in New Zealand,
Australia and Britain in response to competitor's moves on those
routes. The airline is reviewing whether to implement charges on
other routes, How said.

Last week Australian flag carrier Qantas announced a surcharge
of US$10.50 per international flight and British Airways added $4
to the price of each flight purchased outside of Britain.
-- AP

;AFP;
ANPAf..r..
Corporate-Brief-Airbus
Airbus confident Japan will buy A380
JP/14/brief

Airbus confident
Japan will buy A380

TOKYO: The head of European aircraft manufacturer Airbus said
on Tuesday he was confident Japanese airlines would decide to
order the company's superjumbo A380 jet once airports here can
cope with it.

Airbus Industrie president and chief executive Noel Forgeard
told a gathering of local businessmen that most Japanese
international airports would be capable of handling the 555-
seater aircraft by 2008 when seven A380 flights operated by
overseas carriers would be arriving daily.

"As early as the year 2008, the A380 will operate seven daily
flights into Japan under the launch customer colours... so the
Japanese passengers will be able to benefit from the A380,"
Forgeard said. -- AFP

AFP
ANPAf..r..
Corporate-Brief-AFTA
Honda seeks fair play in Malaysia
JP/14/brief

Honda seeks fair
play in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Japan's Honda on Tuesday urged Malaysia to
ensure a level playing field for non-national automakers under
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Free Trade Area
(AFTA).

Honda Malaysia president and chief operating officer Syed
Hisham Syed Wazir noted Malaysia's national carmaker Proton had
enjoyed preferential treatment for about two decades and said
similar privileges should be given to non-national companies
under AFTA.

"With the implementation of AFTA, the level playing field
should be accorded to all players in the industry who have in
many ways contributed to employment, income and economy," he was
quoted as saying by Bernama news agency. -- AFP