Business: Ungenerous OPEC

With frightening memories of December's terrorist kidnaping of OPEC oil ministers in Vienna still fresh, finance ministers of the oil producers' cartel met last week in Paris instead, under heavy guard. They agreed to set up an $800 million fund to make longterm, interest-free loans to less-developed countries, OPEC'S first gesture as a group to help poor nations that are afflicted with high oil bills. The fund's main backers, Iran and Venezuela, originally proposed $1 billion a year for five years. Instead, the fund will exist for only a year, and Indonesia and...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!