Briefs

The Cabinet yesterday approved the Finance Ministry’s proposal to waive tax on shareholders’ income generated from merger-and-acquisition activities, said Pakdeeharn Himathongkham, deputy government spokesman.
It also approved a one-month extension in the diesel excise tax waiver, as oil prices spiked again. The tax waiver will expire on August 31.
Government spokesperson Sansanee Nakphong said the ministers approved the extension to ease the cost of living, which is set to rise on higher oil prices.
Though the renewed euro-zone crisis has weakened oil prices, Dubai crude oil is now near US$100 (Bt3,200) a barrel.
The diesel excise tax has been cut from over Bt5 per litre to Bt0.0050 for over a year. This helps the government keep the retail diesel price below Bt30 per litre. In Bangkok, the fuel retails at Bt29.63 a litre. – The Nation

CPF sponsors Norwegian show
Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) yesterday announced that it would sponsor “Tempted”, a well-known reality TV programme in Norway, to build local awareness of its Kitchen Joy frozen-food brand among teenagers and working people.
Christian Juhl, managing director of CPF Denmark, said the move was part of the company’s strategy to expand its Kitchen Joy brand by the fourth quarter of this year. The company has launched the brand into the Norwegian market for trial for several months. Kitchen Joy is already available in three major markets in Scandinavia: Denmark, Finland and Sweden.