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Post by pieter on Jan 13, 2010 16:39:52 GMT -7
In the article, Mr Rostowski professed Civic Platform’s (PO) will to reform, but stressed that the implementation of the plan requires the consent of the opposition and the president. Yeah, The decision power and the abilitity to implement reforms in active programs, measures and policies is often slowed down or obstructed by factors like a strong opposition, a coalition partner that joins the opposition in it's criticizm and hindering opposition (in Poland maybe the PSL), the legal system and often even foreign bilateral and multilateral agreements of for instance the ministers of economical or financial affairs in a EU construction. In Poland you have the president, the Unions and maybe even internal party opposition (inside the PO, a PiS branch or the electoral effect of the Swing vote). That are the negative effects of democracies like Poland and the Netherlands with parlaimentairy systems with a lot of parties and parties with a lot of internal turmoil, the power of the party wings (often right, centre and left wings in one party). Pieter
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Post by pieter on Jan 13, 2010 17:11:05 GMT -7
However, not everyone is convinced of the government’s sincerity. “This is all a PR stunt and excuses, they do not want to introduce reforms,” Robert Gwiazdowski, president of the Adam Smith Center, told WBJ. In his opinion, if the government really wanted to reform, it would be able to rally enough support among the opposition to overturn the presidential veto. Tufta, Mister Gwiazdowski could be right, but why would the government want to thwart the core proposals of it's own party election program of 2007, privatization of the remaining public sectors of Polish economy, labor law reform, independence over monetary policy by the National Bank of Poland, a 15% flat tax and the decentralization of the state? If they fail to stick to their own promises they will lose the conservative-liberal voters, and the necassery reforms, economical growth and the Polish voters belief in the government’s sincerity! Is the PO afraid of the President, the presidents party in Parlaiment, the Left opposition, the Polish people, the Unions or for the comming elections? I can't judge the situation, because I don't have a clear view of Poland on a day to day basis. I can only say that after analysing the articles you provided me that I see simularities with the Netherlands and differances! You have a clear centre-right and right majority in Poland next to a centre-left/Left minority opposition. (not the political Checkmate situation of the Netherlands where a tense ballance in the centre often thwarts decision power, a strong centre-right, centre-left, right and left makes the system devided and the decision making process long and difficult) That centre-right power could be used to create a large majority on economical affairs and a vision for Polands future. I don't know how powerful or big the " Polish socialist" wing in PiS (you mentioned) is? And if this wing would hinder a PO-PIS united front on economical reform? Pieter
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Post by pieter on Jan 13, 2010 17:41:51 GMT -7
European debt crisis Posted on 7 Thu, Jan 2010, with tags: europe, euro In spite of relatively positive New Year's projections that estimate Poland's economy growing by approximately two percent in 2010 (one of Europe's highest rates), much of Poland's recovery will depend on successful growth within the euro zone. Currently, prospects remain challenging due to a looming European debt crisis.
By the end of 2009, bank lending across the euro zone decreased significantly, particularly to the private sector.
With the real estate market is still in decline and firms continuing to hold off hiring or making new investments, the EU economic engine seems stalled. In addition, ballooning public deficits in several euro-zone economies, including its newest (and first) Eastern members Slovakia and Slovenia, are simply unsustainable.
Not only do they threaten Europe's long-term recovery prospects, but they also raise the cost of borrowing (for both the public and private sectors) and increase the risk of inflation. This will surely affect Poland, which is dealing with its own widening public deficit as well as euro entry bid.
One major thorn in Europe's recovery is the lack of a common recovery plan. Regarding monetary policy among euro zone members, there is only so much that the European Central Bank can do. Unlike, the US, individual EU and euro zone member states, through independent fiscal and other stimulus policies, have set the recovery agenda and in many cases acted unilaterally out of self-interest rather than with the common market in mind. - (and that is one of the points concerning EU missed in Mr. Krugmans overly optimistic article sent by Jaga in another thread)Case in point is Italian carmaker Fiat considering relocating the production of its best-selling Panda back to Italy, despite Poland's lower labor and production costs, thereby addressing government demands of increasing Italy's domestic car production. Although Poland's recent success at avoiding large-scale recession rested on lower dependence on and exposure to euro zone export and credit markets, its recovery may be more closely tied to the euro zone's public debt balance and its members' short-term ability to get their fiscal houses in order. www.wbj.pl/blog/CEEPolicyWatch/post-171-new-year-brings-heightened-risk-of-european-debt-crisis.htm Tufta, Poland with its own widening public deficit as well as euro entry bid is endangered by the looming European debt crisis on the long term. I hope that Poland will show restraint in it's desire to enter the Euro zone. Poland should avoid Slovakian circumstances. The significant decreasing private sector bank lending across the euro zone is endangering foreign investments in Poland, because from one side the Euro currency of foreign investors is to strong for the weaker Polish zloty, and from the other side Poland lies in an Euro ocean market, the EU innermarket, which is Euro based. Poland is on of the few blossoming European economies and should keep that position with fiscal responsability, moderation of wages, daring investments in new sectors of the economy and human capital (education, R&D, new niche markets and etc.) and a long term strategy for the near future (continued reforms). That the real estate market is in decline and firms continuing to hold off hiring or making new investments is a negative development for Poland which new and innovative economy needs both European (Dutch, German, French and Italian) and Polish (internal market) investement to continue the economical growth! I hope that the EU economic engine will be on the right track very soon agian! The nationalisation of several banks in Western Europe added to the public deficits in several euro-zone economies. It is said that the newest Central-European members Slovakia and Slovenia have to suffer from this economical crisis instaid of implimenting succesful market economies and benefitting for the European market, trade relations and export like Poland did. Pieter
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Post by pieter on Jan 13, 2010 17:44:47 GMT -7
One major thorn in Europe's recovery is the lack of a common recovery plan. Regarding monetary policy among euro zone members, there is only so much that the European Central Bank can do. Unlike, the US, individual EU and euro zone member states, through independent fiscal and other stimulus policies, have set the recovery agenda and in many cases acted unilaterally out of self-interest rather than with the common market in mind. Tufta, I agree with this statement! Pieter
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Post by pieter on Jan 13, 2010 18:53:23 GMT -7
Case in point is Italian carmaker Fiat considering relocating the production of its best-selling Panda back to Italy, despite Poland's lower labor and production costs, thereby addressing government demands of increasing Italy's domestic car production. Although Poland's recent success at avoiding large-scale recession rested on lower dependence on and exposure to euro zone export and credit markets, its recovery may be more closely tied to the euro zone's public debt balance and its members' short-term ability to get their fiscal houses in order.
Tufta, Italies National capitalist approach hinders the working of the free market, free production, exchange of goods and labour in the larger Europea innermarket. It looks like a sort of Euregional, local form of isolationalism. Ignoring the fact that the production of Fiat cars in Poland is less expensive, and equal to Italian labour! If this is a precedent for future cases. If the Japanese, Korean, Czech-German (Skoda-Volkswagen and Opel), a Ukrainian car manifacturer leave Poland for Nationalistic reasons than that will be bad for Polish employment! You can't stop the international developement of the transfer of labour and production to countries with lower wages and cheaper and more efficient production lines. A lot of Western producted (Industrial) goods moved to Poland and China. But also to other Central- and Eastern European countries. Settlement in Poland and the skilled Polish workers, staff, marketing-management and rising sails in Poland make the country attractive to foreign investors, funding and settlement of businesses. Pieter
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Post by pieter on Jan 13, 2010 19:07:22 GMT -7
[Although Poland's recent success at avoiding large-scale recession rested on lower dependence on and exposure to euro zone export and credit markets, its recovery may be more closely tied to the euro zone's public debt balance and its members' short-term ability to get their fiscal houses in order. Tufta, I am curious how much the Polish market is really dependant from Europe's euro zone export and credit markets? I hope that Poland manages to proceeds it's recent succes at avoiding large-scale recession! Poland should consider joining the Euro zone, introducing and using the Euro after other EU members' have gotten their fiscal houses in order, and after the recovery of the European innermarket has started. You should not join in an instabile, recession and inflation period. This period stil has the threat of a decreasing economical development with recession and inflation. Poland should stick to it's zloty for a while, and it's less expensive currency is good for the export business, trade inside Poland with foreign and domestic trade partners, the Polish industry and attractivity as investment country. The Euro will come some day, but it is important to get on board of the Euro express on the right time! Pieter
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Post by pieter on Jan 13, 2010 19:24:44 GMT -7
Survey puts Poland in top place to do business in CEE
12th January 2010
A survey of 1,169 foreign professionals working in Central and Eastern Europe conducted by the University of Reading in the UK, has found that Poland, with the highest score of 204 points, is the best place for business.
Surprisingly, the professionals do not find corruption a real problem in Poland.
"Business here is decentralized. For all the 20 years I have been living here, I faced corruption issues only a couple of times. In running a business on a daily basis I feel completely safe," said Raimondo Eggink, who is a member of several supervisory boards.
According to Piotr Wielgomas the CEO of HR company Bigram, this good result might be due to the fact that expats have little contact with the public sector, and corruption is often generated when private business meets the public sector.
Still, for foreigners the biggest problems remain bureaucracy and the shortage of modern IT solutions.
Experts also point out incompetency as well as bad knowledge of English among bureaucrats.Source: Puls Biznesu Tufta, This is good news for the Private sector of Poland. I hope the present and future Polish governments will manage to decrease the bureaucracy in the Public sector. Also in the Public sector you could have efficiency, reformation, the abolishment of corruption with behavioral codes, work ethical protocols, cut backs on the amount of civil servants and avoidable intermediate layers of management! The shortage of modern IT solutions could be reversed or dealt with by more investments in ICT education, electronic infrastructures in business area's of Polish cities (with wireless internet connections, flexible new workplaces) and allowing foreign computer (hardware; chips, PC and processor manifacturers) and software companies to sette in Poland with low tax demands. You could create special economical zones, with a good tax climate with low income and Property taxes. You already stated in previous posts that you think that the Polish government should invest more in Research and Developement. Luckily the Polish private sector comes out good in this article! Pieter
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Post by pieter on Jan 13, 2010 19:51:35 GMT -7
I've been telling my international collegues and co-workers about that for ages! “Eastern Europe” Wrongly labelled
Jan 7th 2010 From The Economist print edition The economic downturn has made it harder to speak sensibly of a region called “eastern Europe”
IT WAS never a very coherent idea and it is becoming a damaging one. “Eastern Europe” is a geographical oddity that includes the Czech Republic (in the middle of the continent) but not Greece or Cyprus (supposedly “western” Europe but in the far south-east). It makes little sense historically either: it includes countries (like Ukraine) that were under the heel of the Soviet empire for decades and those (Albania, say) that only brushed it. Some of those countries had harsh planned economies; others had their own version of “goulash communism” (Hungary) or “self-managed socialism” (Yugoslavia).
Already unreliable in 1989, the label has stretched to meaninglessness as those countries’ fortunes have diverged since the collapse of communism. The nearly 30 states that once, either under their own names or as part of somewhere else, bore the label “communist” now have more differences than similarities. Yet calling them “eastern Europe” suggests not only a common fate under totalitarian rule, but a host of ills that go with it: a troubled history then; bad government and economic misery now.
The economic downturn has shown how misleading this is. Worries about “contagion” from the banking crisis in Latvia raised risk premiums in otherwise solid economies such as Poland and the Czech Republic—a nonsense based on outsiders’ perceptions of other outsiders’ fears. In fact, the continent’s biggest financial upheaval is in Iceland (see article, article), and the biggest forecast budget deficits in the European Union next year will not be in some basket-cases from the ex-communist “east” but in Britain and in Greece. The new government in Athens is grappling with a budget deficit of at least 12.7% of GDP and possibly as much as 14.5%. European Commission officials are discussing that in Greece this week.
None of the ten “eastern” countries that joined the EU is in so bad a mess. They include hotshots and slowcoaches, places that feel thoroughly modern and those where the air still bears a rancid tang from past misrule. Slovenia and the Czech Republic, for example, have overhauled living standards in Portugal, the poorest country in the “western” camp. Neither was badly hit by the economic downturn. Some of the ex-communist countries now have better credit ratings than old EU members and can borrow more cheaply. Together with Slovakia, Slovenia has joined the euro, which Sweden, Denmark and Britain have not. Estonia—at least in outsiders’ eyes—is one of the least corrupt countries in Europe, easily beating founder members of the EU such as Italy.
Three sub-categories do make sense. One is the five autocratic ’stans of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). They scarcely count as “Europe”, though a hefty Britain-sized tenth of Kazakhstani territory (some 200,000 square kilometres) lies unambiguously in Europe. Kazakhstan also this year chairs the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, a Vienna-based post-cold-war talking shop. But none of the ’stans has become a member of the Council of Europe (another talking shop and human-rights guardian, based in Strasbourg). That shows the problem. The definition of “Europe” is as unreliable as the word “eastern”.
The ’stans vary (Tajikistan is poor, Kazakhstan go-getting). But all have slim prospects of joining the EU in the lifetime of anyone reading this article. That creates a second useful category: potential members of the union. It starts with sure-fire bets such as Croatia, and other small digestible countries in the western Balkans such as Macedonia. It includes big problematic cases such as Turkey and Ukraine and even—in another optimistic couple of decades—four other ex-Soviet republics, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia and Azerbaijan (the last, maybe, one day, on Turkey’s coat-tails).
The third and trickiest category is the ten countries that joined in the big enlargement of 2004 and in the later expansion of 2007. They are a mixed bunch, ranging from model EU citizens such as Estonia (recently smitten by a property bust, but all set to gain permission this year to join the euro) to Romania and Bulgaria, which have become bywords in Brussels for corruption and organised crime respectively. Eight of them (Romania and Bulgaria are the exceptions) have already joined Europe’s Schengen passportless travel zone. Most (Poland is a big, rankling exception) also have visa-free travel to America. All (unlike EU members Austria, Cyprus, Ireland and Malta) are in NATO.
Some worries remain constant, mild in the countries in or near the EU, more troubling in those in the waiting room and beyond. Exclusion and missed opportunity from the communist years still causes anger, as does near-exclusion from top jobs in international organisations (another consequence of the damaging “eastern Europe” label, some say). Toxic waste from that era, such as over-mighty spooks and miles of secret-police files, create openings for blackmail and other mischief-making, especially where institutions are weak. Lithuania’s powerful security service, the VSD, is in the centre of a political storm, but worries about lawlessness and foreign penetration ripple from the Baltic to the Black Sea.
Four countries—Poland and the three Baltic states—worry a lot about Russian revisionism (or revanchism). Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are concerned too, but more about energy and economic security than military sabre-rattling. Yet elsewhere, in the former Yugoslavia for example, such fears seem mystifying and even paranoid.
The new and future members also share capital-thirstiness. All need lots of outside money (from the EU’s coffers, from the capital markets and from foreign bank-lending) to modernise their economies to the standards of the rest of the continent.
But the usefulness of the “new member state” category is clearly declining as the years go by. Oxford University still has a “New College” which was a good label in 1379 to distinguish it from existing bits of the university. It seems a bit quaint now. Poles, Czechs, Estonians and others hope that they will drop the “new” label rather sooner, so that they can be judged on their merits rather than on their past.
Tufta, To make an extract of the last article to state the things I find important and I hope other Poles too? It is strange and logical in the same time that the label “ communist” now bore more differences than similarities. The Central- and Eastern European nations not only have had a common fate under totalitarian rule. Bad government and economic misery now are threat for the Polish democracy and progress. Tthe continent’s biggest financial upheaval is in Iceland and the biggest forecast budget deficits in the European Union next year will not be in some basket-cases from the ex-communist “ east” but in Britain and in Greece. Slovenia and the Czech Republic, for example, have overhauled living standards in Portugal, the poorest country in the “ western” camp. Some of the ex-communist countries now have better credit ratings than old EU members and can borrow more cheaply. Together with Slovakia, Slovenia has joined the euro, which Sweden, Denmark and Britain have not. Estonia—at least in outsiders’ eyes—is one of the least corrupt countries in Europe, easily beating founder members of the EU such as Italy. Kazakhstan chairs the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, a Vienna-based post-cold-war talking shop. But none of the ’stans has become a member of the Council of Europe (another talking shop and human-rights guardian, based in Strasbourg). That shows the problem. The definition of “Europe” is as unreliable as the word “eastern”. Slim prospects of joining the EU in the lifetime of anyone reading this article. That creates a second useful category: potential members of the union. It starts with sure-fire bets such as Croatia, and other small digestible countries in the western Balkans such as Macedonia. It includes big problematic cases such as Turkey and Ukraine and even—in another optimistic couple of decades—four other ex-Soviet republics, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia and Azerbaijan (the last, maybe, one day, on Turkey’s coat-tails). It is understandable that the exclusion and missed opportunity from the communist years still causes anger, as does near-exclusion from top jobs in international organisations. Four countries—Poland and the three Baltic states—worry a lot about Russian revisionism (or revanchism). Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are concerned too, but more about energy and economic security than military sabre-rattling. The new and future members also share capital-thirstiness. All need lots of outside money to modernise their economies to the standards of the rest of the continent. But the usefulness of the “ new member state” category is could be increased during the years, if the image of Poland and the Poles is improved by Polish government propaganda, programs and a good investment climate, Poland could stay and become even more popular amongst foreign visitors (for business, technical and social matters). Poles, Czechs, Estonians and others should work towards the “ new” label rather sooner, so that they can be judged on their merits rather than on their past. The new English speaking, new media oriented and hard working generation of Poles in their final teenage years (1917 until 20) twentiers, fourty people create a new image of Poland with new modern ethics, a public moral and and a great technological internet community. Pieter
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Post by kaima on Jan 14, 2010 0:02:13 GMT -7
One major thorn in Europe's recovery is the lack of a common recovery plan. Regarding monetary policy among euro zone members, there is only so much that the European Central Bank can do. Unlike, the US, individual EU and euro zone member states, through independent fiscal and other stimulus policies, have set the recovery agenda and in many cases acted unilaterally out of self-interest rather than with the common market in mind. Tufta, I agree with this statement! Pieter There is, of course, quite a bit of noise made by some in America that the government should do nothing, that any government action is socialistic and interferes with capitalism. The noise stops there, however, and never proceeds to the point where there is a discussion of the actions private institutions and businesses could or should take to shorten any recovery time. It seems as if discussion is allowed on the negative but not on the positive side by these people, and of course they are the Obama haters, since he is a Democrat and supposedly anti everything good. Kai Personally I don't anticipate being hurt by this downturn for 5 years or more, so I am hoping for a quick recovery. Looking at American recessions and financial crises (panics is the old term) into the 1800's, we have a long time to recovery relying on non-action.
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Post by pieter on Jan 14, 2010 3:00:00 GMT -7
You are right Kaima about America from my European point of view!
In Europe there is less opposition against Keynesian government and central banks spending to improve the economy.
In my view sometimes a short term state debth is worth while taking the risk if you create a healthy business climate with employment, infrastructural investements and therefor building highways, railways, harbours and airports which increase the present transport sector, production, supply and demand, a positive belief in the future, suitable studies that are followed by students to fit in the demand in the market and public sectors that need people too. After a recovery the administration should cut back on certain expenses to decrease the state depth, like the Clinton administration did in the ninetees. In my view the government of the country with a large recession, unemployment and a collapsing economy should also negociate and put possitive pressure on the National companies, multinationals, businessworld, employersorganisations and unions to urge these organisations and people to invest, moderatly lower wages, cut taxes on income and property to create an interesting investment climate, employment and meet the demand side of the supply and demand.
Ofcourse it is easier for let's say Western-European and American governments to follow this Keynesian course, because they have had a long prosporous economical development from let's say 1945 with multi-nationals, family firms, companies and new niche markets which often had decades to develop themselves, than let's say Central-European and Eastern-European markets which only had a development of 20 years and face the competition of the Asian markets, Northern-America, Southern- and Western-Europe. Some countries like Poland have state debths which often have a heritage into the Communist era, and for instance Polands state debt stil has a heritage of the Gierek eraof the seventees, when the Polish communist government largely lived on the loans of Western (American) administrations. So Poland has a state debt which is composed of old and new layers of debth, and therefor Poland can probably draw less credit than other administrations do! In the case of state investments in Poland, like in the Netherlands the Poles probably will cut back on some costs in certain fields they think can do with less state funding and invest that money they save on the general state budget to the fields they find important for the Polish economy like the infrastructure for the transport and trade sector, Research and Development (R&D) for a good skilled workforce and creating Human capital; the sciences and education in general for creating the smart minds that will develop future niche markets and add to the new economy.
Pieter
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Post by tuftabis on Jan 15, 2010 7:12:07 GMT -7
Tufta, To make an extract of the last article to state the things I find important and I hope other Poles too? Pieter, for the Poles, but also the Czechs, Slovaks, Slovenes the most important is that having economies run properly, in some cases much better than the vast majority of 'old EU' countries, they are hit by money escape from the bourse etc etc. whenever something wrong happens in any non-Western European country.
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Post by pieter on Jan 15, 2010 13:52:38 GMT -7
Tufta, To make an extract of the last article to state the things I find important and I hope other Poles too? Pieter, for the Poles, but also the Czechs, Slovaks, Slovenes the most important is that having economies run properly, in some cases much better than the vast majority of ' old EU' countries, they are hit by money escape from the bourse etc etc. Whenever something wrong happens in any non-Western European country. Tufta, I think Poland has the benefit of a pluriform economy with a sort of selfsufficient innermarket, with a large agricultural sector (which supports and depends also a domestic mechanical and food industry), iron, steel and fertilizers and (stil) shipbuilding. Commodities produced in Poland include: electronics, electrical machinery, cars (including the luxurious Leopard car), buses (Autosan, Jelcz SA, Solaris, Solbus), helicopters (PZL Świdnik) and other aviation industry (light sports, passenger, agricultural and training aircrafts, gliders, aircraft parts and accessories), transport equipment, locomotives, planes (PZL Mielec), ships, military engineering (including tanks, SPAAG systems), medicines (Polpharma, Polfa), food industry, clothes (textile industry), glass, pottery (Bolesławiec), chemical products (petrochemical industry) and others. Next to this fact Poland with it's train connections with Western-, Eastern-, Central- and Southern-Europe is an important trade country with international transport, import and export. Good example of strong modern Polisch economy are many accounting ceters for worldwide companies, or bus manufacturing. PrivatizationThe privatization of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms have allowed the development of an aggressive private sector. As a consequence, consumer rights organizations have also appeared. Restructuring and privatisation of " sensitive sectors" such as coal, steel, rail transport and energy has been continuing since 1990. Between 2007 and 2010, the government plans to float twenty public companies on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, including parts of the coal industry. The biggest privatisations have been the sale of the national telecoms firm Telekomunikacja Polska to France Télécom in 2000, and an issue of 30% of the shares in Poland's largest bank, PKO Bank Polski, on the Polish stockmarket in 2004. Poland has made a tremendous overall economic progress over the last decade, and now is ranked 21st worldwide in terms of the GDP. With the largest component of its economy being the service sector, and the continued forecasts of positive economic growth, Poland is likely to continue to move up in the world GDP ranking. Foreign business in PolandPolish law is rather favorable to foreign entrepreneurs. The government offers investors various forms of state aid, such as: CIT tax at the level of 19% and investment incentives in 14 Special Economic Zones (among others: income tax exemption, real estate tax exemption, competitive land prices), several industrial and technology parks, the possibility to benefit from the EU structural funds, brownfield and greenfield localizations. According to the National Bank of Poland (NBP) the level of FDI inflow into Poland in 2006 amounted to 13,9 billion Euro. One of the main reasons why investors tend to choose Poland is its location at the very heart of continental Europe, part of the trans European road network and easy access to 250 million consumers within a radius of 1000 kilometers. Poland is a significant market of 38 million consumers driving 10% annual retail market growth. In the first quarter of 2007 Polish economy recorded the GDP growth at 7%, which makes it twice that of the EU average. According to the Ernst & Young report, Poland ranks 7th in the world in terms of investment attractiveness. According to the OECD (www.oecd.org) report, in 2004 Poles were one of the hardest working nations in Europe. It is estimated that the selection of Poland as the co-organizer of the European Football Championships in 2012 will speed up a lot of investments carried out in Poland in the coming years. It will mainly be the investment in sectors such as road, railway and air infrastructure, as well as in the hotel, tourism, gastronomy and recreation industry. Polish government has a specialized body that deals with foreign investors. Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency offers support for foreign investors - assists and helps investors in all the necessary legal and administrative procedures. TourismPoland is a part of the global tourism market with constantly increasing number of visitors, particularly after joining the European Union. Tourism in Poland contributes to the country's overall economy. The most popular cities are Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, Lublin, Toruń, including the historic site of the Auschwitz concentration camp near Oświęcim. Popular destinations include northeast Poland's Mazury lake district and Białowieża Forest. Poland's main tourist offers are sightseeing within cities and out-of-town historical monuments, business trips, qualified tourism, agrotourism, and mountain hiking, among others. Poland is the 17th most visited country by foreign tourists in 2008. Pieter
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Post by pieter on Jan 15, 2010 14:12:52 GMT -7
Tufta, To make an extract of the last article to state the things I find important and I hope other Poles too? Pieter, for the Poles, but also the Czechs, Slovaks, Slovenes the most important is that having economies run properly, in some cases much better than the vast majority of 'old EU' countries, they are hit by money escape from the bourse etc etc. whenever something wrong happens in any non-Western European country. Tufta, I think the differance between Central- and Western-Europe has to do with the labour ethics, fiscal responsability of administrations, dedication to continued reform, new energy, old skills (in a new jacket), Patriotism, a market belief or not and disciplined financial ministries and stimulating economical affairs. The lack of urge in Western-Europe is the decadence of being used to 60 years of prosperity, democracy, wealth and freedom. The Poles, Czechs, Slovaks and Slovenes of Central-Europe you mention have an urge to improve their societies, and have the benefit of modernised economies and some old service sectors and state industries that can be privatized or replaced by new industries. You are right that Western-European countries often have the disadvantage of the short term thinking headfunds that plunder healthy industries, financial institutions and larger companies. This speculation and " flash capital" as we call it in Dutch. Devastating extremely short term tactical speculative larger transactions that take place in a few hours or days, which can destabalize firms or financial markets. Often there are parasitical hedgefunds that buy companies in a temporary crisis, strip it from it's healthy parts demolish it and sell that parts to the highest bidder. Quite a lot of companies have been destroyed in Western Europe with this sort of unethical piracy speculation. Pieter
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Post by pieter on Jan 15, 2010 14:34:21 GMT -7
Tufta, To make an extract of the last article to state the things I find important and I hope other Poles too? Pieter, for the Poles, but also the Czechs, Slovaks, Slovenes the most important is that having economies run properly, in some cases much better than the vast majority of 'old EU' countries, they are hit by money escape from the bourse etc etc. whenever something wrong happens in any non-Western European country. Tufta, Yes, I think that Poles want an efficient administration which takes a pragmatic aproach towards the economy, which means that in the financial-economical sense a proposition is true if it works satisfactorily, that the meaning of a proposition is to be found in the practical consequences of accepting it, and that unpractical ideas are to be rejected. Poles are pragmatists themselves and therefor people who like practical ideas that work or are proved in the proces of implementing a set of goals that was set by a government, who carries out this aim! Administrations who failed to meet the practical goals of economical progression and succesful reforms (due to privatizations, cut backs on the bureaucracy and corruption) were replaced by other governments. And if that new administration failed too it was replaced also! That is the practice of democracy which works in central Europe. Poland has had many administrations in the last 20 years, left, right and centrist! Pieter
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Post by tuftabis on Jan 15, 2010 16:45:36 GMT -7
Administrations who failed to meet the practical goals of economical progression and succesful reforms (due to privatizations, cut backs on the bureaucracy and corruption) were replaced by other governments. And if that new administration failed too it was replaced also! That is the practice of democracy which works in central Europe. Poland has had many administrations in the last 20 years, left, right and centrist! Pieter Of course, you are right and all the objections we have been talking about, regarding lack of needed reforms of Polish economy are valid. Without them our success will soon vanish in the developing world. But the reforms are for the future. Now we are talking about the past, especially the past when an overly general term EE was coined
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