COMPETITION BODY WARNS GROUPS ON PRICES - The Irish Times says the Competition Authority has written to employers' group IBEC over a warning by the employers' sub-group, Food Drinks Industry Ireland (FDII), that prices would have to rise because of higher business costs.
Chaired by Dr Bill Prasifka, the authority has also written to the Irish Auctioneers' and Valuers' Institute (IAVI) after it warned that estate agents' fees would have to rise because of a slowdown in the market.
The paper says the move by the authority is seen as a shot across the bows of the two representative groups and a warning to other industry sectors not to act in concert to push up prices at a time of rising inflation.
The Irish Times quotes a spokesman as saying the authority was concerned that recent public statements by the two groups could be interpreted as amounting to directions to members to raise their prices.
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RYANAIR DEMANDS DUBLIN DATA DETAILS - The Irish Independent says Ryanair has called on the Aviation Regulator to demand more information on the logic behind the Dublin Airport Authority's €1.8 billion development plan.
The paper says the call was made last week at an information meeting between aviation regulator Cathal Guiomard and airlines. Mr Guiomard is currently deciding whether the DAA's development plan merits an increase in airport charges before 2009.
At the meeting, Ryanair's head of regulatory affairs Jim Callaghan said the DAA's case for a large second terminal was based on passenger predictions which Ryanair did not have access to and could not evaluate.
The DAA's figures show that there is a massive peak in passengers in the early morning each day, with this trend set to continue in the coming years.
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STATS SHIFT TO BOOST UK FIGURES - The Times says a far-reaching overhaul of the methodology used to measure national income is set to inflate Britain's GDP statistics by 2.5% by next year.
The paper says the changes planned by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will come as a substantial fillip to a new Chancellor, expected to take over as Gordon Brown becomes Prime Minister this year.
It says they will flatter many of the most crucial gauges of the UK's economic and financial performance.
From this year the ONS will incorporate estimates of the economic benefit of companies' in-house production of software into GDP figures. From 2008 the ONS will also add into GDP an estimate of the output generated by banks related to the higher rates of interest they charge on loans compared with deposits.
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DAIMLER MAY TAKE A STAKE IN GM - The Financial Times reports that DaimlerChrysler is considering taking a minority stake in General Motors as payment for Chrysler if a deal between the two car makers goes ahead.
Quoting people familiar with the situation, the FT says the Stuttgart-based German-American car maker is considering this all-share option.
Other possibilities include a cash sale of Chrysler to private equity or industry investors, and a flotation of the money-losing unit, according to the paper.
