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	Belson to take over CimRail Tuesday, March 5, 302 AP Web posted at 1402 UST. Belson Corporation's Chairman and acting CEO announced today that the company has successfully negotiated to buy the newly-privatised Cimeran Rail Company, CimRail. Mark Belson, grandson and co-heir to the Belson fortune, announced the sale in his three-hour speech to investors and owners at the company's Annual General Meeting earlier today. Belson Corporation will take over 100% of the former-government company for the sum of C4 billion (Û12 billion), the money coming from the Û21 billion "warchest" the Chairman has been excitedly proclaiming. The company is also buying Blue Telecommunications with proceeds from the "War Chest". The new company will be known as Belson Rail (Cimera), and will undergo a period of intensive restructuring that may involve job losses. The company is described as "highly inefficient" by Belson analysts. This will be Belson's first major overseas investment, the bulk of the company's assets being concentrated in Utania, and marks a new direction for the company. The Acting-CEO and Chairman said the expansion overseas was "necessary to prevent the company becoming too dominant at home", in Utania. Analysts were exceedingly worried that a Û20 billion "warchest" spent in Utania, buying companies and investing here, would not only over-heat the economy, but put Belson in an unassailable position no matter what industry it tackled. "With the government already owning 40% of the country's private and public companies, another dominant force in Belson Corporation would reduce competitiveness in Utania, turning her into a corporate state", David Saul of Brierley Investments, a major investment company in Utania that has 640,000 shares in Belson (0.2%) worth some Û140 million based on the earlier-today share price of Û220. Astute Belson's investment in a foreign Rail company is described as "very astute" by early analyst-commentators. "The company already knows how run a rail system, given its heavy investment in the Belson rail network here in Utania", said analyst Charles Gordon of Capital First. "The Belson Rail network carried some 62 million tonnes of food produce and over four million passengers last year. The challenge is now to see whether the company can really prove its business credentials. "Here in Utania, Belson Rail is a cost centre: it does not declare a profit, only a cost of service matched against an inflated revenue per kilometre travelled, which no one actually believes. The company makes too much money in Utania off poor Utani farmers that it hasn't had to manage the rail company efficiently. "It is an astute move, provided the company can pull it off. If they fail to produce a profit, it will show up and I would expect the company to fair very poorly thereafter." To perhaps protect the company in this regard, Chairman Belson said the company was "examining closely" the merits of floating half the company on a local stock exchange, or perhaps issue some shares here in Utania to "keep the company honest". International rail links Belson arrives in the international rail market just as new expansions are being planned and built. In Longerath, the Occidental Express is being built, the 6,755 kilometre rail link from Feniz to Solanchatka, and plans are said to be afoot in the Old Continent's north-western corner. Chairman Belson confirmed as much himself saying that there were "grounds to believe that an expansion of the Cimeran rail network would be progressing." A high-speed rail link from Armatirion to Somery has circulated in some press reports, but there is not understood to be any government saying so, yet. While no comment has yet been garnered from the Cimeran Government, the Utanian President's spokesman said the further investment overseas would "ultimately force the company to play nice here in Utania." Related Stories Belson declares Û34 billion profit!! Belson to scrub its image Belson buys Blue Telecommunications Related Websites Cimeran Government webpage Belson Corporation webpage Other News Rovens elects new President	Related Articles Belson declares Û34 billion profit!! Belson to scrub its image Belson buys Blue Telecommunications Other News Rovens elects new President ©Zeitgeist Magazine, 300 AP. <TECH> ©Mike Ham, 2000. All rights reserved. No reproduction without, at least, tacit approval. ;-)