Hausner reform package set to go ahead, although Sejm's support still needed

It is now certain that the widely discussed reform of state finances, commonly dubbed the Hausner Plan, will be implemented in full. Deputy Prime Minister Jerzy Hausner yesterday confirmed that he will stay on in government and that his changes will be executed. Previously, Prime Minister Marek Belka had announced abandoning some aspects of the package, namely the proposed changes to the pensions system. However, after a meeting with Belka on Tuesday, Hausner said that his program is not going to be amended in any way. Economists, though, believe that Hausner's announcement will not really change anything, as the reforms have yet to be approved by the Sejm. That said, Hausner's statement has already led to a strengthening of the złoty against the dollar and the euro. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, B3) D.W.