Thursday, December 27, 2007

Film About Poland must see!

Film About Poland must see!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Poland Basic Data

Poland Basic Data
Territory: 312,685 km2
Population: 38.23m (2002 National Census)Population growth: -0.06% (average, 2002-2006)Land boundaries: Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine
Main Towns: Warsaw (capital), Lodz, Krakow, Wroclaw, Poznan, Katowice, Szczecin, Bydgoszcz, Lublin
Language: Polish
Measures: Metric system
Time: 1 hour ahead of GMT
Currency: Zloty (PLN)Religions: Roman Catholic (95%), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant and other (5%);Government type: Parliamentary democracy
President: Lech Kaczynski
Prime Minister: Jarosław KaczynskiEU entry date: 1st May 2004
Public holidays: 1st January (New Year's Day); Easter Monday; 1st May (Labour Day); 3rd May (Polish National Day, Proclamation of 1791 Constitution); Corpus Christi; Assumption; 1st November (All Saints' Day); 11th November (Independence Day); 25th-26th December (Christmas)

Key economic indicators and forecasts
Polish economy: GDP, quarterly trends

Q1/06
Q2/06
Q3/06
Q4/06
Q1/07
Q2/07
GDP real change, y-o-y
5.4%
6.3%
6.6%
6.6%
7.2%
6.4%
Source: Polish Market Review, November 2007

Polish economy: annual trends


2005
2006
latest 2007
2007f
2008f
GDP







GDP at current prices
€ bn
244.3
272.2
H1
142.2
-
-
Real GDP change
y-o-y
3.6%
6.2%
H1
6.8%
6.4%
5.4%
Foreign Trade







Exports
€ bn
71.4
87.9
Jan-Aug
64.3
99.9
111.0
Imports
€ bn
81.2
100.8
Jan-Aug
74.4
117.2
134.3
Balance
€ bn
-9.8
-12.9
Jan-Aug
-10.1
-17.3
-23.3
Prices







CPI
y-o-y
2.1%
1.0%
Jan-Sep
2.1%
2.3%
3.1%
PPI
y-o-y
0.7%
2.3%
Jan-Sep
2.3%
2.8%
3.2%
Unemployment (registered)
e-o-p
17.6%
14.8%
Sep
11.6%
11.4%
9.5%
Exchange rates







EUR/PLN
e-o-p
3.86
3.83
Sep
3.78
3.72
3.67
USD/PLN
e-o-p
3.26
2.91
Sep
2.66
2.67
2.74
Market size







Population
m
38.157
38.125
Aug
38.124
-
-
Per capita GDP at current prices

6,402
7,139
H1
3,731
-
-
f – forecast
Source: Polish Market Review, November 2007
Latest economic briefing
Economic growth
The strong economic upturn observed in 2006 continued in the first half of this year. Gross domestic product expanded by 6.8% in H1 2007 compared to the same period last year, driven by rapid growth in domestic demand, including both consumption and capital investment. We expect the high level of economic activity to be maintained in the second part of the year, although GDP growth should not exceed 6% y-o-y.
Foreign trade
After a bumper 2006, increases in foreign trade turnover were less spectacular in the first half of this year. The value of Polish exports grew by 13.5% (in current prices) in H1 2007 compared to a year ago, while imports increased by 16.6% y-o-y. As a result, the foreign trade deficit topped €7.6bn for the period, i.e. an almost 40% increase on a year ago. We expect the favourable foreign-trade conditions to continue through the remainder of the year. We forecast exports to expand by 13.7% in 2007 and imports by 16.3%.
Current account
The widening foreign trade deficit is one of the major factors behind a growing current account imbalance. In H1 2007, the current account deficit totalled €5.7bn, i.e. up by more than two-fifths on the same period last year. We expect this trend to continue in the coming quarters. However, the current account deficit for the year should remain at a moderate level, coming in at not more than 4% of GDP.
Output
Encouraged by rapidly rising demand, companies are expanding their operations. Industrial output grew by 10.7% y-o-y in the first half of the year, only marginally lower than in 2006. Even faster growth was recorded in the construction-assembly output, which jumped by 30.2% y-o-y on the back of a sharp upturn in capital investment and a booming housing market. We should expect only slightly slower growth in output in the second half of the year.
Unemployment
The acceleration in the economy has transformed the labour market. The average monthly employment increased by 3.2% y-o-y in the first half of the year, and the registered unemployment rate dropped from 15.1% to 12.3%. We expect this positive trend to continue in the second half of the year. According to our forecasts, the registered unemployment rate at year-end will be 11.4%.
Wages
The recent surge in demand for workers coupled with the massive scale of labour migration to EU countries has led to shortages of skilled workers in many sectors. As a result, wage pressures increased significantly. The average gross monthly wage jumped by 8% in H1 2007 compared to a year ago. We should expect further acceleration in wage growth in the second half of the year, to around 10% y-o-y.
Inflation
After staying at very low levels throughout 2006, the CPI remained moderate in the first half of this year. Despite the strong growth in domestic demand and faster wage growth, consumer prices increased by only 2.2% y-o-y in H1 2007. Although the fourth quarter should bring higher CPI levels, inflation for the year should remain broadly within the central bank’s target of 2.5% y-o-y.

More information can be found in:
Polish Market Review: A monthly macroeconomic analysis

Basic data on Polish regions

Region
Geographic and demographic data
(2006)
Economic data
(2005)
Area (km2)
Population ('000)
Population density (persons per
1 km2)
GDP
(PLN m)
Share of GDP (Poland=100%)
GDP per capita (PLN)
GDP per capita (Poland=100%)
Poland
312,679
38,125
122
983,302
100.0%
25,767
100.0%
Dolnoslaskie
19,947
2,882
145
76,943
7.8%
26,620
103.3%
Kujawsko-Pomorskie
17,972
2,066
115
46,469
4.7%
22,474
87.2%
Lubelskie
25,122
2,173
86
38,388
3.9%
17,591
68.3%
Lubuskie
13,988
1,009
72
23,455
2.4%
23,241
90.2%
Lodzkie
18,219
2,566
141
61,110
6.2%
23,666
91.8%
Malopolskie
15,183
3,271
215
71,748
7.3%
21,989
85.3%
Mazowieckie
35,558
5,172
145
210,219
21.4%
40,817
158.4%
Opolskie
9,412
1,042
111
22,405
2.3%
21,347
82.8%
Podkarpackie
17,845
2,098
118
37,319
3.8%
17,789
69.0%
Podlaskie
20,187
1,196
59
22,909
2.3%
19,075
74.0%
Pomorskie
18,310
2,204
120
55,602
5.7%
25,308
98.2%
Slaskie
12,334
4,669
379
130,442
13.3%
27,792
107.9%
Swietokrzyskie
11,710
1,280
109
24,794
2.5%
19,274
74.8%
Warminsko-Mazurskie
24,173
1,427
59
28,153
2.9%
19,709
76.5%
Wielkopolskie
29,827
3,379
113
92,813
9.4%
27,553
106.9%
Zachodniopomorskie
22,892
1,693
74
40,533
4.1%
23,924
92.8%
Source: “Construction sector in Poland – H2 2007”, PMR Publications, October 2007

More information can be found in the PMR report:
Construction sector in Poland – H2 2007. Comparative regional analysis and development forecasts for 2007-2010

Friday, December 7, 2007

Polish state agency sees foreign direct investment around 19 bln usd in 2007

Polish state agency sees foreign direct investment around 19 bln usd in 2007

- PULAWY, Poland (Thomson Financial) - Poland expects to receive 19 bln usd in foreign direct investement in 2007, including capital transferred from companies abroad to their Polish units, the deputy head of state foreign investment agency PAIIZ said today.

'This year investment will be around 19 bln usd,' Grazyna Sicko told reporters during a promotional visit for investors and journalists to the town of Pulawy.

Asked how high investment would be next year, she said: 'There will be no collapse.'

Foreign direct investment in Poland has soared in recent years after hitting decade lows in the aftermath of a financial crisis in Asia and neighbouring Russia in the late 1990s.

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Kwasniewski i jego ludzie w LiD stawiają interesy Europy ponad interesy Polski


Teraz, Kwasniewski i jego ludzie w LiD stawiają interesy Europy ponad interesy Polski. To jest jego i ich polityka służalczości, która mają wpojoną od młodu. Przedtem, on i oni czołgali się do Moskwy, aby utrzymać się u wladzy w Polsce. Obecnie, on i oni robią to samo do Brukseli poprzez Berlin. Różnica polega tylko na stylu, ale istota pozostaje taka sama. Jego i ich polityka poddaństwa Polski w UE miała i ma tragiczne skutki dla poziomu życia Polaków, którzy musieli i musza emigrować za chlebem. To jest rezultat polityki ekonomicznej Kwaśniewskiego i jego etnicznej kliki na Lewicy. Polacy stali się Murzynami w państwach starej UE. Oni musza harować tam bardzo ciężko za niższe stawki aniżeli obywatele tych krajów pracują. W ten spsoć, Polacy mogą pomoc swoim rodzinom w Polsce, aby wiązały koniec z końcem, lub kupiły mieszkania, albo założyły małe firmy. Społeczne konsekwencje tego są tragiczne. Nie ma życia rodzinnego. Dzieci nie ma zapewnionej właściwej opieki i wychowania. Oni budują dobrobyt w innych krajach, Polska traci swoje możliwości rozwoju ekonomicznego w średnim i długim okresie. Takie fakty są powszechnie znane.
Alex Lech Bajan
Polish American
CEO
RAQport Inc.
2004 North Monroe Street
Arlington Virginia 22207
Washington DC Area
USA
TEL: 703-528-0114
TEL2: 703-652-0993
FAX: 703-940-8300
EMAIL: alex@raqport.com
WEB SITE: http://raqport.com

Friday, October 5, 2007

Poland: apple juice concentrate in high demand


Poland: apple juice concentrate in high demand

Warsaw - The smaller apple crop in Poland is not the only reason for high market prices of apple juice concentrate. The second reason are lower apples crops in China. Instead of 24 million MT (2006 crop) Chinese will probably harvest only 18-19 million MT of apples this season.

The world’s demand for apple juice concentrate is of great importance and is probably the main reason, why volume of sales still grows despite very high prices during current season.

The world’s total export of apple juice concentrate increased almost three-fold from 403 thousand MT in 1999/2000 to 1,4 million MT in 2006/2007 season. In the same time the share of Chinese export increased from 17% to 63%.

Poland is the second supplier in the ranking, whose share in export increased – from 84 thousand MT to 210 thousand MT. Opposite than China, Poland supplies apple juice concentrate with high acidity. What is interesting, despite of lower crops in China, Chinese export of apple juice concentrate still grows and amounted to 551 thousand MT in the first half of 2007 year comparing with 673 thousand MT in whole 2006 year. Between January and July 2007 China was able to export 635 thousand MT of apple juice concentrate (only 370 thousand MT in the same time of 2006).

The major difference between Poland and China are prices of raw material. Last year Chinese offered apples for processing at US$100-120 per MT comparing with US$150-185 per MT currently. In Poland prices of apple juice concentrate were stable in last 3 years (US$130-170 per MT) comparing with US$400-460 per MT in this season. Despite this fact, export of Polish apple juice concentrate increased from 62 thousand MT to 79 thousand MT in first 7 months of 2007.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

IBM w Polsce International Collegiate Programming Contest



IBM w Polsce International Collegiate Programming Contest
ARMONK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 09/12/07 -- Three-person teams from universities around the world will mix creativity with information technology (IT) as they begin their quest to earn coveted spots among the elite at the 32nd annual Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), sponsored by IBM (NYSE: IBM). Also known as the "Battle of the Brains," the competition challenges students to solve real-world computer programming problems under a grueling, five-hour deadline.

Regional bouts run from September through December, with only 90 teams from around the globe reaching the World Finals on April 6-10, 2008 in Banff Springs, Alberta, Canada.

The Battle of the Brains has grown to be the largest and most prestigious computer competition of its kind. It is expected to include tens of thousands of students from universities in 82 countries on six continents. Since IBM began sponsoring the Contest in 1997, participation has grown from 1,100 to 6,100 teams.

"The next generation of leaders in our industry will need strong foundations in both technology and business in order to affect positive change in society," said Doug Heintzman, Director of Strategy, IBM Software Group and Sponsorship Executive. "That's why IBM is so passionate about working with universities. We understand how important it is to help students develop these skills to succeed at the next level. This competition embodies all those ideals."

The Contest exposes the brightest college and university information technology students around the globe to open source technologies being adopted by innovative businesses and organizations.

IBM's sponsorship of the Battle of the Brains is just one of the company's many university-facing programs focusing on open standards skills. The IBM Academic Initiative is another, offering colleges and universities a wide range of technology benefits including free access to IBM software, discounted hardware, course materials, training and curriculum development to better educate millions of students for a more competitive IT workforce.

"This competition demands that competitors master their intellect, creativity, and skills," said Dr. Bill Poucher, ICPC Executive Director and Baylor University Professor. "With the support of IBM, ACM, and the UPE Honor Society, we're challenging students to unleash their natural talents to become master thinkers who can innovate solutions to make a difference in people's lives, solving the problems people face today and will face tomorrow. That's why we take raising the bar for the future of computer science and engineering very seriously."

The 2007 ACM-ICPC World Finals took place in Tokyo, Japan last March, where the team from Warsaw University in Poland emerged as the world champion.

For more information about the contest and to listen to a podcast with Doug Heintzman, visit www.ibm.com/university/acmcontest/.

About IBM

For more information on IBM software, please visit http://www.software.ibm.com.

About ACM

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery http://www.acm.org, is an educational and scientific society uniting the world's computing educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field's challenges. ACM strengthens the profession's collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Emigranci myślą o powrocie do Polski


Emigranci myślą o powrocie do Polski
PYTAJĄ, CO W KRAJU MIELIBY ROBIĆ I ZA ILE

Polacy mają dość kiepskiej, mało ambitnej pracy za granicą
Polacy, którzy kilka lat temu wyjechali za granicą, zaczynają myśleć o powrocie. Firmy rekrutacyjne otrzymują od emigrantów coraz więcej zapytań o pracę. Jeszcze rok temu takich zapytań nie było w ogóle - donosi "Puls Biznesu".
Jak wynika z danych firm rekrutacyjnych Hays, Bank Danych o Inzynierach i AG Test HR, zainteresowanie powrotem do pracy w Polsce przejawiają najczęściej osoby z wyższym wykształceniem.

Są wśród nich dwie grupy: ci, którzy tuż po uzyskaniu dyplomu wyjechali za granicę skuszeni dużymi pieniędzmi oraz doświadczeni inżynierowie, konstruktorzy, finansiści i programiści, którzy mają już dość rozłąki z bliskimi i ciągłej tęsknoty za krajem.

Obydwie grupy rozważają powrót do Polski, ponieważ przyciągają ich optymistyczne wieści z kraju. Mają nadzieję, że świetna znajomość języków obcych i doświadczenie zdobyte w pracy za granicą, pozwoli im znaleźć ciekawą ofertę.

Kuszący jest też relatywny wzrost zarobków w kraju. - Na przykład inżynier automatyk z doświadczeniem może w Polsce zarobić 2 tys. euro, a w Wielkiej Brytanii 2,5 tys. euro. No, a przecież jest spora różnica w kosztach utrzymania - tłumaczy Radosław Knap z Banku Danych o Inżynierach.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

'Polska gospodarka czeka na Polaków'


Klania sie jeszcze raz Polak z USA Washington DC Lech Bajan
Bardzo podzielam i wspolczuje kolegom i kolezankom.
Jedna rzecz co musimy robic to byc razem i sobie nawzajem pomagac jako Polacy w kraju i zagranica.
To jednosci czego zawsze nam brakowalo. Nawet dzisiaj nasi politycy sie spieraja, nawzajem atakuja zamiast reformowac panstwo. Wiem ze chca dobrze dla Polski ale sa bardzo chaotyczni zeby to zrealizowac. Tak jednosci i wspolpracy to czeko nam potrzeba.
Wiem ze nie wszyscy oceniaja abecny rzad pozytywnie ale oni robia dobro robote. Tak jestem pewien. Czas pokaze. Zaczeli on fundamentow panstwa. Tak fundacja to podstawa domu. Potem Polska bedzie potrebowac Was po szkolach w kraju i doswiadczeniu zagranica. Zamiast krytykowac to myslmy Co mozemy zmienic i jak wplynac na przyszlosc naszego umilowanego kraju jakim jest Polska. Tak startujcie do wyborow 2009 na szeblu lokalnym i narodowym. Aktywnia dzialajcie i twozcie polski lobbing za granica, ktorego tak bardzo potrzeba.
Chce wspomniec spotkanie z ploskim lekarzem z Poznania ktory przyjechal do USA 2003 roku po wygraniu zielonej karty.
Opowiedziam mi historie jak byt wykorzystany przez firme w Poznaniu ktora zrobila niesamowite marwelsacje finansowe. Opowiadal mi o wielu rodzinach i ludziach popelniajacych samobojstwa w Polsce. Wiele lat temu za rzadow SLD. Tak niesprawiedliwosc, wykorzystanie jednostki bylo wieksze niz za komuny. Tak tylo sie dorobili Ci zo ukradli i mieli kontakty a reszta musiala zyc i ciezko pracowac za 700 zlotych/m. Tak bylismy krajem dla międzynarodowych grup korupcyjnych kosztem szarego obywatela Polski.
Tak moj kolega lekarz specjalista z Poznania wrocil do Polski. I mysle ze my tez wrócimy.
Tak sprawy sie poprawiaja w Polsce o to dzieki obecnego rzadu. Tak mimo tak duzej krytyki.
Otwozcie oczy! czego atakowac Giertycha? Leppera? Kaczynskich? Czy ktos im moze zazucic im jakas korupcje. Cokolwiek powiedza Lepper jest skuteczny z Unia Europejskiej w sprawach rolnikow polskich. A Giertych robi wspaniala robote. Kaczynscy buduja te fundamenty panstwa o ktorych wpominalem.