Is Centra's success due to higher demand for cheaper products?

Poznań-based Centra, the largest Polish battery producer has announced the results of its financial year, posting a profit of zł. 2.2 million. Last time the company generated profit was three years ago. "The result proves that Centra has managed to overcome a barrier and is now capable of moving forward," said Centra's president Małgorzata Majewska-Śliwa. In her opinion, the positive change is the result of an increase in sales on the domestic market, particularly in the second half of 2002. "The optimistic results were also an effect of introducing a variety of cost saving programs which allowed the firm to come up with competitive prices," she said. This year Centra intends to produce 3.7 million batteries, which is 500,000 more than in 2002. (Puls Biznesu, p. 11) A.Z. In Brief: F-16 $2 billion cheaper?; Spin to merge with Telmax?; Orlen According to unofficial information news, the U.S. has offered to write-off $1-2 billion from the loan to purchase the F16 planes. Deputy Defense Minister Janusz Zemke refused to confirm the report, but said that the U.S. sometimes writes-off the debts of its close allies. (www.polskieradio.pl) ... Prokom subsidiary Spin is reportedly working on a merger with Telmax whose shares are traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. (Parkiet, p. 1) ... PKN Orlen's new subsidiary, Orlen Asfalty, will be launched on June 1. Orlen wants to consolidate asphalt producers, in the belief that it will be possible to sell 600,000 tones of asphalt per year. (Puls Biznesu, p. 9) A.Z.