BA CA sees slight upturn in FDI for Poland and Central Europe

According to Bank Austria Credianstalt (BA CA), foreign direct investment in Central and Eastern Europe should top EUR 20 billion annually in 2004 and 2005. Poland looks set to receive EUR 4.5 billion in 2004 and EUR 4.9 billion in 2005, which would be large amounts in comparison to its neighbors. However, analysts point at the fact that Poland has the largest economy, while the Czechs and Slovaks have far more competitive markets and are at a much more advanced stage of privatization. "The foreign debts of the EU new entrants will increase from EUR 254 billion in 2003 to EUR 280 billion in 2005," said Hans Holzhacker, economist at BA CA. (Puls Biznesu, p. 11) M.M.