CENTRAL BANK FAVOURITE FOR ANGLO HQ - The Irish Times reports that the Central Bank has emerged as the most likely purchaser of the concrete shell of Anglo Irish Bank's unfinished headquarters on North Wall Quay in Dublin.
The paper says negotiations between the Central Bank and NAMA, which wants to dispose of the site as part of its resolution of the debts of Liam Carroll's Zoe Developments group, are at an advanced stage and a decision is imminent.
The paper quotes one "well-placed source" as saying that the North Wall Quay site is the only one in Dublin with sufficient office space to accommodate all of the Central Bank's staff, currently based in three main locations in or near the city centre: "We're on the point of deciding to buy the Anglo site. It's exactly the right size and fits our staff numbers well. It's also the cheapest option available. Just because it was being built for Anglo doesn't mean it should be jinxed."
Last April, the Irish Times reported that this was one of the options under consideration, but it is now the only one on the table. There is also concern in the Central Bank that if it doesn't move quickly, it could be "gazumped" by others, says the paper.
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"OFF THE ROAD" CAR TAX LOOPHOLE TO CLOSE - The Irish Examiner reports that households will have to pay tax for cars that are "off the road" under plans being drawn up by the Government.
The paper says the move to close the loophole that exempts the payment of motor tax when a car is parked up will further anger motorists already facing a range of increased costs after the budget and families who have been forced to take second cars off the road.
The measure is set to net the state €40m a year - just short of the €47m a year the Government will raise in the 7% motor tax increase announced in the Budget.
The paper quotes an internal Department of Transport document as saying that it has been agreed in principle with the Department of the Environment that legislation should be introduced to close the legal provision for non-payment of motor tax for a period while a vehicle is reported to the gardaí as being "off the road".
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GLASS BOTTLE SITE GROUP LISTED FOR STRIKE-OFF - The Irish Independent reports that the consortium that paid €412m for the Irish Glass Bottle site in Dublin has been listed for strike-off by the Companies Register Office (CRO).
Becbay, a syndicate comprising developer Bernard McNamara, financier Derek Quinlan and the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) shelled out the massive sum at the peak of the boom in 2006 for the former toxic-waste dump.
Yesterday it emerged that Becbay, the owner of the IGB site which is now valued at less than €50m, has been listed for strike-off.
Mr McNamara holds a 41% stake in the IGB site through Donatex, the vehicle he used to acquire his share in the development that was to be home to "Ireland's Manhattan". Mr Quinlan holds a 33% stake and the DDDA - which has recently been released by NAMA from a €29m bank guarantee to cover its proportion of Becbay's borrowings - holds a 26% stake in the syndicate.
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FORMER RBS CHIEF "COULD FACE CHARGES" - The Daily Telegraph says Sir Fred Goodwin could finally face criminal charges after the regulator's report into the collapse of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has suggested that the bank's directors broke Britain's accountancy laws.
Lord Turner, the chairman of the Financial Services Authority, said on Tuesday there was not "sufficient evidence" to punish any of the RBS directors under the regulator's rules. But the Telegraph says the FSA's explosive report may have handed UK Business Secretary Vince Cable an unforeseen chance to press charges instead.
The Companies Act - different from the FSA's rule book and policed by the Department of Business (BIS) - says directors must be able to "disclose [their company's] financial position with reasonable accuracy at any time". They must ensure an "adequate record is made and retained . of any expected loss, liability or contingency material to the assessment of the current position."
The paper says the FSA's report, which has been handed to Mr Cable, suggests RBS directors breached these rules.
