European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 11, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14 the stars and stripes Money matters monday july 11,1994 a today a rates following are1 fixed rates at which Community banking and credit Union facilities will sell foreign currencies to . Personnel for personal use. British Pound. 1.58 dutch Guilder .1.72 German Mark. 1.53 note tile rates above apply within the Host country. Figures Are expressed in dollars  British Pound other currencies to the Dollar following arc Interbank rates that fluctuate and should be regarded As the approximate value of the . Dollar to foreign currencies austrian Schilling .11.2075 Bahrain Dinar .0.37675 belgian franc. 32.56 British Pound. 1.5405 Canadian Dollar .1.3875 danish Krone. 6.251 dutch Guilder 1.761 French franc. 5.401 German Mark .1.5715 greek drachma 238.30 italian lira. 1,565.15 Kuwait Dinar. 0.29545 norwegian Krone. 6.974 portuguese escudo. 164.05 saudi rial a a a a a a a a a a a a 3.7503 Spanish peseta .131.28 Swiss franc. 1.3225 turkish lira. 31,000.00 note figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Doliar a Gold quote $303,40 an ounce. A Silver quote $5.23 an ounce. Sources merchants National Bank amp Trust co. A. And the associated press Denver mulls new Bond Sale Economy expected to slow but surpass growth in 93 Washington a Many top economic forecasters see the . Economy slowing during the remainder of 1994, though they expect stronger growth this year than during 1993, according to a Survey released sunday. A poll of 51 analysts by the newsletter Blue Chip economic indicators produced consensus forecasts of a 3.3 percent annual rate of growth in the Quarter just ended 3 percent in the third and 2,8 percent in the fourth. The Economy As measured by the government s Gross Domestic product grew at a 3.4 percent rate from january through March. That was far off the torrid 7 percent Pace of the final three months of 1993, the Best in nearly 10 years. Although they indicate the expansion is slowing the Gap report and the Blue Chip forecast if realized suggest the Economy will grow in 1994 at a 3.7 percent Pace Over 1993. 1 the Gap which measures the total output of goods and services within the United states grew 3 percent last year. The 3.3 percent second Quarter growth rate was Down 0.2 percentage Point from the newsletters june Survey a much of the downward revision in the second Quarter estimate results from the Assumption that the Pace of personal consumption slowed quite a bit from its first Quarter Pace a wrote Robert j. Egg Ert sr., an economist who conducts the monthly polls and edits the Sedona ariz., newsletter. Consumer spending accounts for about two thirds of the nations economic activity. A. A a a a a a other recent economic indicators suggesting slower growth include the closely watched Survey of purchasing managers in june and falling retail sales in May. Also the Index of leading economic indicators designed to forecast the Economy six to nine months in Advance failed to Advance in May. However there also Are signs the Economy remains healthy. The government reported Friday that 379,000 jobs were 01 Denver apr Denver officials arc considering returning to the Bond Market to raise As much As $330 million More for the troubled project to build the $3.7 billion Denver International. Airport. A while new Bonds would give Denver Quick financial Relief it would mean a bigger Price tag for the Airport in the Long run. That would Force the Airport to increase costs such As Landing fees that airlines pay to use the Airport. The Bonds could go on Sale As Early As late july said sources in new York who spoke on condition of anonymity. As much As $150 million Wilt be needed to replenish funds already spent on the new Airport the sources said. In addition the City Hopes to refinance $180 million in 1985 Airport Bonds. The City sold 5253.8 million in 1985 Bonds part for Stapleton International Airport and part for land acquisition at Denver a new Airport. Western Virginia set to get new area code Richmond a. A More than 1 million Virginia Telephone customers Are getting a new area code As Bell Atlantic juggles increased demand. The 540 area code will take effect in july 1995 for much of Western Virginia. Number combinations were running out for the current 703 area code said Bell Atlantic spokesman Paul Miller he said fax machines cellular phones and pagers account for much of the growth. Areas keeping the 703 code include the Washington d.c., suburbs of Arlington Fairfax Alexandria and Falls Church. Miller said 1.3 million lines will stay in the 703 code. The states other area code 804, serves Central and Eastern Virginia. Heading for inferno created in june when the unemployment rate was 6 percent for a second straight month Down from 6.9 percent just a year earlier. Federal Reserve policy makers have engineered four increases in Short term interest rates since february in an attempt to Brake economic growth before it begins to drive up inflation. Many analysts believe the Central Bank will increase rates by up to .5 percentage Point from the current 4.25 percent before the end of the year. The Blue Chip forecasters project the Economy will slow further in 1995, although it still will expand at a 2.8 percent rate. A a inflation As measured by the governments consumer Price Index. Is expected to remain at 2.7 percent in 1994, unchanged from 1993. However the consensus foresees it climbing to 3.3 percent in 1995. The Blue Chip forecasters represent Banks businesses forecasting services universities and Wall Street firms. To Cut Back n Tim Hegadorn unpacks Dante ii at it Mundorf fab in Anchorage Alaska last week. The eight legged tethered robot Wilt descend later this month into the Active Crater of mount Spurr a Volcano 80 Miles West of Anchorage. The robot developed by Nasa and the Carnegie Mellon University Field robotics Center is a direct descendant of the Dante robot that got stuck during its exploratory Mission inside an Antarctic Volcano mount Erebus on new years Day in 1993. Hanoi Vietnam apr Vietnam is planning new legislation to ease the Way for More foreign investment an official report said sunday. A policies will be enacted to slice away lengthy administrative procedures and licensing requirements a said Dau Ngoc Xuan chairman of the state committee for cooperation and investment. Xuan said local authorities at City and provincial Levels will be prohibited from setting up their own evaluation committees for business projects. They will be asked to give their assessments to the Sccio scentral project evaluation Council on whether projects Are in conformity with local development plans and whether the location is suitable. Xuan spoke in an interview in the Vietnam investment review an Sci publication. He said the government also will try to shorten processing time at the Central level by one third or two months instead of three months for most projects.1 he said that under the new legislation projects can be approved and Export import permits obtained More quickly. Therefore returns would be faster on foreign investment. A in the past investors were often forced to seek approval from both local and Central authorities a Xuan said. A no Clear procedure establishing the proper jurisdiction Over projects was Ever  Xuan said provincial authorities have been authorized to Grant land use permits for Small projects. Martin Marietta wins contract for orbiting Mars Surveyor Pasadena Calif. A Martin Marietta technologies inc. Has been selected to build the Mars global Surveyor scheduled for launch in 1996. Or. Edward c. Stone director of the Nasa Jet propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena said Friday that construction would begin this month. The Laboratory will manage the Mars exploration Mission which will continue scientific work halted by the disappearance of the Mars observer spacecraft aug. 21,1993. The Federal budget for fiscal 1995 authorizes $155 million for the project through december 1996. The arbiter to be launched from Cape canaveral Fla will map the Martian surface gather information on the planets atmosphere and study its magnetic Field. The Craft will Lake 10 months to reach Mars and will begin to orbit the planet in september 1997