Peasants Party threatens to leave government if import tax is not imposed

The junior partner in Poland's governing coalition, the Polish Peasants Party (PSL), said yesterday that if the Cabinet does not back its demand for an import tax it may quit the administration next year. The import tax, which is opposed by Finance Minister Marek Belka, has become the first bone of contention in the coalition government of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and the PSL. "We formed this coalition to make important changes in economic policy, including the import tax," PSL leader and Agriculture Minister Jaroslaw Kalinowski told private Radio Zet. "If these changes do not occur then there will be no place for us in this coalition," Kalinowski said, adding that his party plans to evaluate Cabinet decisions in six months. The PSL believes that import taxes can strengthen the position of Poland's producers and bring more money into the State budget. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A3; Reuters) A.K.