The World : Poland Pares Bureaucracy

Twelve Cabinet ministers lost their jobs and 16 government departments were cut to eight in the biggest overhaul of Poland’s national government since the Communist Party took power after World War II. The changes, approved by the country’s Parliament, the Sejm, are part of a plan to dismantle many of the controls that have strangled the economy and to “liberate enterprise� with greater emphasis on self-management, initiative and productivity. The responsibilities of 16 government departments have been shifted or merged into eight new “super ministries� that will supervise key sectors such as energy, industry, construction and education.