ZUS faces increased payment difficulties with budget income set to fall

Social Insurance Company (ZUS) will this month see its income from the State budget fall compared to May, adding to the difficulties already being experienced by its offices in making social security payments. Some local labor offices are already having to postpone payment of unemployment benefits and pre-retirement allowances. Grazyna Zielinska, chairwoman of the National Employment Office (KUP), which makes payments on behalf of ZUS, says a shortfall in funding means her office has already had to borrow zl.140 million this month. The KUP's efforts to combat unemployment have been particularly hard-hit. Zielinska says that she has already received a letter from the Finance Ministry confirming that there may be problems with funding for projects to counteract unemployment. The Rzeczpospolita daily gives the example of one KUP bureau, which has so far this year received only zl.46,000 out of a planned zl.3 million for its graduate training program. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B1) M.T.