Industry Alone is not

Enough

PPM talks with Tadeusz Jędrzejczak, Mayor of Gorzów Wielkopolski.

- Mr. Mayor, since 1999, Gorzów has been one of the two capitals of the Lubuskie province. How has this change influenced the quality of the city and region's functioning?
- The fact that the city serves as the seat of the provincial governor and other provincial institutions not only means prestige, it also has a social dimension - we avail of a pool of well-educated administration personnel and provide them with jobs, whereas the Marshal Office is located in Zielona Góra. What is more, our cooperation is very satisfactory.


- Don't you fear that certain conflicts, such as issues related to ambition, can arise because of the division?
- We have experienced this in the past, since Gorzów is larger and more affluent than Zielona Góra. This competition still exists; however it is healthy and motivating. The Act on Local Government and new administrative divisions have resulted in power and money being given to municipalities. We are serving the function of county authorities (starostwo grodzkie). The only thing we regret is the fact that we do not receive enough funds from the state budget for the performance of tasks assigned to us, such as education and social care.
- Gorzów is an open city. It cooperates with several other European cities. Has the European Union already recognized your activities? Does this cooperation bring profits to the city?
- In 1999, the EU awarded our city with the Diploma of Council of Europe for successful promotion of the idea of European integration. We cooperate on a day-to-day basis with Frankfurt on the Oder and German town of Herford, where numerous Germans who left our city after 1945 live. We maintain close relations with our former residents, and together perform tasks within the framework of the "Pro Europa Viadrina" Euroregion. What is more, we have established partner relations with the city of Hazleton in Pennsylvania (USA), Abruzzo in Italy and Jönkeping in Sweden. In the latter case, youth exchange is very active. Sister-city relations with towns across Europe bring certain economic advantages, as they facilitate access to sizable EU funds. Within the "Pro Europa Viadrina" Euroregion, we co-operate closely with the German land of Brandenburg. International cooperation also means economic openness. It is not a widely known fact that the largest investment in light industry in Poland  is in Gorzów. The local Stilon Company has been acquired by French Rhone-Poulenc concern, and next year the plant in Gorzów will be the largest manufacturer of plastics in Europe . At present, 1,800 workers are employed there, and further 4,000 work on sub-contractor basis. Volkswagen's plant for manufacturing electric conductor quads is the second major investor in the region. It employs 2,500 workers. Obviously, we would be more than happy to see more investors of this class in Gorzów.
- Gorzów actively operates in the Euroregion. It is a major industrial and scientific center. What are your developmental plans regarding social and economic issues? 

- We have to take into consideration the fact that the city cannot develop based on industry alone. These are basic development reserves, which have almost been used up in Gorzów. At present, our city is a major construction center. Moreover, we are developing a network of schools of higher education, such as business schools and institutes of technology providing education for future management and marketing specialists. Recently, three major decisions for the city have been made. The first is related to the construction of a western beltway, which will commence this year. The second is related to expanding the city area. The third is related to basing the future development of Gorzów in terms of tourism. We are using the former military training ground for the construction of a water park, a modern ice rink, bowling alleys, etc. We aim to complete this work by 2002.

 We also want to use our location on the borderline. Several fair events are already staged here, and we have established a Western Economic Center, which will act as an entrepreneurship mentor.
- Thank you for your time.