Robert Pitt Czechs in while Kerry looks for acquisitions

Pitt move

The Sunday Times reports that Robert Pitt, the erstwhile chief executive of Independent News & Media who quit the company last year following a bitter boardroom stand-off, has joined a Czech property company. It says Pitt has taken over as chief operating officer of CTP, which develops commercial units.

Diner style

Press Up Entertainment, the pub group that owns the Stella cinema in Rathmines in Dublin, will open an "American-style diner" next door to the Stella in April. The Sunday Times reports that the group, which operates 28 venues across the city, is investing €600,000 to overhaul a listed building that until recently housed an Asian restaurant.

Mortgage move

Businessman Billy Kane's specialist lender Finance Ireland is mulling an entry into the mortgage market, reports the Sunday Times. Kane says it will make a decision on whether to go into competition with the five mainstream lenders during "this quarter".

Kerry Group

The new chief executive of Kerry Group, Edmond Scanlon, has told the Sunday Independent it is looking at a number of potential acquisitions in developing markets, such as those in Asia. He said it may increase the pace of acquisitions this year beyond the €500 million it spent on buyouts in 2017.

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Wage expectations

About three-quarters of Irish workers expect their wages to increase in 2018, according to research published in the Sunday Independent. The survey, by Abrivia Recruitment and Trinity College Dublin, shows that 37 per cent of workers are expecting their pay to rise by 5-10 per cent.

Tax request

The Sunday Business Post reports that the Revenue Commissioners have given large multinationals with sales of more than €750 million until the end of next month to disclose where and how much corporation tax they pay. The paper says the demand was made in a brief sent to tax practitioners in recent weeks.

Teva jobs

The Israeli government has urged pharma giant Teva to shut its Irish factory instead of cutting jobs in Israel, according to local reports picked up by the Sunday Business Post. It highlights that Israeli government sources told that country's Globe newspaper it wanted cuts diverted to Ireland and also India.

Car ban

The Sunday Business Post also writes that drivers will be banned from buying new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, under plans by the Government to force motorists to switch to electric and hybrid vehicles. The ban may be brought in earlier if technology improves in the meantime to give electric cars longer range before needing a charge.