Finance Minister proposes liberalizing food import tariffs to fight inflation

Finance Minister Jaroslaw Bauc said on Friday that he will present a proposal to Cabinet to help slow inflation by liberalizing the duty on major food items or increasing the duty-free grain quotas. He said he was consulting with Economy Minister Janusz Steinhoff but has not spoken with Agricultural Minister Artur Balazs yet. Balazs said over the weekend he will oppose any radical liberalization such as removing import tariffs. If the government does not make a decision about the liberalization of duties on food, The Monetary Policy Council (RPP) is very likely increase interest rates on Wednesday. The representatives of the RPP are counting on the support of Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek to push the Finance Minister' s plans. (Rzeczpospolita, page A1, Gazeta Wyborcza, page 22, Reuters)