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A recent change in policy by the Central Bank of Cyprus means it is now possible to establish Administered Banking Units (ABUs) on the island. Applicant banks should be licensed in jurisdictions which exercise proper licensing and banking supervision. In addition, the prospective applicant banks must be institutions enjoying a good reputation internationally and which have an established track record of growth and profitable operation.

Measures have been adopted by the Brazilian government in the last two years to safeguard the economic stabilization programme by curbing money supply increases caused by foreign investment inflows. On October 31 1996, two of the measures were relaxed as follows:

A recent bill published by the Brazilian authorities is set to make money-laundering in Latin America's largest country a specific criminal offence for the first time. By Bruno Balduccini of Pinheiro Neto Advogados, São Paulo

International firms are increasing their ambitions in Italy. At the same time, Italian firms are looking to expand abroad.

The contract for Laibin B, China's first 100% wholly foreign-owned build-operate-transfer (BOT) power plant, was formally agreed in Beijing on November 11 1996. Under the HK$4.57 billion (US$600 million) contract, GEC Alsthom, an Anglo-French engineering group, and Electricite de France (EDF) will jointly control the company undertaking the contract. EDF will hold a 60% stake and GEC, 40%. The project is scheduled to be completed sometime after 1999, whereupon EDF and GEC will operate the power plant to recoup their investment before the power plant reverts to the Guanxi government at the end of the term.

John Taylor, general counsel at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, London, talks to Diana Bentley

In the largest privatization in European history, 600 million shares in Deutsche Telekom have been sold for a total of Dm20 billion (US$13 billion). At a share price of Dm28.50, in the middle of the Dm25 to Dm30 guide, the issue was five times oversubscribed.

Performance bonds are contracts of guarantee commonly used in international trade. Their commercial purpose is to secure the performance of a primary obligation through assured and prompt payment in case of default. No dispute arising out of the underlying agreement between the principal and the beneficiary of the guarantee ought to interfere with the independent undertaking of the guarantor. Hence, performance bonds invariably include an absolute undertaking by the guarantor to pay 'on first demand'.

• Clifford Chance's London office has lost its head of corporate finance, Peter Brooks. Brooks has left to become general counsel for one of his clients, Deutsche Morgan Grenfell. He has worked at Clifford Chance for 28 years.

Simon Firth of Linklaters & Paines, London, looks at the growth of a trend that has contributed significantly to the reduction of credit risk in the financial markets, and a proposal to boost it further