Local superintendent may change face of educational ... - Krakow Post

8 The Krakow Post
B U S I N E S S
R E G I O N A L B I Z
Czech unemployment rate
falls to nine-year low
The Czech unemployment rate fell to 5.6 percent
in November from 5.8 percent in October to
the lowest level for nine years, the Ministry of Labor
and Social Affairs announced early last week.
The number of workers seeking and able to take up
jobs immediately fell to 312,558, a drop of 8,082
compared with the figure the previous month, the
office said.
Analysts had expected November’s unemployment
rate to dip to 5.7 percent. (AFP)
Blast hits Russia-EU gas
pipeline: report
An explosion late last week in Ukraine knocked
out of service one of the main pipelines exporting
Russian natural gas to the EU, the Russian Vesti
television news channel reported overnight. The
explosion, which cut the pipeline carrying Siberian
gas through Ukraine to Germany and other
EU clients, forced the operators to suspend the
flow on the pipeline. However, there would be no
interruption in the deliveries to the EU, a source
in the Ukrainian government quoted by the channel
assured.
“One of the Ukrainian gas grid’s specifics is in
its multiple branches, which allow us to re-route
gas around the hit section,” the source said.
There were no reports of casualties or injuries.
The pipeline had suffered a similar incident earlier
this year, when a blast ripped off a section and
it took 10 days to repair the damage. (AFP)
Slovak industrial production
rises 17.3 percent in October
Slovak industrial output rose 17.3 percent in
October on a 12-month comparison following a
revised 15.3 percent in September, the Slovak Statistics
Office announced late last week.
Output from the key auto sector, Slovakia’s
three major car plants, Volkswagen, PSA Peugeot
Citroen and South Korea’s Kia Motors, was one of
the major factors fueling the rise, with production
up 59.8 percent on a 12-month comparison.
Over the first 10 months of the year industrial
production had climbed 14.4 percent compared
with the same period last year. (AFP)
Czech inflation at six-year
high of 5.0 percent
Czech inflation rose to 5.0 percent in November
on a 12-month comparison from 4.0 percent
in October, the highest level since August 2001,
the Czech Statistical Office reported early this
week. More expensive food and non-alcoholic
drink were the main factor fuelling the price rise
with inflation in this category at 10.4 percent on a
yearly comparison.
“Double digit year on year growth in this division
was last recorded more than 11 years ago,”
the office added.
Prices rose by 0.9 percent in November compared
with October following a 0.6 percent rise in
October compared with the previous month.
Czechs are bracing themselves for a raft of
price rises in January as value added tax is increased
across a range of goods in response to the
center-right government moves to switch the tax
burden from direct to indirect taxes. (AFP)
Latvia continues sharp
growth in Q3
The Latvian economy continued its breakneck
growth in the third quarter, expanding 10.9 percent
compared with a year earlier, official data
showed late last week.
In the first and second quarters of this year,
the economy grew 11.2 percent and 11.0 percent
respectively, giving a marginal slowdown in the
three months to September.
In 2006, the economy boomed with 11.9 percent
growth, the fastest rate since independence
from the crumbling Soviet Union in 1991 and the
strongest rate in the then 25-member EU.
Growth has been fuelled largely by robust
domestic consumption, particularly since Latvia
joined the EU in 2004.
On the downside, Latvian authorities are struggling
to stem rising inflation, which has sparked
regular warnings about overheating.
In October, 12-month inflation hit 13.2 percent,
which was the highest figure since November
1996. (AFP)
krakowpost.com
Arriva PPC
launches
private
Polish
railway
cc:sa:Solaris8315
the krakow post
The British-Polish company Arriva PCC has begun operating
the first privately owned railway in Poland.
Until Arriva PCC began carrying passengers in northwest
Poland on Dec. 10, Polish National Railways was the
country’s only rail operation. Passengers hope the new company
will be both cheaper than Polish National Railways
and have better on-time performance.
Arriva PCC is a partnership of Britain’s Arriva and Poland’s
PCC. The two companies teamed up last year.
A key attraction for Arriva was the fact that the Polish
government had already granted PCC a private-railway operating
license, according to Gazeta Prawna.
Arriva PCC won a bidding process in June 2007 to serve
passengers in the Pomeranian and Kujawy districts. To help
Arriva PCC start its service, local government officials in
those districts gave it 13 passenger cars.
The company also bought two new luxury cars at a total
cost of 15 mln zloty. The maker, Bydgoszcz-based PESA
Bydgoszcz SA, is the only European company providing
luxury passenger cars to Ukrainian Railways.
To round out its fleet, Arriva PCC is refurbishing 30 cars
that had been used on Denmark’s railways. It expects them
to be ready at the beginning of 2008.
Arriva PCC will serve four stations to start with – Bydgoszcz,
Torun, Chojnice and Czersk. It wants to increase that
number as time goes by.
The new company employs about 120.
Arriva is a big player in Europe’s rail market. Its 12,000
trains provide more than one bln passenger journeys a year.
It has 30,000 employees.
PCC Rail Holding consists of 12 Polish and foreign companies
that specialize in railway transportation logistics.
ANNOUNCEMENT
International Women’s
Association of Krakow
www.iwak.pl
iwak_krakow@yahoo.com
DECEMBER 13-DECEMBER 19, 2007
Telekomunikacja Polska to
separate its retail sector by mid-2008
the krakow post
An announcement was made on
Monday stating that a decision will
be made concerning the separation of
the Telekomunikacja Polska sectors
by mid 2008.
Anna Strezynska, director of the
Urzad Komunikacji Elektronicznej
(the Electronic Communication Office
– UKE), made the announcement
on TVN CNBC early this week. She
stated that the decision to separate
Telekomunikacja Polska would be
made by mid-year, while analytical
research will be conducted throughout
the beginning of 2008 to determine
what benefits the separation will
bring to the consumer and to the company.
Strezynska also added the current
discussions are more concerned
with separating the operational, rather
than the structural, elements of the
company.
According to Gazeta Prawna most
experts are of the view the structural
process should be made separate
from the operational element. The operational
element includes retail and
wholesale, which, according to analysts,
should function separately from
the structural side of the telecommunication
company. The biggest single
share holder in Telekomunikacja Polska
is France Telecom with 47.5 percent
of the shares in the company.
Some 3.87 percent of the shares
are owned by the state, while the remaining
48.6 percent are owned by
various other private shareholders.
Telekomunikacja Polska made a debut
on the Warsaw Stock Exchange
in 1998. Strezynska has assured she
is supporting the separation of the
operational element of the company.
After analyzing the pros and cons of
the decision, Telekomunikacja Polska
will not want to make a decision
that is against the European Commission,
which has supported the
option of separating the operational
element of the company, according
to Strezynska.
Although restructuring may be
in the cards for the company, it is a
decision which will be more time
consuming and involve a higher level
of risk. According to the UKE’s director,
restructuring could take up to
four years.
A separation in the operational element
in Telekomunikacja Polska will
mean a separation of the units responsible
for the company’s retail sector.
Separation would mean Telekomunikacja
Polska would have to operate
its retail sector by playing the same
rules as those played by other operators
on the market.
Warsaw to spend 4.5
bln zloty for Euro 2012
LUK Agency
the krakow post
The upcoming European Football
Championships Euro 2012, which
will be hosted by Poland, will lead to
an investment boom in Warsaw. The
city will be announcing its major tenders
early next year, with one already
set for this December.
According to Gazeta Prawna, the
city is planning to expand its one line
metro to a second line. The estimated
cost of the development would be 3
bln zloty.
Gazeta Prawna reports Deputy
Mayor of Warsaw Jacek
Wojciechowski has announced the
capital will experience an investment
boom as far as tenders are concerned.
The biggest projects will be announced
next year, with their completions
by 2009-2012.
The city is estimating a 4.5 bln zloty
cost associated with the Euro 2012
investments. Seven major projects are
anticipated, including the new metro
line as well as upgrading the Legia
Football Club stadium. The remaining
five projects are set to improve
the infrastructure around the capital
at an estimated cost of 1.25 bln zloty.
According to Wojciechowski, as
reported by Gazeta Prawna, the upcoming
expenditures will be labeled
as Euro 2012 investments.
This is a precautionary measure to
prevent projects lapsing beyond mandatory
deadline for completion and
eliminating the possibility of contractors
asking for time extensions.
The city of Warsaw will be looking
to the biggest construction companies
for offers. One contractor will be
held responsible for the overall construction.
That company will in turn
enter into contracts and agreements
with subcontractors for the projects’
completion.