Economic bulletin 33 (839)

News highlights

·        Unemployment rate fell to 9.4 pc in July from 9.6 pc in June, deputy Labour Minister Czeslawa Ostrowska told PAP on Wednesday. The number of unemployed amounted to 1.424 mln, down by 31 thousand people m/m, according to the ministry's estimates.

·        In the 1Q of 2008 Poles working abroad sent to the country 1,214 mn euro against 1,382 mn euro in the 4Q of 2007 and 1,124 mn euro in 1Q 2007, the National Bank of Poland (NBP) said Monday. "Compared to the 1Q 2007 the value of transferred means rose by 90 mn euro", the NBP wrote.

·        Road constructing investors will need one permit instead of two administrative decisions under an amendment to the law on Road investments adopted by the Senate. The amendment was adopted by the Sejm on July 25. The permit is to replace the permit of a road construction and the decision on road course.

·        The Senate has amended the law on farming cooperatives cutting the number of founders to five. The amendment was adopted by the Sejm at the end of July. The change had been prepared by deputies of the Polish People’s Party (PSL).

·        More powers vis-a-vis producers’ groups will be granted to local assembly speakers under an amendment to the law on the organisation of the market of fruit, vegetables, hop, tobacco and dried fodder. The Sejm adopted the amendment at the end of July to adjust the Polish law to EU standards

·        The government adopted a bill in used electric and electronic equipment under which plants making said equipment will have the obligation to accept, free-of-charge, used equipment.

Review

"Friendly State" commission to sums up its activity

By the end of July the Sejm “Friendly State” commission examined 500 draft laws of which 68 were sent to the Sejm speaker, 105 - to the Sejm Analysis Bureau. The Sejm speaker sent 9 drafts to 1^st readings in Sejm committees and 17 to 1^st readings at Sejm’s plenary meetings. 4 drafts were withdrawn.

In a report presented by the commission, set up in December 2007 for red tape cutting it was written that the commission held 155 meetings, more than one time daily after deduction national days and holidays.

The most important issues dealt with by the commission the MPs included a number of draft amendments to laws on taxes on commodities and services, accountability, and the tax law as well as changes to the protection of farmland and forests, tax on inheritance and donations and on spatial planning.

TNS OBOP: every 9th adult Pole will buy a car this year

Every 9^th adult Pole (11 pct) plans to buy a car this year, indicates a recent TNS OBOP poll.

Choosing cars Poles are guided chiefly by vehicles make (37 pct), opinions on them or class. Next, they are guided by reliability and price (36 pct). Low maintenance an exploitation costs are important for one third of Poles (33 pct).

Good opinion on a given car is important to (31 pct) of Poles. Safety was mentioned by 18 pct, appearance by 18 pct, earlier experience by 16 pct, size and comfort by 15 pct  and equipment by 13 pct.

In 2007, for example car make was important for 38 pct of Poles. Respondents to the poll were more interested in exploitation costs (50 pct) and good opinion about the car (42 pct).

TNS OBOP poll showed that Poles are willing to pay 21,293 zloty per car on the average in 2008, up 30 pct on 2007 figure of 16,561 zloty.  

News in brief

Finance

The net result reported by Polish banks after two quarters of 2008 rose by 20 pct from 2007 to 8.64 bn zloty in 2008, the Banking Supervision Commission reported.

Investments

Irestal Service Center from the Spanish group Irestal plans to invest 25 mln euros in Gliwice, southern Poland, by the end of 2012. The company will open a new stainless steel servicing centre, employing 90 people.

Finance

The value of compensation for property lost in the east as a result of WW2, between 1944 and 1952, paid by the end of July topped 203 mn zloty, the treasury ministry.

Weekly roundup

CBOS: support for alternative energy sources will help solve energy crisis

84 pct of Poles believe that tax incentives for the development of alternative energy sources may help solve energy crisis, indicates a recent survey run by the CBOS rolling centre on a 1094 representative group of adult Poles. The survey was run at the start of July.  

Despite such indications as the promotion of energy from wind or sum 80 pct of Poles are against raising taxes for energy to encourage people to save it. Only 12 pct of Poles support such solution, up 5 pct from a survey in 2006, CBOS wrote.

According to CBOS 46 pct of the surveyed support the construction of nuclear plants to make economy independent on crude oil and coal. Two years ago only 30 percent were for power plants.

39 pct of Poles were against the building of power plants which would cut the use of crude oil and coal (56 pct were against two years ago) and 15 pct offered no opinion on the matter (14 pct two years ago).

Thirty eight pct supported the construction of the power plant in Poland, 45 pct were against Sixty three pct are against a power plant near their place of residence and 25 pct okayed such a construction.

54 pct of the pollees would support a demand to car producers to cut fuel usage even if car prices would go up as a result. 28 pct were against and 18 pct offered no opinion.

Two-fifth of Poles (39 pct, up 19 percentage points on 2006 figure) are very concerned that the deficit and high energy prices may undermine the balance of the world economy.

More than one third of the pollees (35 pct, up 19 percentage points on 2006 figure) are very concerned about the deterioration of natural environment e.g. changes to climate caused by production and the use of energy.

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