Operating profits fell by 65 per cent to 552 million markka, from 1.589 billion.

Sales declined from 16.95 billion markka to 16.55 billion.

France discontinued exchange facilities for the franc on Feb. 17 and Finland will do likewise for the markka later this month.

France discontinued exchange facilities for the franc on February 17 and Finland will do likewise for the markka later this month.

Helsinki - A 30-year-old Finn won 1.4 million markka (£176,000) on the lottery with the wrong number.

It said its 1995 profit before extraordinary items and taxes amounted to 1.5 billion Finnish markka (£211 million) up from 1.03 billion markka in 1994.