Cost-cutting exercise leaves defense officials without mobile phones

In its latest cost-cutting offensive, the Defense Ministry has switched off the mobile phones of most of Poland's army officers, including the ministry's own spokesman and the head of its Press and Information Bureau. Rumors are rife that the same fate could also await the director of the minister's office. Although Colonel Jan Zmijewski from the ministry's administration department rejected as mere speculation reports that officials intend to take away phones from personnel soon, he did admit that the ministry is being forced to undertake significant cost-cutting initiatives. Reporters with the Gazeta Wyborcza daily were unsuccessful in their attempts to obtain any comment on the matter from Ministry of Defense spokesman Jerzy Smolinski, because he failed to answer his phone when they called. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 6) M.K.