POLAND: BLEAK OUTLOOK FOR CONSUMERS

Created: 7/14/1982

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

POLAND: Bleak Outlook for Consumers

officials are predicting another decline in supplies of food and consumer goods during the rest Pish, coffee, tea, and margarine will be in shorter supply, although the regime should be able to meet its ration obligations for moat, butter, flour, sugar, and liquor. Manufactured consuTwr goods that require imports of Western raw materia^ and spare parts will behard to buy.

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Comment: Consumers are already disgruntled by the hikes in prices of food and consumer goods, and they will be further disturbed by the increased shortages. Stocks of many foods, especially flour, bread, and potatoes, will depend on the success of the harvest as well as the roglma's ability to persuade farmers to sell their crops to the Btfc*. Supplies of consumer goods are unlikely to increase soon because Poland's hard currency shortage prcyrmtii ii from importing enough materials from the West.