Economy Minister pulls the plug on talks with TFK over Ożarów SEZ

The Economy Ministry will not continue negotiations with cable producer Tele-Fonika Kable (TFK) concerning its plant in Ożarów Mazowiecki, and stated that the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) planned for the site would be located elsewhere. Ryszard Biniecki, TFK's management representative sent a company statement to the Ministry which proposed exchanging assets in Ożarów Mazowiecki for real estate in Kraków. The negotiations concerning the property are taking longer than anticipated, while companies interested in investing in that area are discouraged by the inflated financial expec tations of the cable producer. "If Tele-Fonika does not take any action to help create new jobs, there will be no other option but to move the special economic zone out of the area. I cannot allow for the authority of the state to be lowered on this issue," said Economy Minister Jerzy Hausner. He also added that TFK's actions concerning on this issue were dishonest, unreliable and incomprehensible from the economic point of view. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B4) M.M.