JAPAN'S NTT FORECASTS PROFITS FALL IN 1987/88

  &lt;Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp>
  (NTT) expects its profits to fall to 328 billion yen in the
  year ending March 31, 1988 from a projected 348 billion this
  year, the company said.
      Total sales for the same period are expected to rise to
  5,506 billion yen from a projected 5,328 billion this year, NTT
  said in a business operations plan submitted to the Post and
  Telecommunications Ministry.
      NTT said it plans to make capital investments of 1,770
  billion yen in 1987/88, including 109 billion for research and
  development, as against a total of 1,600 billion this year.
      An NTT spokesman said increased competition from new
  entrants to the telecommunications field and the effect of a
  sales tax scheduled to be introduced next January, were the
  major factors behind the projected decrease in profits.
      The Japanese telecommunications industry was deregulated in
  1985.
  

