Government policy reversal puts PAP privatization on hold

Treasury Minister Wieslaw Kaczmarek has signalled a reversal of policy toward the Polish Press Agency (PAP), by saying its privatization makes no sense. Poland's biggest news agency has been scheduled for privatization for several years, with Kaczmarek's own party, the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), previously supporting the sale. PAP president Robert Bogdanski refused to comment on the Minister's statement, saying only, "As for now we are in favor of privatization. If the policy of the government changes and is clearly defined, because we've only had press statements so far, then we will think how to implement it." According to unofficial sources quoted by Rzeczpospolita, the change of plan is a result of the government's media strategy of relying on two huge public institutions, namely PAP and television giant TVP, to influence public opinion. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A3) P.W.