In Brief: Polfa pharmaceutical; Polish steel mills; GetJet vs LOT

The management of pharmaceutical producer Polfa Warszawa, is very sceptical about the government plan to set up a pharmaceutical holding consisting of Polfa Warszawa, Tarchomin and Pabianice. Polfra President, Władysław Karaś fears that the consolidation of the Polfa plants around Polfa Ciech may result in the latter's attempt to take over the Polish drug makers. (Gazeta Wyborcza, Aug. 9-10, p. 26)... Trade unions of the Polish Steel Mills (PHS) want negotiations over the social package to be run in parallel with the Treasury Ministry's talks with PHS's potential investor. On Friday, the unionists submitted a letter to Treasury Ministry Piotr Czyżewski on this issue. (Gazeta Wyborcza, Aug. 9-10, p. 26)... The launch of the new cheap airlines GetJet this fall poses a problem for Polish Airlines LOT. "In our opinion, GetJet has come up with a niche offer and we do not expect that Polish passengers will abandon the traditional airlines on a mass scale, nevertheless, LOT intends to run an active promotional policy" said LOT's spokesman Leszek Chorzewsk. (Gazeta Wyborcza, Aug. 9-10, p. 25) ... Statistics show that nearly every fourth Pole has used a credit card from one of the main credit card companies over the last twelve months. The number of card users is on the increase with adults and especially among older people as well as inhabitants of small towns and villages.Currently there are approximately 15 million of credit cards in circulation. According to analysts only half of this number is used on a daily or weekly basis. "We want to change the customs of bank clients and encourage them to use cards not only to withdraw some money from the internet but also to realize transactions" says head of Visa International in Poland Małgorzata O'Shaughnessy (Rzeczpospolita, p. B1) AZ