Taiwan, which ranks higher than other parts of China, is the highest
globally with 89% of mid-size business owners feeling increased stress over
the previous year. In East Asia, most of the business owners who
suffer from increased stress levels take fewer holidays, whereas in Europe ,
the case is the opposite where they generally report lower levels of stress
but take more holidays .J.99 per month and receive lower-than-ever international calling
rates that start at $.

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Following Taiwan, the mainland is a very close second with
87%.
The global average increase in stress levels among the 7,000 business
owners interviewed is 57% while in East Asia the average stands much higher at
77%.7 days," said Desmond Yuen, Partner and Head of
China Services at Grant Thornton .0
Greece 16.1
Mexico 12.8
Singapore 11.com.

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How do your stress levels compare now to one year ago? (% Increased )

2006 2005
Taiwan 89 69
Mainland China 87 --
Philippines 76 53
Botswana 74 --
Hong Kong 69 54
Singapore 67 46
Malaysia 65 --
South Africa 65 50
Greece 63 39
Thailand 62 --
Japan 60 51
Russia 60 51
Mexico 58 54
Turkey 58 54
India 57 53
Germany 50 37
Luxembourg 49 --
Argentina 48 --
Australia 48 34
Canada 48 26
Ireland 46 41
New Zealand 46 32
Poland 46 39
US 45 34
Netherlands 43 25
UK 43 33
France 42 36
Spain 42 37
Italy 40 30
Sweden 24 23
East Asia average 77 53
EU average 44 35
NAFTA average 46 34
Global average 57 39

Source: Experian Grant Thornton 2006 International Business Owners Survey


The research further studies the possible factors contributing to stress
and the extent to which these factors cause stress.0
Russia 17.experian.com.datta@uk.com

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Among the 3 territories, Hong Kong (69%) is the fifth in the global
rankings.8
US 14.4
Global average 15.

About Grant Thornton
Grant Thornton is one of the leading accounting, tax , and business
advisory organisations dedicated to serving the needs of entrepreneurial and
owner managed companies.tsui@gthk. Lucia
Philippines St.

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4
Luxembourg 19.2
South Africa 15.5
Botswana 11.verizonwireless.30/Minute $.20/Minute Bolivia Barbados
Australia Chile Ecuador
Belgium Costa Rica Egypt
Cayman Islands El Salvador Ghana
China Guatemala Grenada
Colombia India Haiti
France Panama Iran
Germany Peru Jordan
Greece Russia Lebanon
Hong Kong Thailand Montserrat
Ireland Venezuela Netherlands - Antilles
Israel Nicaragua
Italy Romania
Japan Saudi Arabia
Netherlands South Africa
New Zealand St.verizonwireless .

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Business Owners in China (the Mainland Hong Kong and Taiwan) Rank Globally Top in Reporting an Increase in Stress Over the Previous Year

"Stress levels in East Asia as a whole have a higher average , but of
significance is the fact that business owners in China are not only reporting
the highest levels of increased stress in East Asia, but also the rest of the
world", commented Dr Tapan Datta , Experian's global economist.experian.* Calling internationally from a Verizon Wireless
phone has never been more affordable.


$. Find more information on the Web
at http://www .

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5
India 13. Among them, 300,
250 and 150 mid-size businesses were surveyed in the mainland, Hong Kong and
Taiwan respectively.hk .rost@uk.

Verizon Wireless Makes It More Affordable to Stay Connected Around the World for Business or for Fun

"With the International Long Distance Value Plan,
customers are receiving substantial discounts off of standard long distance
rates on their international calls making it even more convenient and
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calling.

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4 days and
the higher EU average of 21.3
Netherlands 24.

* International Long Distance Rates when on the International Long
Distance Value Plan for $3.

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2
Ireland 19.2
Malaysia 10. IBOS began in 2002 and builds on the European Business
Survey (EBS) which Grant Thornton ran from 1993 to 2001. The research was
conducted by Experian Business Strategies Limited and Harris Interactive. Experian's
economic forecasting arm, Business Strategies , has operations in sixteen
countries: UK, France, Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Hong
Kong - China, Germany, Czech Republic, Ireland, Greece, USA, Japan, Australia
and New Zealand .

For further information, please contact:

Grant Thornton

Desmond Yuen
(Partner + Head of China Services)
Tel: +852-2218-3113
Fax: +852-2218-3613
Email: desmond. Verizon Wireless' products and services are also
available at more than 1,900 Verizon Wireless stores nationwide, including
Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and stores within Circuit City, as well
as at authorized retailers including Best Buy and participating RadioShack
locations.

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"The mainland ranks second highest in East Asia and
fourth globally, possibly due to the large geographic area of the mainland and
the developing infrastructure," concluded Desmond Yuen.09 per
Minute

BEDMINSTER, N. To preview and request broadcast-quality
video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations , log
on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at
http://www.

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Headquartered in
Bedminster , NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications
(NYSE: VZand LSE: VOD).

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9
Sweden 21.9
Italy 20.5
Japan 16.6
Philippines 11. In Hong Kong and mainland China , Grant Thornton has offices in
Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen employing in excess of
500 people. For more information about Grant Thornton go to http://www.com.35/Minute
Mexico Argentina Antigua
$.com.

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For more information about Experian go to
http://www.hk

Estella Tsui
(Marketing Manager)
Tel: +852-2218-3207
Fax: +852-2218-3707
Email: estella.com/multimedia.

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8
Turkey 10.3
Thailand 4.verizonwireless.

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"
Stress as a result of business travel is also studied and the findings
show that 20% of business owners in the mainland regard business travel as a
cause of stress, in Hong Kong (13%) and Taiwan (5%) the numbers are below the
global average of 14%.9
New Zealand 17.3
Australia 13.9
Hong Kong 10.hk/ebs/ .com

Bruno Rost
(PR Manager)
Tel: +44-115-968-5009
Email: bruno. Kitts - Nevis
Norway St.

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23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Business owners in China (the
mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan) are among the most stressed in the world
according to the key findings of the Experian Grant Thornton International
Business Owners Survey (IBOS) 2006 .5
UK 21.0
Argentina 17.experian. International Long Distance Value Plan Offers Rates Starting at $., Verizon Wireless, owner and
operator of the nation's most reliable wireless network, is making it easier
for customers to keep in touch with family and friends around the globe.
"Customers are increasingly more global in their business dealings as well
as in their personal lives," said Bill Stone, vice president of marketing for
Verizon Wireless.8 million voice and data customers.

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Dr Tapan Datta added, "Although those surveyed are under particular
pressure as businesses and markets continue to show phenomenal growth, we are
happy to see that in both Hong Kong and Taiwan, concern about job security
only moderately led to increased stress (18% and 25% respectively indicated
job security as a causes of stress). Whereas among those surveyed in the
mainland worry more about their job security and 34% of them feel it causes
stress .7
NAFTA average 14.com.com."
Customers interested in signing up for the International Long Distance
Value Plan can call 1-800-2 JOIN IN to speak with a Verizon Wireless customer
service representative.

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Number of holidays taken last year

France 27.

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Although not the only cause of stress, it is interesting that one of the
research findings shows a direct correlation between the reported increase in
stress and the number of days of holiday taken by executives around the world
(excluding public holidays). "China business owners only have a range of 8 to 11
days of holiday on average per year below the global average of 15. Grant Thornton is a member of Grant Thornton
International which firms operate in 111 countries with more than 21,000
employees.

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HONG KONG, Feb. Vincent / Grenadine
Poland Turkey
Portugal Trinidad and Tobago
Singapore Turks and Caicos
South Korea Zimbabwe
Spain
Sweden
Taiwan
United Kingdom

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless
network , serving 43.

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9
Canada 17.2
Mainland China 10.1
Taiwan 8.1
EU average 21.09 per minute plus airtime on calls from anywhere on the
America's Choice network.

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9
Poland 17 .gthk.

About Experian
Experian provides an unrivalled understanding of consumers, markets and
economies in the UK and around the world, past, present and future.
Starting today, customers can take advantage of Verizon Wireless' new
International Long Distance Value Plan for an affordable way to connect with
people around the world, including Asia, Central America, Europe, South
America , the Caribbean and other North American countries.99 monthly access.09/Minute $.

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The
business is a market leader in consumer profiling and market segmentation,
economic forecasting and public policy research, supporting businesses, policy
makers and investors in making tactical and strategic decisions.yuen@gthk. Customers can find information and purchase Verizon Wireless
products and services online at http://www.

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3
Spain 18.4


Contribution of job security to stress (%)

Japan 49
Thailand 49
India 48
Turkey 42
Greece 36
Mainland China 34
Botswana 33
Russia 30
Hong Kong 25
Malaysia 25
South Africa 25
Argentina 24
Italy 24
Mexico 23
Philippines 22
Luxembourg 21
France 18
Poland 18
Taiwan 18
Germany 15
US 14
Ireland 13
Spain 13
Australia 12
New Zealand 11
Canada 10
Netherlands 9
Singapore 9
UK 9
Sweden 7
East Asia average 38
EU average 16
NAFTA average 14
Global average 25


Contribution of business travel to stress (%)

India 41
Philippines 22
Botswana 21
Mainland China 20
Malaysia 18
South Africa 18
Turkey 18
Argentina 15
Mexico 14
Hong Kong 13
Japan 13
Thailand 13
US 12
Luxembourg 10
Spain 10
Canada 9
Russia 9
Australia 8
Germany 8
Greece 8
Italy 7
Singapore 7
Sweden 6
Ireland 5
Taiwan 5
UK 5
France 4
New Zealand 4
Poland 4
Netherlands 3
East Asia average 16
EU average 6
NAFTA average 12
Global average 14

* % of respondents rating this 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 to 5, when 1 does
not cause stress and 5 causes extreme stress

Source: Grant Thornton 2006 International Business Owners Survey


Notes to editors
About the Experian Grant Thornton International Business Owners Survey
Entering into its 4th year, the Experian Grant Thornton International Business
Owners Survey (IBOS) was carried out among 7,000 owners of medium-size
businesses from 30 territories /countries during late 2005.10/Minute Belize Aruba
Canada Brazil Bangladesh
$.

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6
Germany 20.4
East Asia average 12.hk

Experian

Dr Tapan Datta
(Global Economist)
Tel: +44-207-355-8234
Email: tapan.
Eligible Verizon Wireless customers with America's Choice(SM) or North
America's Choice calling plans can add the International Long Distance Value
Plan for $3.

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---

- - kjjkjk

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