Hausner upbeat about unemployment, growth and NBP reserves

Economy and Labor Minister Jerzy Hausner told a press conference after the proceedings of the Social Dialogue conference in Poznań that it was very likely that unemployment would stop growing by the end of the year. Furthermore, unemployment should decrease in 2004 to under 17%. Hausner claimed that GDP growth should reach 5% in 2004 and that his Ministry is in talks over decreasing obligatory reserves of the National Bank of Poland (NBP) and changes in loan policy. This would free capital, which could be given as loans to companies, and in turn limit the ratio of bad debts. During the conference, the Industrial Development Agency (ARP) president Arkadiusz Krężel announced that the Agency was planning to keep production going in Ostrów Wielkopolski-based Wagon, which will be followed by a controlled bankruptcy and the disposal of its assets. (www.polskieradio.pl) M.M.