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ECONOMIC

JPRS-EER-91-053 25 April 1991

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Quebec’s Dominant Role in Polish-Canadian Trade

91EP0362B Warsaw RYNKI ZAGRANICZNE in Polish 14 Mar 91 p 1

[Article by (Man): “Quebec Closer to Poland”]

[Text] The Quebec Economic Commission, headed by J. Ciacci, minister for international affairs, is visiting Poland. The delegation includes representatives of 22 institutions and enterprises. The purpose of the visit is the creation of conditions for development of trade and economic, scientific, technological, and cultural coopcr-ation between Quebec and Poland. Anticipated is the formation of a joint Polish-Quebec committee to aid companies on both sides in realizing various goals, especially in the fields of energy, telecommunications, the agricultural-food industry, and environmental pro-tection.

Before leaving Quebec, Minister Ciacci met with Polish emigres and members of the commission and specifically announced the creation of a fund backed by the provin-cial budget and by private enterprises to be used in guaranteeing credits. Also, the government of Quebec announced the creation of a trade organization special-izing in cooperating with our country. Beginning this year, the province also intends to participate regularly in the international trade fairs in Poznan and in the Polagra trade fairs.

Quebec, the largest Canadian province, plays a dominant role in Polish-Canadian relations. In 1989, almost half our exports to the mapie leaf country went to Quebec (43 million Canadian dollars as against a total of 88.9 Canadian dollars). The leading positions of export merchandise werc: textiles (38 pcrcent), parts for aircraft motors (15 percent), electric motors, industrial imple-ments, products of the minerał industry, Chemicals, and shoes. Meanwhile, our imports from Quebec amounted to 9.5 million Canadian dollars, which is 30 percent of our imports from Canada.

BUŁGARIA

Discussion of Problems by Energy Experts

Maritsa-Iztok Director

91BA0407A Sofia DELOYI SWAT in Bulgarian 25 Feb 91 p 4

[Statement by Rusi Danev, generał director of the Mar-itsa-Iztok SO [Economic Association] and the Bulgarian Socialist Party deputy in the Grand National Assembly, recorded by Mara Georgieva: ^łłłWe Live Three Times Worse Because We Spend Three Times Morę”']

[Text] The Maritsa-Iztok Industrial-Power Complex is nearly 40 years old. It covers an area of some 270 sq km.

The complex is developing on the basis of the Maritsa Iztok coal dcposits. The coal is creating huge technological problems. It is low-caloric and high-ballast, con-taining lignite, with an ash content ranging between 20 and 45 percent of dry matter and 56 percent of moisture. These parameters determine its heat-generating capacity of 1,300 to 1,500 kilocalories per kg.

The Maritsa-Iztok complex consists of three big mincs: Trayanovo-l, Trayanovo-Sever, and Trayanovo-3. Their maximal total annual output is approximately 27 million tons of coal, which is 70 percent of the country’s total output. The coal is strip-mined. The ratio of coal to mass is approximately 1:5. In other words, to obtain 1,000 tons of coal, we must dig, haul, and dump 5,000 cubic meters of earth. There also are three electric power plants, with an overall installed capacity that at present is 2,100 megawatts. Maximal electric power production at the Maritsa-Iztok is 11.5 billion kilowatt-hours. In various years, the complex’s output has accounted for 22-27 percent of the overall electric power production in the country.

Briquettes are the second end product of the complex. The briquette factory was built in 1961 and produces about 1.5 million tons ofbriquettcs annually. It accounts for 65 percent of the domestic hard coal used by the population.

The complex also includes two large investment direc-torates that, in old prices, invested some 300 million leva annually. It has a large machine-building plant and central repair base, with an annual output in excess of 50 million lcva. The area on which the complex sits also includes the Energoremont, Promishleno Stroitelstvo, Energomontazh Maritsa-Iztok, and Minstroy Maritsa-Iztok enterprises. Maritsa-Iztok employs morę than 30,000 persons.

Result of a Lack of Gray Matter

The biggest difficulty facing Maritsa-Iztok and the entire power industry is the preservation of the environment. Ecological problems were underestimated for many long years, not because of a lack of funds but for lack of gray matter and farsightedness. The developed countries in Europę faced the same problems but were able to solvc them 25 years ago. We are only now starting to face them. We successfully dealt with tapping the dust in the complex two to three years ago. This is an unquestion-able accomplishment. However, we have yet to do some-thing substantial to reduce emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides and to treat the water and soil in the area. Treatment programs have been formulated. How-ever, it is precisely now that we are facing a total lack of funds. According to the specialists, the installation of treatment facilities in the complex would cost in excess of 1 billion leva, the overwhelming amount of which in foreign currency. We must either solve these problems or lower output in order to remain within acceptable bounds. No other way is possible. At the same time, for the next 10 years, Bułgaria has no choice but to develop

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