Taking Notice

NEW JOBS

>> Wali Osman was recently selected as Bank of Hawaii senior fellow and chair for Pacific economies at the East-West Center. Osman most recently served as vice president and international economist for Bank of Hawaii since 1994.

>> Va Bene Italian Beachside Grill at the Maui Marriott Resort and Ocean Club has named Mauro Gramuglia chef. He most recently served as executive chef at Carelli's on the Beach in Kihei.

PROMOTIONS

>> James I. Nishimoto has been named president and chief operating officer at Group 70 International. In addition, immediate past president Sheryl B. Seaman was named vice chairman at the architecture firm. Nishimoto, who joined Group 70 in 1989, is also a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves.

>> Conrad Loui has been promoted to president of Pacific Wireless Communications. He joined the company in 1995 and had served as vice president and director of finance and operations.

>> Dean Kokubun has been promoted to associate at Nagamine Okawa Engineers Inc. He will be responsible for project management and business development at the firm. Kokubun previously served as a project engineer at the firm before his promotion.

>> Colliers Monroe Friedlander Inc. has promoted Janice R.K. Mende to senior vice president. With 20 years of accounting experience, Mende's responsibilities include property accounting, cash management, internal accounting controls, banking and taxes, corporate planning and risk management, as well as supervising the financial accounting and administrative staff. She has been with the company since 1992. Also at the firm, Kelly M. Scoggins was promoted from assistant vice president to vice president. She will be responsible for the company's corporate marketing and advertising, human resources director and technology department, as well as supervising the office and staff. Scoggins has been with the firm since 1997.

on the board

>> The Hawaii Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America has named Howard Daniel president of its board of directors. He is senior editor at Communications-Pacific Inc. Other new officers are: Donda Spiker, director of marketing and public relations at Kuakini Medical Center, president-elect; Shawn Nakamoto, director of public relations, external affairs and university relations at the University of Hawaii, secretary as well as education chair and student chapter liaison; Duke Gonzales, Shriners Hospital for Children director of public relations, treasurer; and Melissa Chang, marketing director at Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties, past president and alternate assembly delegate.

RECOGNITION

>> Patricia Case placed in the top 1 percent of 4,000 Oahu Realtors for sales production last year, according to year-end results from the Honolulu Board of Realtors. Case's firm, Case Properties Inc., placed within the top 3 percent of all Oahu real estate companies.

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S. Korean inflation reaches 12-month high

SEOUL >> South Korean consumer prices rose in January at the fastest pace in a year, adding to expectations the central bank may raise interest rates if prices keep rising in coming months, Bloomberg News reported.

The consumer price index climbed 0.6 percent from December, seasonally adjusted, after rising 0.2 percent the previous month, the National Statistical Office said. Economists expected a 0.5 percent increase.

"The central bank will start to worry if the economy shows signs of overheating and prices keep rising later this year," said Oh Suktae, an economist at Citibank N.A. in Seoul, who expects a rate increase in the second half of the year. For now, though, "inflation doesn't seem to be much of a worry."

Canada least costly place to do business, study says

NEW YORK >> Canada is the least costly place to do business, edging out Britain and Italy, according to a comparison of business costs in nine industrial countries in North America, Europe and Japan by KPMG LLP.

KPMG's study measured 27 components, such as labor, taxes and utility costs, applied to business operations in Austria, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Britain, Canada, the United States and Japan.

KPMG said Germany and Japan are the most expensive of those studied, while the United States ranked seventh. This is down from third place two years ago in a similar study due to rising strength of the U.S. dollar. The study's basis for comparison is the after-tax cost of startup and operation for 12 specific types of businesses during a 10-year span.

GM cuts China car prices to match rivals

SHANGHAI, China >> General Motors Corp. said it cut prices for its Buick passenger cars in China by about 8 percent starting last week, joining other local manufacturers in slashing prices as import tariffs fall.

The Sail compact car will cost between 92,800 yuan ($11,210) and 119,800 yuan, down from 100,000 yuan to 125,000 yuan, General Motors said in a statement.

The move follows price cuts at other carmakers hoping to keep market share, as China's World Trade Organization entry will increase imports. Starting this year, China has cut tariffs on models fitted with engines larger than 3 liters to 50.7 percent from 80 percent, while the import duty on cars fitted with smaller engines has dropped to 43.8 percent from 70 percent, part of the country's commitments for WTO membership.

Asian factory production results and futures mixed

BEIJING >> China's industrial production will probably rise 18 percent to 203 billion yuan ($24.5 billion) for January, the fastest pace in 12 months, according to a forecast by the State Economic Trade Commission. Factory output probably will grow from a year earlier because the Lunar New Year, the biggest Chinese holiday, occurred in January last year, idling plants. The holiday falls in mid-February this year. China doesn't seasonally adjust its economic numbers.

Seoul >> South Korea's industrial production fell in December at the fastest pace in more than a year, pulled down by a three-week strike at Hyundai Motor Co. and a decline in computer-chip production. Production dropped 1.5 percent from November, seasonally adjusted, lagging economists' expectations of a 0.1 percent increase. That was the biggest drop since September 2000. For all of 2001, production rose 1.8 percent, following a 16 percent increase the previous year.

Tokyo >> Japan's industrial production rose for the first time in four months in December, rebounding from a 14- year low as more electronic parts and cars were made. Factory production rose 2.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, last month from November, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry figures showed. Economists had expected a 1.2 percent rise after a 1.7 percent decline in November. For all of last year, production fell 7.9 percent, the biggest drop since 1975, as firms ranging from chipmakers such as Toshiba Corp. to old smokestack industries like steelmakers reduced output as global demand slowed.