NIK accuses ZUS of poor record management and budget implementation

The Supreme Board of Inspection (NIK) has criticized implementation of last year's Social Insurance Fund's (ZUS) budget. Because of a faulty computer system, ZUS was unable to set up accounts for all those insured and had inaccurate collection records. ZUS had no idea how much money should have gone to pension funds and invested premiums in current operations instead of putting the money into a separate account. NIK says ZUS has no data concerning those in arrears for 1999. Last year it managed to retrieve zl. 1.6 billion, zl. 500 million less than in 1998. ZUS has also failed twice to secure Finance Ministry permission for a loan and violated public sector procedures. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 29) J.K. Male delegate to female conference is chastised for giving misleading info Minister of Housing and regional Development Jerzy Kropiwnicki, who led the Polish delegation to the recent United Nations Women's Conference in New York, has been condemned for his speech claiming domestic violence against women was almost non-existent in Poland. Activists have accused Kropiwnicki of deliberately ignoring statistics on the abuse of women. He is also criticized for not endorsing a document calling for the abolition of discriminatory laws based on sexual orientation. Kropiwnicki says liberalization of the law in this area would mean tolerating pedophilia and other forms of sexual deviation. (Gazeta Wyborcza, June17-18, page 1) S.M.