Poland to get secure e-tail system

Today over 14 million Poles have access to the internet and spending on e-purchases amounted to zl.4.2 billion in 2006, zl.1 billion more than in the preceding year. The concept of the new nationwide system will be revealed in March and it is being worked out by the Polish Association of Banks (ZBP) in cooperation with representatives of mobile operators and IT companies. Rzeczpospolita managed to obtain some information on the new system, which will use SIM cards as data carriers. The new solution will create opportunities for the faster development of the online economy. "If we propose to mobile phone users a tool which will provide a safe and convenient way of handling bank accounts, we might convince them to set up those accounts," said Remigiusz Kaszubski of the ZBP. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, B3) M.M.