Gov't reforms aim for 13.9% unemployment by 2006

Tadeusz Chroscicki from the Governmental Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS) announced during a meeting of economists yesterday that the government's program of reforming public finances was aimed at decreasing unemployment to 13.9% by 2006. Such a figure has been included in Finance Minister Kolodko's proposal, which will be presented to the government today. A few days ago, Labor Minister Jerzy Hausner estimated that the unemployment figure would jump to 18.8% in February. Chroscicki also announced that, according to the document, GDP growth by 2006 in fixed prices would stand at 21%, in consumption at 15% and in investments 52%. He also admitted that, "It will be very hard to achieve the 3.5% GDP growth scheduled for 2003 and such a figure is the high-end of optimism." He stated that in the first quarter of 2003 growth was expected to reach 3%, but also stressed that at present about 20% of GDP is earned from the grey zone. (www.bIznes.onet.pl) M.M.