Improved profits could allow mining industry to meet 80% of its tax bill

Deputy Finance Minister Jacek Bartkiewicz has forecast that the coal mining sector will this year meet 80% of its tax obligations. This would be a signi ficant improvement from recent years, and would be a result of the industry' s greater profitability. In 2001, the industry is estimated to have paid 72% of its tax dues. The total value of the sector's unpaid taxes currently stan ds at zl.2.3 billion. The coal mining industry's debts, including outstandin g VAT contributions, payments owed to suppliers of goods and services, and u npaid contributions to the Social Insurance Administration (ZUS), amounted t o zl.21.4 billion at the end of 2000. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 20) M.T.