Upcoming elections likely to dilute any decisive Cabinet anti-inflationary steps

Today Cabinet is to discuss anti-inflationary measures but the presidential elections and the parliamentary elections in 2001 will probably be a reason for the government not to tighten its inflation policy, economists say. The governments past actions were too slow. The main issue in fighting inflation is controlling government expenditures, analysts say. "Elimination of duties and monopolies is not enough, we must cut the state expenditures," said Krzysztof Dzierzawski from the Adam Smith Center. Economists also say that increasing fuel excise duties puts pressure on the zloty. According to the experts, inflation is a structural problem. (Prawo i Gospodarka, page 1)