The World Bank has agreed to lend Poland $300 million to help finance the restructuring of its mining industry, a program that calls for 25,000 job cuts
Published:
22 November 2003 y., Saturday
The World Bank has agreed to lend Poland $300 million to help finance the restructuring of its mining industry, a program that calls for 25,000 job cuts, the economy ministry said Friday.
The plan by Prime Minister Leszek Miller's government is aimed at turning around an industry that lost 1 billion zlotys ($230 million) last year.
The government, which is trying to cut its budget deficit as Poland prepares to join the European Union next May, expects to cut spending on the industry -- which currently employs some 140,000 miners -- by at least 20 billion zlotys ($5.1 billion) by 2007.
The economy ministry said the government and the World Bank would sign the loan agreement in March 2004.
The first tranche of $200 million will be used to cover benefits for laid-off miners -- among them low-interest loans allowing them to retrain or set up their own businesses. The remaining $100 million will cover an environmental clean-up effort.
The Polish government is counting on EU funding to help cover the remaining cost of the restructuring drive -- estimated at 9.4 billion zlotys ($2.36 billion) between 2004 and 2006. The plans have sparked frequent and vocal protests by Polish miners.
On Monday, some 25,000 miners across the depressed southern region of Silesia staged a strike to protest the reform.
Šaltinis:
newsday.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
European cities may still be feeling the pinch of the global recession.
more »
The EBRD Board of Directors has approved a $50 million convertible loan to Petrolinvest to finance the completion of exploration works at the company’s main oilfields.
more »
The European Commission welcomes the adoption today at the United Nations in Geneva of the first international regulation on safety of both fully electric and hybrid cars.
more »
Bloomberg has today announced that Lithuania had the outlook on its credit rating raised by Fitch Ratings after the Government implemented an austerity program to curb the budget deficit.
more »
In January 2010, compared with December 2009, the highest increase in retail trade in the EU-27 Member States was observed in Lithuania.
more »
Three thousand former car, refrigerator and construction workers in Germany and Lithuania will get €7.6 million in EU globalisation adjustment fund aid for training, self-employment and job guidance after Parliament gave the green light on Tuesday.
more »
Some 80% of Europeans continue to travel for their holidays according to a new Eurobarometer survey on ‘The attitudes of Europeans towards tourism 2010’.
more »
The EU's internal market will be under scrutiny Tuesday when a series of reports will be debated by MEPs in Strasbourg.
more »
EU Employment and Social Affairs Ministers today agreed on a new facility to provide loans to people who have lost their jobs and want to start or further develop their own small business.
more »
Over €7.6 million in financial aid for training and self-employment could be available to former workers in German and Lithuanian if MEPs back the measures Tuesday.
more »