885096469

JPRS-EER-91-053 25 April 1991

ECONOMIC

43

objections about this to Dr. Mihalik, the cooperative's chairman, but he mcrely shrugged and said: “The scc-nario is ready, and we will not make any changes in it.”

I had requested the floor several times before the secret ballot, in order to protest about the irregularities and to defend myself against the accusations that had been leveled at me, but the chairman who presided at the mecting refused to rccognize me.

[Balia] What were those accusations?

[Javor] At the beginning of the generał meeting, Mr. Mihalik launched a passionate, 30-minute attack against the parliament. He claimed that the parliament was not doing any work and was merely promising transforma-tion. But when somebody attempted to carry out a transformation, certain deputies would begin to heckle him. He mentioned the command-directed system and the absencc of dcmocracy, but he gave me no opportu-nity to rcply to this public humiliation of my person.

Soon thereafter a woman seized the microphone and began to shout that she preferred to get her land back and did not want a Corporation. The presiding chairman kindly told her that they would discuss this matter the following weck. Big deal. By then the Corporation would have been formed, and it would not have been possible to withdraw anything from it.

Dr. Mihalik was not so soft-hearted. He called the woman a provocateur and had her led out of the room.

[Balia] And the 2,000 persons who were present at the meeting toleratcd this without a word?

[Javor] I am convinced that most of them were not even aware of what was happening around them. They, like everyone elsc, had not been properly informed and did not clcarly understand what they were voting on. Yet it would not have hurt them to know that representation of their interests would ceasc with the cooperative, that they could be turned out into the Street at any time, and that they would nevcr be able to reclaim their property. Instead, they would get stock certificates, which they might or might not be able to sell for a fair pricc. Moreover, the ratio of shares in the Corporation is such that a relatively smali clique (consisting mostly of the members of the cooperative’s board) can impose its will at any time on the 2,000 smali shareholders. I told them all of this, but unfortunatcly, I was granted the floor only after the vote, and by then what I said was as effective as the holy water sprinkled on a corpse.

[Balia] What futurę do you predict for the Corporation?

[Javor] I hope that its formation will be declared nuli and void. If not, then I would be very pessimistic. Although the corporation’s officers are professionals, it is to be feared that they will be using their professionalism primarily to milk the members for all they are worth.

POLAND

Untapped Potential Noted in Trade With Hungary

91EP0362A Warsaw RYNKI ZAGRANICZNE in Polish 19 Feb 91 p 8

[Anicie by (Jok): “Free Trade With Hungary’’]

[Text] With the beginning of this year, as in relations with other West European countries, free trade bascd on hard currency has been reestablished in Polish trade with Hungary. As a result, from the aspects of attractivencss, transaction tcchnology and methods, and forms of pay-ment, trade with Hungary is rcally no different from trade with countries that have a devcloped market economy. True, the State sector continues to dominate both production and trade, but the participation of the private sector is growing rapidly.

As the Office of Trade Counsel in our Budapest embassy informs us, foreign trade hąs been dcmonopolized over a broad spectrum and hard ćurrcncy banks are obliged to honor foreign payment orders of Hungarian imponers without obtaining any permits for mcrchandisc libcral-ized for import. The degree of liberalization of imports is significant. It is estimated that at present approximately 90 perccnt of imported merchandise does not require import permits. In export, on the other hand, approxi-mately 30 percent of export merchandise will not require permits.

Traditionally, with respect to trade, Poland has been Hungary’s sixth most important partner, and Hungary [has been] Poland’s 11 th or 12th partner. During the past year, Poland’s position has dropped. Exports amounted to approximately 400 million transfer rubles [TR] and approximatcly $35 million, and imports correspond-ingly, [dropped] to approximately TR235 million and $16 million. Hungary’s hard currency imports in 1990 totaled $7 billion, and export, approximately $6 billion. In trade computed in transfer rubles, imports and exports amounted to 5.8 billion rubles each.

In 1990, only 109 Polish enterprises, of the morę than 4,700 registered in foreign tracie statistics, engaged in trade with Hungary; of these 52 carried out 97.5 percent of the joint trade and service exchanges during the year. A comparison of these figures ccrtainly indicates an uncxploited potential that should comc forward under conditions of free hard currency trade.

The Office of Trade Counsel is urging enterprises inter-ested in developing cxports and the potential for making favorable purchascs in Hungary' to become activc in this market.

The Office of Trade Counsel in Budapest gives assis-tance free of charge to parties interested in taking their first steps in the attractive Hungarian market (telephonc: 0-036-1-25-14-337, 537, 737, or 937; telcfax: 25-29-289, telex: 224383 mohan h). In addition, there is a network of representatives of 23 Polish enterprises active in this