In Brief: Generali; Okocim Group; Steel duties; Unemployment up

Italian insurance group Generali, which is planning to take over companies within the Zurich insurance group in spring 2003, also intends to open its own bank in Poland. Management board member Grzegorz Brenda denies rumors that Generali intends to stop developing their relations with BRE bank. Analysts indicate that the Italians may even seek to invest in BRE's on-line bank, mBank. (Puls Biznesu, p. 4) ... The Okocim Group, which reported first half operational profits of zl. 6.3 million, believes this figure will be doubled by the end of the year, reaching zl. 12 million. The company intends to withdraw from the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE), but not earlier than in 2004. (Prawo i Gospodarka, p. 7) ... Next week customs duties will be imposed on ten groups of steel products, said Wieslaw Karsz, the director of the Protection Procedures Department (DPO) in the Economy Ministry. The decree will immediately come into force on the day it is published in the official government publication Monitor Polski next week, he added. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B1) ... Unemployment increased in July to 17.4%, which is 0.1% more than in June, said Labor Minister Jerzy Hausner. According to the Ministry, unemployment will be above 19% by the end of the year, as new graduates enter the labor market and qualify as unemployed. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 5). M.T.