AEC Feed

Berli Jucker Plc’s (BJC) shareholders have voted in favour of a $6.2 billion acquisition of hypermarket operator Big C Supercenter Plc from France’s Casino Group , sources told Reuters.
Some 99.99 per cent of voters approved the plan at Monday's meeting, financial sources who attended it said.
Berli, the core retail business of Thai tycoon Charoan Sirivadhanabhakdi’s TCC group, won a hotly-contested auction for Casino’s 58.6 per cent stake in Big C. Berli is expected to pay Casino by the end of March and the company will buy the remaining shares from minority shareholders in a tender offer, to be completed by May, one source said. –Reuters

Laos suspends imports of pork and
piglets to protect farmers’ interests

The Livestock and Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture |and Forestry has suspended the import of piglets and pork as Lao |farmers are currently able to produce sufficient supply to meet domestic demand.
In its announcement, issued last month, the department said the |domestic production of pork and piglets was sufficient for local consump-tion and there was even a surplus in Vientiane so meat could be supplied to the provinces. The department urged all livestock and fisheries sections around the country, as well as pork producers and suppliers, to impose the ruling.
The illegal importation of pork and piglets affects pig producers and pig breeders, especially in Vientiane, and makes it difficult to balance meat supply.
The department said the ban would not lead to an unreasonable hike in the price of pork.
The announcement directed all provincial livestock and fisheries sections to strengthen veterinary inspections at borders and carry out strict checks to prevent the import of pork products.
People who violate the ruling will be fined by the authorities, while any pork or piglets that are imported illegally will be disposed of.
The announcement did not specify how long the suspension would |last, but said those involved in the industry and members of the public should watch for announcements on when the ban might be lifted. |–Vientiane Times

South Korea-based company to build
4-in-1 bus and rail depot in Singapore

The contract to build a four-in-one rail and bus depot in Singapore – said to be the world’s first such facility – has been awarded to South Korea-based GS Engineering and Construction Corporation for around Sing $1.99 billion (US$1.46 billion).
The East Coast Integrated Depot will contain three train depots and one bus depot within a single site of 36 hectres.
It will be able to stable around 220 trains and 550 buses, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Monday.
GS Engineering was previously involved in the building of the Downtown Line 2’s Gali Batu Depot, and is currently constructing the Downtown Line 3’s Fort Canning and Tampines East stations, as well as the Thomson-East Coast Line’s (TEL) Woodlands interchange station.
Works for the East Coast Integrated Depot and its associated tunnels will start by the second quarter of this year and are targeted for completion in 2024. –The Straits Times