Government propaganda machine in full motion over rewards of offset deal

Offset investments as part of the $3.5 billion purchase of fighter jets from Lockheed Martin could reach $12 billion, a top official said on Monday, though analysts said the official value was bound to be inflated. Science Minister Michał Kleiber, who leads the team negotiating the offset investment deal, said the final offer would be presented today. He also confirmed earlier remarks that it could be worth more than the initially estimated $6 billion. However, analysts said the use of multipliers to boost the estimated value of investments in preferred sectors such as high technology made the headline value almost meaningless. "It's not like we're going to come out $8 billion ahead. If it worked like that, I'd buy a plane myself, I would not need the government to do it," said Robert Gwiazdowski of the Adam Smith Center. (Parkiet, p. 9; Reuters) J.K.