Poland - Factors to Watch Dec 2
Following are news stories, press reports and events to watch that may affect Poland's financial markets on Wednesday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 1 hour):
RATES
Poland's Monetary Policy Council will decide on interest rates on Wednesday. Analysts expect the panel will leave rates steady at 1.5 percent.
BONDS
Poland's finance minister Pawel Szalamacha said the government is considering issuing bonds in Japanese yen in addition to dollar- and euro-denominated debt, Gazeta Polska weekly reported on Wednesday.
DEFICIT
Poland's finance minister Pawel Szalamacha told Gazeta Polska weekly that he does not rule out that the budget deficit would incidentally reach 3.1-3.2 percent of gross domestic product, while he aims at keeping it at up to 3 percent.
Meanwhile, minister in the Prime Minister's chancellery Henryk Kowalczyk said that 2015 budget deficit will be higher than expected by 5-10 billion zlotys ($1.24-2.48 billion).
500 ZLOTYS/CHILD
Poland wants to introduce 500 zlotys monthly child benefit as of April next year at the latest, labour minister Elzbieta Rafalska was quoted as saying by Gazeta Wyborcza. The poorest families may lose part of their current benefits, though.
DIVIDENDS
Poland's treasury ministry is not willing to increase dividends from state-run companies as it sees their need to invest, finance minister Pawel Szalamacha told Rzeczpospolita daily commenting on income to 2016 budget.
JSW
The troubled coking coal producer JSW considers selling some of its energy, coking and transportation assets to state-run investment vehicles in order to secure cash, Rzeczpospolita said quoting its unnamed sources.
HEALTHCARE
Poland's new health minister plans liquidation of the National Health Fund, an institution responsible for financing healthcare system that would be financed directly by the state budget, Gazeta Wyborcza daily said citing the minister speaking in parliament.
MBANK, PZU
Polish lender mBank is selling up to 4.7 million shares in state-controlled insurer PZU through an accelerated book building process, it said on Tuesday.
PZU
Poland's financial market regulator KNF said on Tuesday it upheld its recommendation on the rules of insurers' dividend payouts saying that those which meet the most strict requirements could pay out up to 100 percent of their profits in dividends.
AMICA WRONKI
Poland's white goods maker Amica Wronki paid 147 million zlotys to buy U.K.-based distributor of such products CDA, Gazeta Wyborcza said.
ENERGA
Poland's Prime Minister Beata Szydlo told Nasz Dziennik daily that she sees a need for modernisation and expansion of the power plant in north-east city of Ostroleka. The power plant belongs to Warsaw-listed Energa.
ELECTRICITY
Poland could lack the necessary power capacity reserves at the start of next year due to the planned maintainances of power stations that would result in cutting off 2.5 gigawatts of capacities in January and February, Rzeczpospolita daily said.
****Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.****
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