The Japan Times WORLD EYE REPORTS ROME AND THE MEZZOGIORNO
©THE JAPAN TIMES	Tuesday, September 4, 2001

Rising to the challenge of the 21st century

Bourse: This is the official internet site of the Italian Stock Exchange and tracks the market?s movements. www.borsaitalia.it/eng/home/ Daily news: The International Herald Tribune in conjunction with Il Corriere della Sera publishes a daily English-language roundup of local Italian news, which is also available here in pdf format. www.iht.com/pdfs/italydaily/it01.pdf Statistics: For all the numbers you?ll need on Italy, this leads to the official Web site of the Italian National Statistics Institute. www.istat.it/homeing.html Government: A page that leads to a complete list of official Italian government Web sites. www.gksoft.com/govt/en/it.html eBox Visit these internet addresses for detailed information on Italy.

Twentieth Century Italy has evolved into a powerful economy - among the world's seven largest industrial nations. It is also a country whose capital, Rome, roughly splits the economic pie into unequal portions between the prosperous industrial North powered by private enterprise and the underdeveloped agricultural South traditionally dominated by large public-owned companies. Southern Italy - the historic Mezzogiorno - continues to face higher unemployment compared with the north, and the region is also still in the process of tearing itself from the grip of endemic problems such as organized crime and corruption. Today, however, the Mezzogiorno is also showing clear signs of renewed economic vitality. The promotion of the region as a high-tech industrial base has resulted in significantly raised prospects for the region's attaining its rightful share of the European economic balance. FULL STORY

The bourse gets ready for a deluge In the last ten years, the Italian government has drastically reduced its participation in state-run utility companies. With increased convergence within the European Union, Italy has gradually shed its subsidies to most industries and minimized its role in business to encourage fair competition. One company that has faced this change head-on is Acquedotto Pugliese, which manages the historic acqueduct and the water service in Italy's Puglia region. FULL STORY Italy's South shapes up for business For decades foreign companies viewed southern Italy as a haven for the manufacture of labor-intensive products. That perception is changing.

Managing Director Lorenzo Pallesi of Acquedotto Pugliese

In today's globalized economic landscape, Italy is honing its competitive advantage by promoting the development in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector - and the less developed Mezzogiorno is showing up on more than one company's plans as a particularly advantageous area for setting up a European business location..FULL STORY

Norio Yaris Kitamura, Toyota Italia?s president and managing director

Japanese giant's 'Italianization' results in a more European feel "When Italians talk of Toyota Motor Italia, I want them to recognize us as a leading brand, beside Fiat and Opel. We believe, as the world's third largest carmaker, that our refreshing new line of models will entice the aesthetic-loving Mediterraneans, and enhance our image." - Norio Yaris Kitamura, the company's president and managing director. FULL STORY

Boardroom strategies for the"beautiful game" Common ground yields rich bounty for Europe Market boosts a major Italian player in the animated world

New trails in virgin territory Correspondents' choice

Info Box Official name: The Republic of Italy Population: 57.8 million Population growth: 0.2% (average,1996-2000) Land area: 301,300 sq. km. Currency: Italian lira (euro from 2002) Exchange rate: $1= ITL L2,251 (July average) GDP growth: 2.9% (2000) GDP per head: US$23,359 (2000) Inflation: 2.5% (2000) Taxation: Top rate - 44 % (personal income): 36% (corporate income)

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