Government announces draft bills for Hausner plan

If implemented the bills could produce savings of zł.54 billion between 2004-2007. The majority of this amount, zł.34 billion, would come from savings in social expenditure and increases in social insurance contributions from wealthy farmers and the self-employed. The remaining zł.20.4 billion would come from lower expenditure on public administration, the military and teachers' salaries, as well as anticipated improvements in tax collection. However, most of the savings would materialize only in 2006-2007, leaving the current budget finance deficit largely untouched. Lacking a majority, the government will have to rely on the opposition to pass the bills. The Civic Platform (PO) is likely to support at least some of the planned measures, while other opposition parties reject most or all of them. (Rzeczpospolita, Feb. 28-29, p. A1) T.J.