$$ BE NOT AFRAID $$

Polish businesses are not afraid of economic crisis! What crisis?

Polish entrepreneurs view 2009 with much hope. They plan further investments and anticipate job reductions will not exceed 1-2%.

This optimism is reflected in a recent survey by the Marketing Research Center showing that the majority of managers positively assess the condition of their companies. 70% of those polled expect a repeat or even an improvement of the results from 2008, while every seventh entrepreneur even plans to increase employment.

Mateusz Szczurek, head analyst at the ING bank, says the results of the poll augur well for the state of the economy: `Cutting interest rates, greater optimism among entrepreneurs, consumption demand - all these factors can help ease the problems facing Poland's economy.'

According to the poll, every fourth company plans new investments for 2009 and only 2%consider suspending open projects.

Source: Polish Radio 03.01.2009