Hausner looks to a stronger złoty to ease budget deficit

Economy Minister Jerzy Hausner said yesterday that the country will be ready to meet the Maastricht criteria in 2008-2009. He added that next year's budget deficit will be lower than the envisaged one by zł. 3 billion. "However, we have never asserted that meeting the Maastricht criteria will be our main objective," Hausner said in a debate with economic analysts held in Gazeta Wyborcza daily yesterday. In order to adopt the Euro, aspiring countries are obliged to lower their rate of inflation, reduce their budget deficit, as well as adjust their economy to the standards followed in the Euro zone. "From my point of view, the strengthening of the zloty would be advantageous for us since it will improve the state of public finances," Hausner said. (www.onet.pl) A.Z.