Locked in Losses New CE hopes to find the way out of losing combination. Leaving Town Sanlam joins the flight from the country's ugly, dirty inner cities. David Bullard Let them eat cake, is the message from the empty benches of parliament Stephen Mulholland US shows SA how creative co-operation can benefit all Audit Bureau of Circulation print Media Association

Sunday: 13 July, 1997 Primedia tentacles fasten on leisure empire MARCIA KLEIN and THABO KOBOKOANE The fierce battle for entertainment group Interleisure may have turned into a one-way race amid speculation that Primedia has upped its offer for Servgro's 44.3% stake to R1.7-billion. The offer is substantially higher than the widely speculated initial offer and in line with Primedia's acquisitive appetite and willingness to pay a premium for strategic investments. Fat premiums filling up car insurers' tanks LEIGH ROBERTS Insurance companies are reaping good profits as income surpassed costs when the anticipated rise in claims failed to materialise - profits exceeded R420-million last year. But why are our car insurance premiums still so high? A recent survey highlights just how profitable short-term insurers have become - on the back of the spiralling premiums charged to policyholders. GET GRAPH-TING BT SURVEYS Stock IXCHANGE is Windows software that displays graphs of shares, unit trusts and other financial instruments. Simply click on the logo and the relevant graph will appear. But first you'll need to download Stock IXCHANGE Lite to use this service Examining privatisation: Sections of the public sector freed from political objectives are providing encouraging lessons in profitability. By applying private sector fundamentals, the aim is to run efficient, profitable organisations. Times Media Limited disclaims all liability for any loss, damage, injury or expense however caused, arising from the use of or reliance upon, in any manner, the information provided through this service and does not warrant the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information provided. © Times Media Ltd, 1996-1997 Full Site Index Gold faces life-and-death crisis It is a world of opportunity for those with computer skills Wage increases set to beat inflation THE WEEK AHEAD CSS battling after state subsidy cuts Manufacturing takes up the slack Competition Board to the rescue as doctors close ranks on fees AZT generic may become available BT Internet gives you the best, the most and the lot Accident fund needs major surgery Dairies fear tariff cuts BUSINESS DIGEST Management and unions stare into the same abyss as gold plummets Coal mining's empowerment star Taking value from the subtle intrigues of a jewelled past Primedia tentacles fasten on leisure empire Sanlam joins the lane heading out of violent, dirty CBDs Rich harvest from Coronation's black empowerment seeds COMPANY DIGEST Coega waits for the state's move Barlows SA spreads into Australia's paints market Denel acting MD shoots from the hip on change Gold Fields steels itself for the Market approves of MGX's full house Chubb hopes to find its way out of the dark Gold's 'worst week in history' yields a net gain of 13 points Robust Wall Street drags FTSE 100 to highs Fat premiums filling up car insurers' tanks Save on bond interest Global markets boosted by low inflation and interest rates How to buy offshore funds Buying a paid-up policy is a good way to save on tax Hollard Life cuts out the middle man UNIT TRUSTS:Prestasi SA Tracker South African unit trust industry booms Start young and you'll end up not only wise but wealthy too Why yesterday's investment strategy no longer applies Don't allow estate agents to railroad you on commission They don't like it but they'll do it Local markets are riding high on looming interest rate cuts Billiton's chief pilot loses sleep to secure dreams Black chips click into place in new computer era People on the Move People on the Move People on the Move People on the Move Surveys At A Glance Bureaucrats get a kick Catching on slowly to a growing idea Selling the message of buying into private ownership Public sector shies away from rivalry at any price State finds its infrastructure by another road Battling to uphold the profit principle Transnet groans under the weight of inefficiency A UK guide to restructuring Speed the winning factor Let them eat cake, is the message from the empty benches of parliament US shows SA how creative BRIEFCASE Mozambique hauling itself out of economic quagmire Kenya's credibility goes up in smoke Africa marches to the drum beat of economic progress

Tanya Accone