Polish Consulate...

...are the latest shop to open selling Polish foodstuffs! You can find Casper Stores at 85 Rugby Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 4PD, Telephone: 01902712592 / 07743963571 / casper4food@yahoo.com.

posted by: Oborski at 23:49 | link | comments |

On Saturday 29th October Cllr Mike Oborski, accompanied by Cllr Fran Oborski, placed flowers and candles on the four Polish Airforce Graves at St Cuthbert's Church of England Church at Donington, Albrighton in Shropshire. Prayers were said at the graveside by Father Jan Marek Gora.

posted by: Oborski at 23:44 | link | comments |

On Thursday 27th October Cllr Mike Oborski, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland for the West Midlands, and Cllr Fran Oborski placed flowers and candles on the Hartlepool grave of Captain Mamert Stankiewicz - who perished when his ship M/S Pilsudski hit German mines in November 1939.

posted by: Oborski at 23:36 | link | comments |

From Warsaw Voice...

"People are overworked and very busy, and it's hard to find parking near our restaurant. If someone finds a ticket on their car, they get mad and want to unwind, so we offer them our hospitality."
-Paweł Choroś, manager of a restaurant in downtown Warsaw, on their new marketing-free meals upon presenting a parking ticket

"The Poles have proved again that they're normal people."
-Aleksander Kwaśniewski on the fact that on the night of parliamentary elections Sept. 25 the live TV election coverage attracted a much smaller audience than the European Championship women's volleyball finals in which Polish players defeated the Italians

"If he knows a good spot and has equipment, we can always go fishing together."
-Lech Wałęsa's advice for Aleksander Kwaśniewski on how he should take care of his psyche in the first months after the end of his presidency

"People will start missing a prime minister who doesn't appear on every TV channel, who can't be heard on every radio station and can't be seen in all the papers."
-The political forecast of Marek Belka, the outgoing head of government

"Atheists, libertines, liberals, Masons and postcommunists have dominated Europe and Poland."
-Fr. Henryk Jankowski, former head of the St. Brigid's parish in Gdańsk, dubbed "the chaplain of Solidarity," on social situation in the European Union

"I did it out of revenge; the doctor who examined me didn't want to extend my sick leave."
-Dariusz K., a resident of Warsaw, facing up to eight years in prison and covering of the costs of police action, after he called a hospital with a false bomb threat

posted by: Oborski at 23:26 | link | comments |

From Warsaw Voice

The winner of the Polish elections is a tough, pro-welfare, traditional, Catholic politician whose priority is settling accounts with the past. The loser is a moderate, conservative-liberal, but less distinctive politician.

The main question is: How will Lech Kaczyński use his unexpectedly huge power?

posted by: Oborski at 23:21 | link | comments |

"The Bundesbank, though without doubt a peaceful organization, is much more dangerous for Poles than the Bundeswehr."
-Samoobrona leader Andrzej Lepper in an interview for a Russian paper on the threat of German buyout of land in Poland

"We are like a Hollywood couple; everyday the tabloids report on our impending divorce and unfaithfulness, while the family keeps going on for many years."
-Jan Rokita, former Civic Platform (PO) candidate for prime minister, on his cooperation with Donald Tusk, PO presidential candidate

"For the first time in the history of Poland, politicians are actually helpful to drivers. If you ask someone for directions, they may say something like 'Two Tusks down the road, then turn left'."
-Bogdan Lewandowski, former deputy from the Polish Social Democracy (SDPL), on the big election billboards that in many cities are treated like road signs

"I don't know. Maybe I'll become a hobo."
-Andrzej Celiński, SDPL deputy, on his plans after his party lost the elections

"In the apartment, there wasn't even a sink. The dentist equipment was cleaned with water from the toilet."
-A Sanepid sanitary inspector from Szczecin on the shutting-down of an illegal dentist's office run by two Ukrainian citizens

"They were eating so greedily that I didn't have the heart to interrupt them."
-A police officer from Czaplinek, on the failed break-in of a supermarket storage room; the three suspects grabbed three loaves of bread and started to eat them right away

posted by: Oborski at 22:58 | link | comments |

Warsaw, Oct. 20: Civic Platform (PO) presidential candidate Donald Tusk continues to maintain a fairly comfortable lead over right- wing rival Lech Kaczynski according results of newest election polls.

According to a GfK poll for Rzeczpospolita daily Tusk can count on 56 percent of votes and Law and Justice (PiS) candidate Lech Kaczynski on 44 percent. The daily published the poll on Thursday.

According to an OBOP poll for Fakt daily Kaczynski is narrowing the gap on his rival. The survey published on Thursday put support for Tusk at 53 percent and for Lech Kaczynski at 47 percent. On Wednesday support for Tusk was at 54 percent and for Lech Kaczynski at 46 percent.

Meanwhile a CBOS poll gave Tusk an 8 per cent lead over Kaczynski. Tusk can count on 54 percent of votes, while Kaczynski 46 per cent.

posted by: Oborski at 22:52 | link | comments |

Warsaw, Oct. 19: President Aleksander Kwasniewski stressed during an inaugural meeting of the new Sejm on Wednesday that great responsibility was laid on the new parliament. The president said that in the parliamentary elections the nation expressed its will and voted against the people who held power until now and changed the arrangement of political forces. President Kwasniewski said that Poles had reminded politicians that in democracy power was not held forever. "And this should be a warning for some politicians and a source of hope for others," the president stressed and added that this should be an order of good service for the homeland for all. Speaking about the 25th anniversary of the birth of Solidarity, the president said that Poles changed the course of history and recalled that this great revolution took place without any bloodshed. "Without these achievements Europe of today will not be an open and unifying continent," the president said. "Poland is a member of NATO and the EU. We have returned where we always belonged. (...) Poland is a respected country and a desirable partner," the president said. "We have changed the image of our homeland. Since the beginning of the transformation processes in 1989 the GDP has gone up by over 40 percent. Such a result was not reported in any other country of our region. Poland, not long ago described as a "sick man of Europe", has entered for good the path of economic growth and civilisational development," president Kwasniewski said. "These historic successes have been achieved by all the democratically-elected parliaments and government of sovereign Poland, irrespective of whether they were formed by left-wing or right-wing parties," the president said. "This Sejm is the first one to work in really new conditions. Poland's EU membership is neither a dream nor a historical holiday any longer. It is an everyday reality. And we can see that Poland knows how to cope with EU requirements. Poland is an element consolidating the European structure. And Poland benefits from the integration," President Kwasniewski said. "My recent visit to the U.S. proved that Poland achieved much in its relations with that country. Never before Poland's position as a significant and reliable U.S ally has been so strong," the president stressed. Next, the president wished all the deputies successes and satisfaction.

Warsaw, Oct. 19: President Aleksander Kwasniewski told Radio One on Wednesday that it would be completely unjustified if a new Sejm Speaker was not elected today. If during its first sitting the Sejm does not elect a Sejm speaker it will be an improper situation. There was enough time as the parliamentary elections were held nearly a month ago. There were certain declarations and promises, decisions of the winners. So lack of appointment will be completely unjustified, the president said. Kwasniewski added that this might also cause some constitutional problems. The president rejected the accusation that the problem resulted from the election calendar. (...) "The problem can be defined as Donald Tusk and Lech Kaczynski - the two leaders of the Law and Justice-Civic Platform coalition who are fighting for one state position," the president added.

Warsaw, Oct. 19: The Sejm adjourned its inaugural session until next Wednesday (October 26) and the new Sejm Speaker was not elected. A motion to this effect was submitted by Law and Justice (PiS). There were 237 votes for, 215 against, and two abstentions. The votes for the motion were cast by 154 deputies from PiS, 56 from Self-defence, 24 from the Polish Peasant Party and 3 from the League of Polish Families. The votes against were cast by 130 deputies from the Civic Platform, 55 from the Democratic Left Alliance and 30 from LPR. The deputies of the German minority abstained from voting.

Warsaw, Oct. 19: President Aleksander Kwasniewski on Wednesday called on the Senate to choose the chamber speaker at the 1st meeting of the Senate on October 20. Kwasniewski's move was prompted by a Sejm decision to choose the chamber speaker next week, after presidential elections. The president stressed that the chambers' speakers replace the president if the latter's is incapable to perform his function.

Warsaw, Oct. 19: Prime Minister Marek Belka submitted the resignation of his cabinet during the first sitting of the new Sejm on Wednesday. The outgoing Prime Minister said that in line with the article 162 para 1 of the Polish constitution he submits his resignation to the president of Poland, the Sejm speaker and the Sejm. "I have the right to feel satisfaction that the government I led leaves the public affairs, the Polish economy and the Polish state in good condition," he said. "The economy is stable, budget revenues bigger than they used to be, laws regulating economic processes are simpler and the Polish position on the international arena is increasingly important," Belka said and added that benefits from integration with the European Union are today obvious for everybody. "My government created legal tools for the implementation of social policy aimed at effective countering poverty and social exclusion as well as to improve the condition of the Polish health care. We promised to take the maximum advantage of the 1st year of our membership of the EU. We kept the promise. From a debutante we turned into a serious partner. Out active eastern policy is our strength in contacts with the west but it costs us problems with some of our eastern neighbours. We implemented a series of important tasks which had long waited to be implemented including road construction programme, the railway law aimed at increasing the number of investments and scholarships for high school students. We leave for the new parliament and government scores of laws putting in order different fields of life so that our successors will not have to start from scrap" the PM said.

Warsaw, Oct.19: President Aleksander Kwasniewski recalled the cabinet headed by prime minister Marek Belka here Wednesday. Belka tendered its resignation at the first sitting of the new Sejm earlier Wednesday. The Belka cabinet will perform its duties until a new cabinet is formed. The president thanked the outgoing government for its work. "You discharged well of your duties, being guided by the interest of the state and the society," he declared. This was a good time for Poland and its economy, he added. "Poland is a stable country," he emphasized. The president was critical of the failure to elect a new Sejm speaker Wednesday and of the adjournment of Sejm work until next week. He urged the Senate to elect its speaker at the first sitting due Thursday. According to the constitution Sejm or Senate speakers substitute for president if he is unable to discharge its duties, Kwasniewski pointed out.

Warsaw, Oct.19: Prime minister designate Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz said he would propose the composition of the cabinet to president Aleksander Kwasniewski by the end of this month. The lineup will be supplemented with an action plan of the coalition government for the coming 4 years. When designating Marcinkiewicz for the prime ministerial post Wednesday Kwasniewski expressed the hope that the cabinet would be set up by the constitutional deadline, i.e. in two weeks. Marcinkiewicz said he would meet PO's designated deputy prime minister Jan Rokita Thursday and would hold discussions with the remaining PO leaders starting next Monday. One week would be enough to set up the cabinet, Marcinkiewicz assured. He said his to-date talks with Rokita were very helpful in forming the coalition. PO and his native PiS disagreed in some 15-25 pc of issues, he estimated. These issues would be decided on in talks to start Monday.The new Prime Minister designate is 46, married, with four children. His original profession was teaching physics in school. In 1989 he helped found the Christian-National Union (ZChN), in 1992-1993 was deputy education minister in the cabinet headed by Hanna Suchocka, in 1997 he became head of the political secretariat to prime minister Jerzy Buzek. Since March, 2004, he was head of the Sejm committee for the state treasury. "We are aware of the fact that the government programme will have to draw on the programmes of both PiS and PO," said Marcinkiewicz shortly after the PiS election victory. He defined the PiS programme as "one favouring a free market economy based on private ownership and competition, but not a liberal programme."

Warsaw, Oct. 19: The government on Wednesday approved the deployment of 140 soldiers to Pakistan to help repair damage resulting from the devastating earthquake, Defence Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski said Wednesday after a cabinet meeting before the Prime Minister submitted its resignation. A motion to this effect has been already sent to the president who has to make a final decision. The troops will be sent as part of a NATO mission for six months (from October 25, 2005 until April 25, 2006), the minister said. Szmajdzinski said that the mission will cost 25 million zlotys, or less, if NATO or some NATO member country, ensures air transport to Polish troops. The operation will be conducted in a joint Polish-Spanish batallion under Portuguese command. Foreign Minister Adam Rotfeld said that the mission will be a test for Poland of how it functions not only in the endangered security situation but also during NATO's charitable actions.

Warsaw, Oct. 19: U.S. President George Walker Bush is the most liked politician in Poland with 49 pct of Poles declaring they like him. The least liked politician is Russian President Vladimir Putin who is disliked by 61 pct of Poles, a recent CBOS poll has found. Poles also like Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko (47 pct), British Prime Minister Tony Blair (45 pct), to-date German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (36 pct) and Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet (31 pct). The group of the least liked politicians, apart from Putin includes Belarussian President Aleksandr Lukashenka who is disliked by 55 pct of Poles, Cuban leader Fidel Castro (52 pct) and French President Jacques Chirac (24 pct). The CBOS run the poll on September 14-18, 2005 on a representative sample of 1,028 adult Poles.

Warsaw, Oct. 19: The finance ministry upheld their forecasts for GDP growth in the 3rd quarter and in the entire 2005 after industrial production data had been released by the Central

Statistical Office. "We are very satisfied, our monthly forecasts as regards industrial production and construction production materialised. We uphold our 3rd quarter GDP growth forecasts at 3.4 percent and slightly over 3 percent for the whole year," director at the finance ministry Jacek Krzyslak said.

Warsaw, Oct. 19: By the end of next year Britain's DSG International corporation will invest 10 million euros in a network of Electro World markets in Poland. The first two markets will open this year. DSH International operates in 13 countries worldwide, employing over 35,000 people.

Warsaw, Oct. 19: The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) international ecological organisation believes that Poland as a EU border country is under particular threat of activities of international smugglers of endangered plants and animals. For this reason the WWF has invited Polish police to the second schooling project on the subject. The WWF told PAP Wednesday that between October 17 and 20 forty policemen were discussing problems of international endangered animals trafficking, with especial regard to eastern border crossings, airports and sea ports. The participants discuss the related EU laws and other regulations concerning trade of the animals in danger of extinction. Among those taking part in the project are representatives of the prosecution whose cooperation with customs police is particularly important. The third round of schooling on illegal trade of the endangered animals on the domestic market is scheduled for December 2005. According to the WWF the sealing of Polish borders and good control of the home market control will allow for the full introduction of international law.

Warsaw, Oct.19: The value of turnover at the Warsaw Stock Exchange exceeded 122 bn PLN (ca. 38 bn USD) in the first three quarters of this year, setting a new record, the WSE reported Wednesday. The old record-high turnover was 109 bn PLN for the whole of 2004. The broad WIG index rose 26.9 pc and the blue chip WIG 20 index rose 28.5 pc since the beginning of this year. A record high dividend of 7.9 bn PLN was paid out by the end of September, three times more than in 2004. 28 new companies were added to the list of WSE traded shares in the first three quarters of this year (the combined value of their IPOs reached 6.4 bn PLN). This placed WSE third in Europe in this respect. The futures market saw a brisk growth this year: the volume of trade reached 3.8 m contracts after the three quarters, compared with 3.6 m for the whole of last year. WSE had a capitalisation of 273.3 bn PLN as of Sept.30 (excluding foreign-based companies), vs. 214.3 bn PLN at the end of last year. The new share issues (including IPOs) raised 6.5 bn PLN over the said period, while in 2004 the figure was 13.2 bn.

Beijing, Oct, 19: Possibilities of exchange of students and academic workers were discussed by a 40-member group of rectors and professors of 27 Polish higher schools with their Chinese partners. On Wednesday the first so numerous representation of public and non-public higher schools wound up their visit to the People's Republic of China. In Beijing the delegation met with representatives of two leading Chinese educational centres, China University of Technology and the People's University of China. The Chinese colleagues showed interest in the potential of the Polish exact sciences, humanities and social sciences. The two Chinese schools want to conclude concrete cooperation agreements with Polish partners, Professor Monika Hardygora who headed the delegation told PAP. Polish higher schools appreciate China's growing rank on the international scene of business, investment and commerce, and strive to win Chinese students and develop scientific exchange with Chinese counterparts. Also Chinese language teachers are welcomed in Poland. The group toured China within the "Study in Poland" project initiated by the Polish Academic Rectors' Conference KRASP. At present Polish higher schools have only some eight thousand foreign students.

Warsaw, Oct. 19: Russian TMK holding-owned Sinara Handel AG will buy the tube rolling mill WRJ Jednosc and WRJ Serwis in Siemianowice Slaskie for 37.5 million euros, said ING Bank Slaski which represents a consortium of creditor banks. The consortium signed an agreement foreseeing cooperation of its members in attracting an investor and launching production in the mill. Production is planned to be at least 100 thousand tons of tubes annually. 500 jobs are expected to be created. Construction of the rolling mill in Siemianowice began in the 1970s, then it was stopped and resumed in mid-1990s but was never completed due to insufficient funds. According to press reports, 150 million zlotys is needed to complete the mill.

Warsaw, Oct. 19: Fiat is the most popular car make in Poland, indicates a TNS OBOP poll published on Wednesday. Fiat cars account for 39 percent of new vehicles and 22 pct of second hand cars. Research indicates that 2nd is Daewoo (18 percent) Skoda (10 pct), Renault (6 pct), Opel (6 pct), Toyota (4 pct), SEAT (4 pct), Peugot (2 pct) Hyundai(2 pct), Ford (2 pct). As regards second hand cars the most popular, after Fiat is Volkswagen (15 pct), Opel (11 pct), Ford (10 pct), Polonez (8 pct), Renault (6 pct), Skoda (3 pct), SEAT (3 pct), Daewoo (3 pct), Citroen (3 pct). The poll was run between May 5 and 9, 2005 on a representative sample of 1,005 Poles older than 15

posted by: Oborski at 18:48 | link | comments |

Warsaw, Oct. 18: Prime minister Marek Belka said he was satisfied with the present condition of the country and the Polish economy. "Both in the economy and social affairs we are on the right development track," Belka told newsmen after the cabinet sitting Tuesday. Even if the next cabinet will have problems in implementing its economic policy, the economy will not drift, Belka declared. "Even if there is a drift, it will be in the right direction," he added. "Poland is on the right track and it is really difficult to derail the economy," Belka argued, saying he was confident about the future. He will submit the resignation of his cabinet on Wednesday. The outgoing cabinet will send its 2006 state budget with a self-amendment and 30 draft laws to the speaker of the new Sejm.

Warsaw, Oct. 18: The cabinet approved seven programmes of long-term support for foreign investments in Poland on Tuesday, Prime Minister Marek Belka said. Six programmes foresee support to subcontractors of the Korean LG. Philips concern in Kobierzyce, southern Poland, and one to the Philip Morris International accounting centre in Cracow. Philip Morris International will get over 1.6 million zlotys in 2006-2009, deputy economy minister responsible for investments Marcin Kaszuba said. "The concern is due to invest 19 million zlotys in Cracow, and will give jobs to 500 people," Kaszuba said. Next year Philips Morris International will get 240 thousand zlotys from the budget. Six LG. Philips subcontractors will get a total of 121 million zlotys in 2006-2011. They will invest 1 billion 178 million zlotys and create over 7 thousand jobs over that time.

Warsaw, Oct. 18: Senate Senior Speaker Kazimierz Kutz coming out from a Tuesday meeting with President Aleksander Kwasniewski expressed hope that the Senate will manage to elect its presidium during its first meeting scheduled for Thursday. Kutz said that there is a possibility that both the Civic Platform and the Law and Justice will agree on the candidature of Bogdan Borusewicz (indp). Meanwhile Sejm Senior Speaker Jozef Zych after meeting Kwasniewski stressed that deputies should at least try to elect members of the Sejm presidium during the chamber's first meeting on Wednesday. Zych briefed the president on his consultations with heads of parliamentary caucuses concerning the first meeting.

Warsaw, Oct. 18: The new Sejm will meet for its first sitting on Wednesday. The meeting will be chaired by former Sejm speaker Jozef Zych with President Aleksander Kwasniewski in attendance. The newly elected deputies will be sworn-in. Among 460 deputies, Law and Justice members won 155 seats, Civic Platform's - 133, Self-defence's - 56, Democratic Left Alliance's - 55, League of Polish Families' - 34, Polish Peasant Party's - 25 and German minority's - 2. The new Senate will hold its first sitting on Thursday. On Wednesday the outgoing government will formally resign during a ceremony at the presidential palace, but will continue to exercise duties pending the formation of a new government.

Warsaw, Oct. 18: Edward Szymanski, to-date undersecretary of state at the Presidential Chancellery on Tuesday was appointed head of the Chancellery. He replaced Jolanta Szymanek-Deresz who had become Sejm deputy. Also on Tuesday President Aleksander Kwasniewski recalled secretary of state Barbara Labuda who will assume a diplomatic post at the Polish mission in Luxembourg. The president said these decisions are part of his "winding up presidency" actions at the close of his second term in office. Szymanski will hold the post till the end of the president's term on December 23.At a meeting with the Chancellery staff Aleksander Kwasniewski asked his collaborators to see to it that "the Chancellery be ready to be passed over to the new president and his people." An economist by education, Szymanski (b. 1936) was a Bydgoszcz province governor in 1973-75, chief of the provincial communist party at Wloclawek (1975-81) and Sejm deputy from 1976 to 1989.

Szczecin, Oct. 18: Repair of relations with Russia and the United States is one of the leading goals of the future president, according to Donald Tusk. During a meeting with students in Szczecin on Tuesday, Tusk said that if he becomes president he will try to achieve such relations with Russia which would be "proud and decisive, but at the same time open and friendly." He explained that this would be possible through the "stiffening of Poland's stand on a number of issues." In regard to relations with the US, Tusk stressed the key and strategic importance of the alliance with the U.S. for Poland. However, he noted that in relations with the U.S. a Polish leader cannot ask for anything but should hold serious business talks with the Americans. Tusk said that the most important issue in relations with the EU is to convince the EU to the building of a common policy towards Russia so that "Poland would never be left alone in a corner." Saying this Tusk made reference to a Russian-German agreement on the building of the northern gas pipeline. Speaking about the outgoing President Aleksander Kwasniewski, Tusk praised his involvement in the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, but had reservations about the president's German and Russian policy as consisting chiefly in "smiles and hand shakes." In the afternoon Tusk met with medical staff of a hospital in Police. He criticised Law and Justice-proposed health service reform programme as moving towards excessive centralisation. Tusk opted for broad consultations on the health service reform. He said he would encourage future coalition partners to adopt the point of view of the patients, he said.

Berlin/Warsaw, Oct. 18: Opponents of Poland's liberal presidential candidate Donald Tusk tried to get materials incriminating Tusks from a German office using untrue data, the German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zietung daily wrote on Tuesday. FAZ wrote that a person who passed himself off as a child of Donald Tusk's father applied to the German Office for Relatives of the Fallen Wehrmacht Soldiers to check whether Donald Tusk's father joined the German army. According to FAZ, the applicant gave untrue personal information. Neither of Donald Tusk's father's children applied to the office. As the German office does not give information about the applicants, it is impossible to establish who they were. But the daily recalled that former campaign manager of Tusk's rival for the presidency, Jacek Kurski, reported recently that he wanted to establish the truth about Tusk's family and expected the answer to his enquiry on Wednesday. Lodging applications with untrue information is treated in Germany as an "offence" and an attempt to "obtain information under false pretences," deputy head of the German office Peter Gerhard said.

L.Kaczynski will not put forward Balcerowicz as candidate for central bank head

Zielona Gora, Oct. 18: Once elected president, Law and Justice's (PiS) presidential candidate Lech Kaczynski will not put forward Leszek Balcerowicz as a candidate for the central bank governor. Speaking during an election rally in Zielona Gora, western Poland, Kaczynski said that Poland needs active economic policy. In order to pursue such policy, the "central bank head should be responsible not only for the strong zloty but also for Poland's development," he said. According to Kaczynski, his election as the president will guarantee harmonious cooperation with the government. "I will not be blocking anything in the cooperation with the PiS and Civic Platform government. I would be the element that will help, guarantee changes and make sure that we live in the country where the biggest possible part of society, instead of a small group of those most affluent, benefits from development effects." During the rally, PiS's prime minister designate Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz identified the new government's strategic aims as the Solidarity-based economic policy and repair of the country.

Warsaw, Oct.18: Poland is perceived as a country suffering from a large degree of corruption, according to a survey held by Transparency International and called the Corruption Preception Index. On a scale from 10 to 0 Poland got 3.4 points, the same as Croatia, Egypt, Lesotho, Bourkina Faso, Saudi Arabia and Syria. The least affected turned out to be Iceland (9.7 pts), Finland (9.6), New Zealand (9.6), Singapore (9.4) and Sweden (9.2). The survey, conducted among businessmen and analysts familiar with individual countries under study, ranks all countries according to the level of perceived corruption, from those affected the least to those affected the most. Those worst hit by corruption were Bangladesh (1.7), Turkmenistan (1.8), Myanmar (1.8), Haiti (1.8) and Nigeria (1.9). Poland placed 70th among the 159 countries listed in the survey. Transparency International Polska president Malgorzta Brennek said that the causes of corruption in Poland were known well and systemic in nature. They included unclear and changing legislation, lack of transparency in the functioning of central government and local government administration, too much room for discretionary decision making, negligent attitude to reporting and documentation and lack of personal accountability for decision making.

Warsaw, Oct. 18: A hall in the new headquarters of the Polish foreign ministry has been named after Polish-American lawyer Rafal Lemkin, who introduced the term genocide into international law. This outstanding personage is little known, even among people dealing with international relations and international law. It's high time to change this, Polish foreign minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld said Tuesday opening the Lemkin Hall.

Katowice, Oct. 18: General Wojciech Jaruzelski on Tuesday expressed regret and condolences to the families of victims from Wujek coal mine as well as all the wounded or hurt in the events from the beginning of martial law in 1981. Jaruzelski was testifying before a district court in Katowice as a witness in the trial concerning the pacification of Silesian mines at the start of martial law. In Wujek mine the death toll soared to nine with scores of wounded. Jaruzelski believes that shots fired at the striking miners were warning shots fired in the air, and claims that what happened next was not a premeditated action but "an unfortunate twist of events." The trial is held for the third time. Charges have been pressed against 17 former policemen including deputy head of Citizen's Militia MO provincial office and 16 members of the ZOMO special platoon. Two first verdicts have been revoked by the court of appeals. Jaruzelski, the former prime minister, leader of the communist party PZPR and chief of the Military Council of National Salvation during martial law, told the court a few weeks earlier that he learned about the killings from General Czeslaw Kiszczak, the then interior minister, only after the incident at Wujek. He was shocked and ordered to "examine the matter immediately and very closely." Asked by journalists who is guilty of the tragedy he said he hoped that this would be established in the present trial.

Warsaw, Oct. 18: Sluggish courts, poor roads and over-taxation are Poland's main investment barriers, concluded enterprisers and market experts at a Tuesday debate on the Polish investment market. The debate also focused on excessive bureaucracy and the chaotic tax system as the main hindrances for longterm investors. Sanitec Kolo CEO Marek Kukuryka said red tape in the economy was why Poland lost many investment projects to the Czech Republic or Hungary. Among other problems encountered by investors Kukuryka listed low-qualified government officials and slow court procedures. Present at the debate was Cezary Mech, finance minister designate from the election-winning Law and Justice Party (PiS).

Katowice, Oct. 18: The Kompania Weglowa (Coal Company) reported a net profit of 31 million zlotys in September and of nearly 182 million zlotys after the three quarters of 2005, company's spokesman Zbigniew Madej told PAP on Tuesday. After the three quarters of 2005 gross profits amounted to 312.4 million zlotys. The net profit stood at 181.9 million zlotys, down from over 269 million zlotys in the same period of 2004. In July and August the company reported for the first time in two years a loss on coal sales. Madej added the achieved results were better than planned but worse than last year's ones. The spokesman stressed the fall in profits was caused by numerous factors, including worse economic climate and necessity to set up employee benefit reserve. Madej added the company wanted to achieve a 300 million zloty profit in 2005, down from 450 million zlotys in 2004. The Coal Company is the biggest mining concern in Europe. It groups 17 mines and employs over 70 thousand workers.

Warsaw, Oct. 18: The number of tourists visiting Poland rose 13 per cent during the first 8 months of the year, the Polish Board of Tourism has said. The growing tendency is excellently visible in Cracow and the Malopolska province. The region has been visited by 9.3 million tourists last year, Gazeta Krakowska daily writes and adds that the visitors left behind 3.3 billion zlotys (2.8 billion USD).Grazyna Leja of the Cracow mayor's office said that last year tourist traffic grew by 20 per cent while this year's result should be even higher. Jan Bereza, deputy speaker of the provincial assembly expects the number of tourists visiting the region to grow to some 10 million. Bereza contributes the tourist boom chiefly to operations of low cost airlines.

Warsaw, Oct. 18: Pro Futuro, an independent Polish operator and supplier of advanced teleinfo services, came first in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 ranking of the fastest growing central European companies. The Lublin-based Pro Futuro recorded a 220-fold increase in sales over the past 5 years. Second was Cleverance from the Czech Republic, a leading supplier of IT technology on the national scale. Its sales rose 30-fold over the past 5 years. Third was Hoga.pl, a Polish internet portal, supplier of content and technology. The ranking shows that the market rewards especially those players who focus on software and applications for use in the internet.

Warsaw, Oct. 18: Poland's billboarding branch may book a 12-15-percent business rise this year, mainly thanks to the parliamentary and presidential elections, Janusz Malinowski, head of the Stroer Polska billboarding company, told reporters Monday. The third quarter was very good for the billboarding branch, especially September, when up to 95 percent of our billboard space was taken up. Billboarding proved a very successful medium during the parliamentary and presidential campaigns, Malinowski said. Stroer is one of the leading billboarding firms in Poland.

Warsaw, Oct. 18: In 2004/2005 Poland's Hortex frozen food company raised its exports by almost 43 percent against 2003/2004 (to 51,000 tons), Hortex informed Tuesday. The value of Hortex' exports in that period came to almost 147 million zlotys (45.5 mn USD). Hortex exports two-thirds of its frozen vegetables and fruit, mostly to Russia.

Legnica, Oct. 18: Over 20 vocalists from all over Poland will take part in the 22nd All-Poland French Song Festival to be held in Lubin from October 20 to 22. French films are already being shown. They will be accompanied by exhibitions of photographs and posters of the French cinema, recitals and concerts by French artists or those coming from French-speaking countries. The visitors to the events will have the opportunity to taste some French cuisine specialities, Magda Lagun of Culture Centre in Lubin which organizes the event told PAP. The programme envisages performances by the Dubians French group, a club event with the participation of a French DJ and a song and dance show La Revie de Paris. Professionals and non-professionals will take part in a French song competition. The All-Poland French Song Festivals have been held in Lubin since early 1980s and has won recognition and support of the French embassy in Poland.

Katowice, Oct. 18: Ian Paice of Deep Purple and Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake & Palmer will perform this week in Piekary Slaskie during an event marking the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the Solidarity trade union. Both concerts will take place during the 14th International Drum Festival held in three cities - Opole, Wroclaw and Piekary Slaskie.

posted by: Oborski at 00:43 | link | comments |

Wisla, Oct. 17: It is not possible to reschedule the first Sejm sitting, President Aleksander Kwasniewski said Monday. "The sitting has been convened for October 19. (...) Work should

be started," the president said. "If we want to treat democracy and parliament seriously, the Sejm should start work on October 19, especially since it will be exactly four years after the Sejm of the previous term was appointed," Kwasniewski added.

Warsaw, Oct. 17: The Senate of the 6th term of office will hold its first session on Thursday, October 20, the Senate Chancellery reported on Monday. The session will be inaugurated by President Aleksander Kwasniewski. Later the Senate is expected to elect Senate Speaker, deputy Senate Speakers and Senate secretaries.

Warsaw, Oct. 17: Civic Platform (PO) presidential candidate Donald Tusk is still holding a lead over Law and Justice's candidate in the presidential race Lech Kaczynski, according to a PBS poll for Gazeta Wyborcza and a TNS OBOP poll for the Fakt daily. The survey run by PBS on October 14-15 put support for Tusk at 55 percent and for Lech Kaczynski at 45 percent. PBS ran the poll a few days after Poles had learnt that Tusk's grandfather had served in the Wehrmacht between August 2, 1944 and October 12, 1944. According to the TNS OBOP poll released also on Monday Tusk can count on votes of 57 percent of Poles and Lech Kaczynski on 43 percent. TNS OBOP ran the poll on October 16. In the PBS poll Tusk's lead over Kaczynski amounts to 10 percentage points and in the second one to 14 percentage points. The latest poll rub by TNS OBOP for Polityka weekly found that Tusk would get 55 percent of public support and Lech Kaczynski 45 percent. The poll was carried out on October 15 to 16.

Warsaw, Oct. 17: Law and Justice (PiS) presidential candidate Lech Kaczynski told Radio Zet on Monday that he was "slightly" worried about the permanent interest displayed by the German press in the presidential election in Poland. Asked to comment the statement by Konrad Schuller, Warsaw's correspondent of Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, that a charge against Donald Tusk's grandfather considerably hurt Tusk as his "right-wing and national rival" Lech Kaczynski was using historically-motivated fear of Germans. "The German press is fiercely attacking me. I have often repeated that I am interested in good relations with Germany. But these relations cannot be based on negotiations with Mrs Erika Steinbach (head of the German Union of Expelees) or the Preussische Treuhand, undermining the Polish ownership in Poland's northern and western territories or building a centre against expulsions and creating a situation in which Poles are presented as executioners of World War Two and the German nation as a victim," Lech Kaczynski stressed. "I am slightly worried that the German press is focusing on the presidential elections in Poland as this is not a German matter but a Polish one," PiS presidential candidate said.

Brussels, Oct. 17: The European Commission acknowledged with "full understanding" Poland's failure to send on time (by October 15) its Lisbon Strategy implementation plan, due to the unclear post-election situation, spokesman responsible for issues of enterprises and industry Gregor Kreuzhuber said. Several other countries also failed to send their plans on time, including Germany. "It is understandable that the political processes going on in Poland prevented sending the plan on time. The European Commission is not alarmed, so much the more that it has been informed about the ongoing work on the Lisbon Strategy implementation plan in Poland, Kreuzhuber said. Poland said that the plan has been prepared and initially approved by the government on October 5. But "due to the general elections and the process of new government formation, the Cabinet resolved to transfer the issue to the new prime minister," the economy and labour ministry said in a statement. The plan covers 2005 to 2008 with its priorities being high economic growth and job creation.

Warsaw, Oct. 17: A decree by the agriculture minister designed to help prevent a bird flu outbreak comes into force on Monday, October 17 after it has been published in the official legal gazette, PAP was told by Agriculture Minister Jerzy Pilarczyk. The decree was signed on Saturday after tests confirmed that the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu had been found in Romania. The decree bans keeping poultry outside hen-houses, trade in live poultry in open-air markets and poultry exhibitions. The decree also bans the hunting of wild birds. Last week Poland banned poultry imports from Turkey and Romania, and stepped up border checks.

Warsaw, Oct. 17: Thousands of survivors of the earthquake in Pakistan may not survive winter, Pakistani Ambassador to Poland Ms Fauzia Nasreen said on Monday. Temperature in many regions of his country fell to 5 degrees Centigrade below freezing point. Pakistani people need urgent supplies of medicines, food and tents, Fauzia Nasreen told the press conference in Warsaw devoted to relief to the earthquake victims in Pakistan. Fifty thousand persons died in the earthquake, 3.3 million were affected by the disaster, 65 thousand were injured and 2.2 million lost houses. As the rescue operation is coming to an end, relief action becomes the priority. The survivors need roofs over head, food, pure water, the ambassador stressed. The ambassador pointed out that many roads, schools, hospitals and houses were destroyed. Father Zdzislaw Swiniarski of Caritas Polska recalled that two two transports of antibiotics, means of transport, water purifying tablets and some pharmaceuticals worth 200 thousand zlotys (over 60 thousand USD) were dispatched to Pakistan in mid-October. He appealed for a greater aid for Pakistan. Relief funds will be raised among the faithful in Catholic dioceses at the end of this month. Donations may also be paid onto the Caritas accounts.

Warsaw, Oct. 17: The average monthly pre-tax pay was 2,483.99 zlotys in September 2005, up 1.8 percent year-on-year, the Central Statistical Office (GUS) said on Monday. The market expected the pay to rise 3.0 percent year-on-year, and 1.4 percent month-on-month in Septemebr. A total of 4,787.7 thousand people were employed in enterprises in Septmeber, up 2.2 percent y/y and up 0.2 pct m/m.

Warsaw, Oct. 17: The Finance Ministry has revised its forecast of the GDP growth in the 3rd quarter of 2005 to 3.4 pct from 3.7 pct planned earlier. The GDP growth in the entire year will slightly exceed 3 percent. The Polish economy is following a path of a slightly faster growth but the economic revival is slow and its scale is lower than planned earlier. The Finance Ministry estimates that in the 3rd quarter of 2005 GDP will go up by 3.4 percent, against a 2.8 percent rise in the 2nd quarter, the ministry wrote in an October macroeconomic review. Domestic demand will be of greater significance for the GDP growth in the 3rd quarter if compared with the 2nd quarter but export net contribution will also remain positive, the ministry said. The ministry also reported that prospects for the economy remained positive though negative factors prevailed over positive ones in the balance of risks connected with the expected development of the economic situation.

Warsaw, Oct. 17: The budget deficit after September 2005 was at 17,784.6 million zlotys, or 50.8 percent of the annual plan, the Finance Ministry said in a communique released on Monday. The state expenditure stood at 150,846.3 million zlotys, or 71.9 percent of the sum planned for 2005. The budget revenues totalled 133,061.7 million zlotys, or 76.2 percent of the plan. Deputy Finance Minister Elzbieta Suchocka-Roguska said earlier that the deficit after September 2005 should be around 51 percent of the annual plan against 52.8 percent after August.

Warsaw, Oct. 17: A promotion campaigns featuring posters of a handsome Polish plumber and an attractive Polish nurse contributed to boosting interest in Poland, Andrzej Kozlowski, president of the Polish Tourist Organisation POT believes. Kozlowski told s press conference on Monday that in result of the campaign interest in Poland has grown up and among French

tourists, some 9.8 thousand of whom visited Poland between July and September 2005. The number of questions in France concerning Poland also went up 40 percent. French tourists are interested mainly in big cities: Cracow, Warsaw and the Gdansk-Gdynia-Sopot tri-city, Kozlowski said. The number of arrivals to Poland grew 13 percent during eight months of 2005 as compared with the previous year. Also the number of foreign tourists coming to Poland from the EU (apart from the German market) has increased 13.6 percent, and at the same time there were 29,5 percent more tourists coming here from overseas countries, including the USA, Australia, Japan and Korea. Some 14 million tourists came to Poland annually during several recent years, 14.3 million last year. About 43 percent of foreign tourists visiting Poland are Germans. The promotion campaign was launched in mid-June in answer to fears in Western Europe of a possible influx of cheap Polish labour force. "I'm staying in Poland. Come visit" the encouraging title of the poster presenting an image of a Polish plumber read. The plumber was soon joined by the poster showing a young Polish nurse. This drew attention abroad to Poland and Poles. Simplified formalities at border crossings in Poland, low prices and low-fare airlines (some 1 million 300 thousand arrivals in

2005) improved image and credibility of Poland are the consequence of Poland 's EU accession, according to Kozlowski. He said the government proposed to increase budgetary funds for tourism to 48 million zlotys (over 14.6 million USD) in 2006 from 28 million zlotus in 2005. The Polish Tourist Organisation has been operating from January 1, 2000. It is supervised by the minister of economy and labour.

Warsaw, Oct. 17: Czech Unipetrol, taken over by Polish Orlen had a debt of nearly 750 mn euro and its credits agreements held clauses under which banks could demand the immediate repayment of the debt, writes Rzeczpospolita daily. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) consulting firm prepared a presentation in summer of 2003 entitled "How to win Unipetrol." The presentations was commissioned by Orlen board. Orlen bought Unipetrol for 400 mn euro which means that the payment for 63 pct of its shares was almost two times lower than Unipetrol's debt. The PwC document has been delivered to the Cracow prosecutor's office a few weeks ago and the office has already questioned its authors. Marek Mroczkowski, the Unipetrol's deputy CEO say banks did not urge the new owner to immediately pay the debt. If they did so Unipetrol would be forced to declare bankruptcy which would weaken the position of Orlen, writes the daily.

Warsaw, Oct. 17: The net profit of Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa PTC will exceed 1.1 bn PLN (336.4 mn USD) at the end of this year. In coming weeks the number of Era network customers will exceed 10 mn people, the company reported in a communique issued Monday. In 2004 the company net profit totalled 937 mn PLN. After the 1st half of 2005 PTC's net profit totalled 623.9 mn PLN. EBITDA for the first three quarters reached 1.38 bn PLN. The level of the average revenues on a customer went down and will be slightly below 60 PLN at the end of this year. "This is a result of fierce competition between operators which leads to the systematic fall in prices which can clearly be seen in the segment of pre-paid phones," the company wrote. PTC reported it paid its total debt to banks and other financial institutions. Still at the beginning of 2005 the debt totalled 1.46 bn PLN.

Warsaw, Oct. 17: Two Poles, Rafal Blechacz and Jacek Kortus are among 12 pianists who qualified for the 15th International Frederic Chopin Competition final. The final stage of this prestigious competition is starting Tuesday to run till the coming Friday. The name of the winner will be announced on October 21. Six prizes will be awarded to six best finalists and the First Prize winner will receive the Gold Medal and 25 thousand USD. The competition will wind up three days later. Japanese pianists constitute the most numerous group in the final. They are: Rieko Nezu, Yuma Osaki, Shohei Sekimoto and Takashi Yamamoto. Next come three pianists from South Korea - Dong Hyek Lim, Dong Min Lim and Yeol Eum Son, Ka Ling Colleen Lee of China Hongkong, Rachel Naomi Kudo of the USA and Andrei Yaroshinski of Russia. The winner of the competition will be Chopin's ambassador in the whole world, member of the jury, John O'Conor of Ireland told journalists. Twenty pianists, including five Poles participating in the competition 2nd stage who failed to qualify for the final received diplomas on Monday. Those gathered at the ceremony of handing over the diplomas accorded greatest ovation to Nobuyuki Tsujii of Japan and Ingolf Wunder of Austria. Some observers claim they should pass to the final.

Warsaw, Oct. 17: Chicago Mayor Richard Daley spoke in Warsaw on Monday on safety and the implementation of the CAPS (Call Attempts Per Second) or, joint actions of police and citizens for improving security in cities. Similar programme called "Safe District" has been implemented in Warsaw since February 2004.

Katowice, Oct. 17: Police in south-Polish Katowice Monday arrested the leaders of two of Poland's biggest criminal groups. Both are charged with armed robbery and the theft of about 6 million zlotys' (1.8 mn USD's) worth of goods. Both gangs are splitter groups of the so-called Pruszkow Gang broken up by police several years ago. One of the men stopped in Katowice is the son of the Pruszkow gang's former boss Wanka. Both men were questioned in Katowice this afternoon.

posted by: Oborski at 01:06 | link | comments |

Warsaw municipality has published a report estimating war-time losses of Polish capital at 54 billion dollars. According to mayor of Warsaw and presidential candidate Lech Kaczynski, the report “The Losses of Warsaw 1939-1945” is not an attack but a means of defence against German compensation claims. According to professor Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, historian and Polish ex-foreign minister, the report gives only a general idea of the extent of the losses as Warsaw was the only city in Europe which lost during World War 2 half of its population and 80% of infrastructure.

posted by: Oborski at 01:00 | link | comments |

"There will be approximately 25 traders largely food associated with a number of countries such as : France, Belgium, Poland, Spain, Italy, Greece & UK"

posted by: Oborski at 00:42 | link | comments |

Zagreb, Oct. 16: Poland welcomes with satisfaction the start of Croatia's membership negotiations with the European Union and is ready to share its experiences on the road to the EU with it, President Aleksander Kwasniewski told the 12th annual meeting of the presidents of central and eastern Europe on Friday. During the two-day debates the politicians discussed the most important political and economic problems of the region. The Friday's session was dominated Croatia's and Turkey's membership negotiations with the EU that officially began in Luxembourg on October 3. "All summit participants treat the beginning of negotiations with Turkey and Croatia as a big European chance," Kwasniewski told journalists in Zagreb on Friday.The president stressed that Poland is ready to share its experiences in negotiations with the EU with Croatian and other countries that seek EU membership. Kwasniewski discussed Poland's readiness to help Croatia on the road to the EU with president Stipe Mesic. On Saturday, the presidents and invited representatives of European economic and financial circles discussed economic and financial future of Europe. "I think that today's discussion has sense under condition that large European banking, financial and business structures will help countries in need of assistance," Kwasniewski said. According to him Macedonia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Albania are among such countries. The president said they need not only investments but also the showing of a "European roadmap." Summing up the two-day meeting Kwasniewski said that the more Europe is integrated the more efficiently it will be able to solve problems.

Warsaw, Oct. 16: Results of two separate polls, run by OBOP and PGB polling centres, pointed at Donald Tusk is the winner of the Oct. 23 presidential elections.According to the newest OBOP poll if elections were held on Oct. 16 Tusk would receive a 57 per cent support while his opponent, Lech Kaczynski - 43 per cent.Meanwhile, according to results of the latest PGB poll, Tusk would receive a 44 per cent backing. Kaczynski could count on a 39 per cent support. 17 per cent of the polled remained undecided.

Gdansk, Oct. 14: The need for globalisation in politics and ecology and the role of Europe in contemporary world was raised in Gdansk on Friday by Lech Walesa at a meeting with theEuropean youth attending a congress of volunteers acting for local communities. The meeting with the legendary Solidarity leader was attended by 100 young people from Holland, Latvia, Moldova, Germany, Poland, Romania and Great Britain. Addressing young people Walesa said that "there is one super-power in the world that is now the economic and military leader while the world needs also moral and political leadership. The United Nations is a merited organisation but its structure is outdated and unfit for contemporary world." The former president believes that in this situation either the U.N. should be "healed" or similar organisations should be formed. Walesa believes that the new organisation should chiefly deal with solving border conflicts, fighting anti-Semitism and counteracting terrorism. The congress in Gdansk is part of a project promoting young people activities in the field of social assistance. It is held in a different European location every other year. This year it has been organised by Gdansk municipal social assistance centre and the centre for supporting local activities, the association headquartered in Warsaw.

Warsaw, Oct.16: The minister of agriculture Jerzy Pilarczyk signed a decree Saturday forbidding keeping poultry outside hen-houses. The decree, prompted by the confirmation by the EU Commission of reports on H5N1 avianflu virus occurrence in Romania, becomes effective Monday. The decree bans trade in live poultry in open-air markets and poultry exhibitions.Pilarczyk said Poland was free from the avianflu virus. "Not a single case of avianflu has been discovered," he said. The candidate for prime minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz visited a wild bird natural reserve in the Lubuskie province, western Poland, Friday and said there was no reason for anxiety over avianflu so far. "We should not be afraid, but we should be prepared," he told newsmen. "Some things need to be improved. Firstly, vaccines and drugs must be available everywhere in the country, and above all in those areas which are home to large concentrations of birds."

Warsaw, Oct. 14: Joint air, land and navy forces of the Polish army participated in the "Ash-tree 05" exercise that wound up on Friday, spokesman for the Operational Command in Warsaw Janusz Walczak said. These were the first joint Polish army manoeuvres in 12 years. The exercise was designed to improve planning and order giving. The "Ash-tree 05" exercise is to be continued in the autumn of 2006.

Warsaw, Oct. 14: The value of foreign investments in Poland may exceed 10 billion USD against 7.8 billion USD achieved in 2004, Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency head Andrzej Zdebski said on Friday. The total value of foreign investments in Poland since early 1990's reaches 84 billion USD.

Warsaw, Oct. 14: Social mood in Poland improved after the general elections that were won by the right-wing Law and Justice and Civic Platform, according to a poll released Friday by TNS OBOP. Overall, 31 percent of Poles are optimistic about Poland's future, up from 17 percent in September, with 56 percent pessimistic, down 18 percent from September. Optimists are predominantly educated city residents, pessimist are chiefly older people with elementary education who live in rural areas. Future seems optimists chiefly to Civic Platform's (59 percent) and Law and Justice's electorate (44 percent). League of Polish Families (10 percent) and Self-defence (14 percent) electorate is most pessimistic. The poll was carried out on a representative sample of 1,004 Poles above 15 years of age on September 30 to October 3.

Warsaw, Oct. 14: September's money supply (M3) grew 1.3 percent, or by 4 billion and 957.9 million zlotys, to 401 billion and 206.3 million zlotys, the National Bank of Poland said on Friday. Since the beginning of 2005 money supply has gone up7.4 percent or 27 billion 797.2 million zlotys. September's net foreign assets fell 1.1 pct, or by 508.1 million euros to 43billion and 941.0 million euros.

Warsaw, Oct. 14: The prices of consumer goods and services were 1.8 percent higher in September 2005 than in the same month of 2004, the Central Statistical Office reported on Friday. Compared to August 2005 figures, September prices went up by 0.4 per cent.Market forecasts predicted year-on-year inflation at 1.6-2.0 percent. The office also announced that the 3rd quarter deflation reached 0.2 per cent compared to the 2nd quarter while the consumer price index in the first three quarter of the year grew by 2.5 per cent.

Katowice, Oct. 14: Johnson Controls of the United States will spend at least 35 million euros to build a factory turning out metal car parts in Siemianowice Slaskie in the Katowice Special Economic Zone (KSSE). The plant will employ some 900 people. The US company won a tender Friday for a 6-hectare site in Siemianowice Slaskie and obtained the permit to operate in KSSE. This means the last legal hurdles were cleared on the road to starting the project, announced several months ago. Johnson Controls is the 18th investor in KSSE this year and the largest regarding the planned outlays. The building works will begin any day now and production will be launched in December, 2006. Siemianowice Slaskie have an unemployment rate of 26 pc and 5,800 registered jobless people. It is estimated that the value of investments in KSSE will reach 1 billion zlotys (ca. 300 m USD) this year. It is the Polish largest special economic zone regarding the value of investments which now total 7 billion zlotys.

Warsaw, Oct.14: Over 49,000 new passenger cars left the Polish assembly plants in September, according to figures released by Samar research firm Friday. This means anincrease of 5.85 pc over the year ago figure. The number of delivery vans produced in September reached 7,600 and was higher by 6.6 pc than a year ago. Car production during January-September totalled 375.7 thousand units, down 3.1 pc on the same period of 2004. Delivery van output reached 64.8 thousand, up 21.5 pc. The fall in passenger car output is attributable to the persisting low home demand for new cars, expert say. By contrast, exports fared very well. Over 93 pc of passenger cars and 91 pc of delivery vans were sold abroad. Fiat remains the largest Polish car maker, with a 54 pc production share. It is followed by Opel (22 pc) and Volkswagen (17 pc). The Ukrainian-owned FSO comes fourth (7.5 pc). Volkswagen is the largest delivery van maker, with a share of 82 pc.

Warsaw, Oct. 14: The pace of pay growth in Poland is one of the lowest in the European Union and in the world, writes Zycie Warszawy daily. Experts say this will change but Poland needs time. Mercer Human Consulting survey indicates that in 2006 pays in the world will go up by 2.4 pct above inflation. In India and China net pays will grow by 7.3 pct and 4.8 pct respectively. Fast net pays' growth will be reported also by Lithuania, Lativa, Estonia and Slovakia, the daily writes. According to initial estimates in Poland pays may grow by 1.5 pct

in real terms this year and by 0.5 pct next year, the daily quotes Amina Nasir of Mercer Human Consulting. "We have to wait for pay rises," says Dariusz Dmowski of the Polish branch of Mercer company. He believes it is crucial to keep inflation on the stable level so that rises will not go to cover growing prices. "Pays in Poland will grow at a slower pace but systematically," concluded Grzegorz Cimochowski, the expert of Boston Consulting Group.

Warsaw, Oct. 14: German firms will increase investments in the development and research sector in the coming years, believes Tomasz Kalinowski of the Gdansk Institute for Market Economics. "So far the biggest chunk of money was invested in sectors related to food processing. This tendency will undergo modification and in coming years Germans will also invest in development and research centres," Kalinowski told PAP. He attributed the change to relatively saturated food processing sector, foreign investors' conviction that Poland has huge potential of highly qualified academics and to employment costs which are lower than in Germany. According to data released by the Polish Information and Foreign Investments Agency the value of German investments in Poland until December 2004 totalled 10.1 bn USD. Germany's biggest firms present in Poland include Metro Group AG, HVB, Volkswagen AG, Commerzbank, RWE Plus and Siemens.

Cracow, Oct.16: The inauguration of a foundation to set up a papal centre in Cracow devoted to John Paul 2nd was announced by the Cracow metropolitan archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz here Sunday, the Papal Day. A mass in the intention of Karol Wojtyla's prompt beatification and canonization was attended by president Aleksander Kwasniewski and presidential candidates Lech Kaczynski and Donald Tusk. Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, former personal secretary to pope John Paul 2nd, said in his homily that John Paul 2nd had definitively ended the era when popes had been "inmates of the Vatican." John Paul 2nd went out to meet people and bring them hope, especially to the ill, hungry, imprisoned and dying, Dziwisz said. Plans provide for the papal centre to be set up in the grounds of former Solvay chemical plant where Karol Wojtyla, later pope John Paul 2nd, worked in the years of Nazi occupation of Poland. The centre will feature a centre of ecumenical dialogue, a hospital, a hospice, a museum and an educational centre. The financing will come from the faithful around the globe.Observances of the papal day were held throughout Poland Sunday.

posted by: Oborski at 22:56 | link | comments |

Six days ahead of the second round of Poland's presidential elections, liberal candidate Donald Tusk leads with over 57% support. His rival, conservative Lech Kaczynski has a 43 % backing. This in spite of his attempts last week to discredit Tusk by leaking information of Tusk's grandfather serving in the German army during WWII.

Lech Kaczynski sacked his campaign manager who made the allegations and apologised to Tusk for the dirty trick in the campaign. On Sunday during a religious service both candidates exchanged a sign of peace, promising they would stick to business rather that digging up the past.

Polls clearly show Tusk's advantage. As commentator Oskar Chomicki of the Poland in Europe Foundation says, this may be due to the more peaceful approach to fight for the electorate than his rival has.

Presidential runners who had lost in the first round have offered to support the two remaining candidates. It is said that Marek Borowski, the leftist candidate, urged his electorate to cast votes for Tusk, while the radical leader of the farmer's Self Defence union Andrzej Lepper has offered to back Lech Kaczynski. Robert Strybel, a correspondent of Polish American media, doubts however, that these declarations will any effect when it comes to voting.

And the Polish electorate is known to be unpredictable. Oscar Chomicki says that people have been disillusioned with the campaign, the candidates and the political scene and may not find the presidential elections worthy of attention. The turnout may not be what the candidates expect

The remaining six days for the candidates are therefore not only a battle for the electorate but for the electorates' wish to go to the polls. But the more ugly the campaign gets, says Robert Strybel, the more it is likely to put the electorate off. Everything is in the hands of the candidates and their campaign committees. According to observers, little time is left to clean up the act and behave gentlemanly to convince the electorate.

posted by: Oborski at 20:00 | link | comments |

The survey run by PBS on October 14-15 put support for Tusk at 55 percent and for Lech Kaczynski at 45 percent.

PBS ran the poll a few days after Poles had learnt that Tusk's grandfather had served in the Wehrmacht between August 2, 1944 and October 12, 1944.

According to the TNS OBOP poll released also on Monday Tusk can count on votes of 57 percent of Poles and Lech Kaczynski on 43 percent. TNS OBOP ran the poll on October 16.

In the PBS poll Tusk's lead over Kaczynski amounts to 10 percentage points and in the second one to 14 percentage points.

posted by: Oborski at 15:48 | link | comments |

The Papal Day is marked all over Poland under the motto: “ Pope John Paul II – a Champion of Truth”. Its main aim is to raise money for scholarships for talented young people from small towns and villages. Some 100,000 volunteers are collecting donations. This is the fifth time that the Papal Day is being observed here with gala concerts, masses and prayers for the fast beatification of the late Pope.

Poland’s parliament declared October 16 the Papal Day to commemorate the day in 1978 when Karol Wojtyla of Poland had been elected Pope. That day was recalled by the late Pontiff’s closest associate archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, who celebrated mass at the Lagiewniki sanctuary in southern Poland. The archbishop announced that a Centre “Do Not Fear”, devoted to Pope John Paul, will be created at Lagiewniki. He recalled that prayer was the late Pope’s biggest strength and mystery. Though Christ did not spare him suffering, the Holy Father never complained seeing the will of God and his kindness everywhere.

The mass was attended by the outgoing president Aleksander Kwasniewski and the two main contenders for the post – Donald Tusk and Lech Kaczynski.

Another mass will be celebrated by cardinal Jozef Glemp in Warsaw tonight. It will be followed by a concert in front of the Royal Castle, during which the participants will be addressed by Pope Benedict XVI.

posted by: Oborski at 17:39 | link | comments |

Warsaw, Oct. 13: President Aleksander Kwasniewski leaves for Zagreb, Croatia, on Friday morning to take part in the 12th annual meeting of presidents of 18 central, eastern and southern European states. According to Andrzej Majkowski, responsible for international affairs in the Presidential Chancellery, the presidents on Friday will discuss the future of their countries within the European Union. The Friday agenda also envisages President Kwasniewski's meetings with Presidents of Moldova Vladimir Voronin, Croatia - Stipe Mesic

and Austria - Heinz Fischer. On Saturday the presidents and invited guests representing economic and financial circles will discuss the financial future of Europe. Majkowski said that the meeting in Zagreb will be a farewell visit of President Kwasniewski.

Brussels, Oct. 13: Poland Thursday in Brussels presented NATO with its Strategic Defence Review specifying required combat levels for the Polish armed forces, the dangers they must be prepared to deal with, and army modernization plans adjusted to Poland's financial capacities. The review was presented by the Polish defence minister's commissioner for defence reviews Andrzej Karkoszka, who heads a team preparing the document. This review will bring considerable change to Poland's defence policy, army command structure and participation in NATO and EU military missions, Karkoszka told PAP.

Bialystok, Oct. 13: Europe wants Poland to shape its eastern policy provided it is based on respect for human rights and other fundamental European values, presidential candidate Donald Tusk said Thursday campaigning in Bialystok, northeast Poland. Europe wants Poland to play a key role in shaping its eastern policy, but Europe also wants Poland to show the will and ability to base this policy upon respect for human rights, defence of truth, and other ethical values forming the foundation of Europe, Tusk said. According to Tusk Poland's relations with Russia should be "good" because Poland needed "a good rapport" with all its neighbours. I am a guarantee of such a policy. I am a guarantee that Poland will be respected and liked by its European neighbours and partners, the presidential candidate said. In Bialystok Tusk also met with members of the local Belarussian community.

Warsaw, Oct. 13: Polish PM designate Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz and Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern Thursday held a courtesy telephone conversation in which Ahern congratulated Marcinkiewicz on his appointment. Marcinkiewicz informed Ahern that duties connected with the formation of Poland's new government will keep him away from the October 27 informal EU summit in London. According to Marcinkiewicz a new cabinet will be ready still this month.

Warsaw, Oct. 13: Outgoing Treasury Minister Jacek Socha said Thursday Poland should hold a debate on what should remain in the hands of the State Treasury and what should be privatised. Socha, addressing "State and Economy" session in Warsaw said that such situation would allow for the continuation of privatization process without further unnecessary discussions. Socha recalled that the Treasury supervises over 1.5 thousand firms, however majority of them are small companies, many of them employing 10 persons. "Where in the world a treasury minister is an owner of such companies?" asked Socha.

Warsaw, Oct. 13: Poland may be unable to cut the budget deficit as foreseen in the 2006 budget proposal, the Monetary Policy Council said in a review of the 2006 budget bill. The 2006 budget bill projects the budget deficit at 32.6 billion zlotys, against 30.8 billion zlotys forecast for 2005. The RPP wrote that Poland's total spending will rise due to old age and disability pension indexation plans and a need to ensure co-financing for EU funds. It will be difficult to achieve plans to cut the public finance sector deficit from 4.5 percent of GDP in 2005 to 4.0 percent in 2006 in light of the risk of high

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