European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 a a a the stars and stripes sunday March 18,1990brazil Battles hyperinflation reforms proposed Brasilia Brazil apr president Fernando Collor de Mello on saturday announced sweeping economic reforms including a 30-Day Price freeze and a new currency to slash 2,700 percent annual inflation and a $31 billion budget deficit. The austerity measures were announced one Day after Collor de Mello was inaugurated As brazils first popularly elected president in 29 years. A the measures Are profound courageous and indispensable. Society needs less state and More Economy he said. Brazil has the Western worlds eighth largest Economy and third biggest Trade surplus. It produces and exports such sophisticated goods As computers cars aircraft and rockets. But it also has the third worlds largest foreign debt of $114 billion. It is plagued with soaring inflation 7 million Street children High illiteracy among adults sprawling shantytowns and epidemics of Dengue malaria and yellow fever. Collor de Mello said his free mar Ket economic reforms would move toward correcting brazils social and economic imbalances. The Reform package takes effect immediately but must be approved by Congress within 30 Days. If Congress fails to vote Collor de Mello can reissue the proposal for another 30 Days. Collor de Mello said that once the Price freeze ends in mid april a government Index will determine monthly wage and Price increases. Globo brazils largest commercial television network said salaries and prices would jump 40 percent in april and 20 percent in May. In March salaries will increase by february a inflation rate or 73 percent. Inflation this month was expected to reach 85 percent. Collor de Mello also said the Cruzado novo currency would be replaced by the Cruzeiro. The nations fourth currency in As Many years will be devalued by about 100 percent versus the Cruzado novo economists said. The Cruzeiro was the name of a currency suspended in 1986. A Man finds his Bank in Brasilia shut Friday in an official temporary closing. No reforms expected at Cuba Congress Mexico City a cubans first communist party Congress in four Yea will allow some debate but will not Cha Lenge the party a 31-year monopoly on Power the state news Agency said. Prensa Latina monitored in Mexico City said the announcement of the Congress to be held next year was made by defense minister Raul Castro the brother of cuban president Fidel Castro. The report came thursday the same Day vice president Dan Quayle appealed to other countries to urge the Havana government to hold free elections. Castro repeatedly has rejected West pm style balloting and said his country has no need for soviet style Reform despite pressure from soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev and a drop in soviet Aid. The party Congress will be held in the first half of next year the dispatch said. It did not give the exact Date. The party said the meeting would not exhibit the a unreal eagerness of unanimity a false mechanical and  however the party which seized Power in a 1959 revolution made Clear its intention to retain full control of the Caribbean Island. A your communist party the base of political organization in our society is perfecting itself to better Complete its work of historical transcendence that we Are setting up today a it said. When it was announced in february that a party Congress would be called there was speculation that the move might signal a change in course for the hard line marxist government. Since then however Castro has said he intends to remain staunchly Loyal to marxist principles. Castro said wednesday he saw no need for Westem style elections in Cuba. Congresses of the ruling communist party choose cubans leadership. A we have our own Type of election a he said in an interview with to Globo brazils largest network. A it would take Long to explain our political  Castro has faced growing International criticism of his human rights policies and increasing pressure to Reform. During the last three months he has lost two of his closest Caribbean allies a Panama a Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega who was toppled in a . Invasion in december and Nicaragua a leftist sandinista who were Defeated by a .-backed opposition coalition in elections feb. 25.ulster police foil bombing Belfast Northern Ireland apr police foiled a St. Patrick a Day bombing when they discovered a 200-Pound homemade bomb. Two explosions occurred saturday but no one was injured. The Royal Ulster constabulary said a patrol arrested a Man acting suspiciously in Coalisland county Tyrone in the Early hours saturday and discovered the barrel bomb. While the device was being made Safe police said people from a nearby building threw bottles and stones at officers who responded by firing plastic bullets. One woman was arrested and three policemen were slightly injured police said. On the Fermanagh Border with the Republic of Ireland police said Security forces were investigating an explosion heard Early saturday. In Londonderry the British provinces second largest City windows in several houses were shattered in the Sha tallow District when a bomb was thrown at a Mobile police patrol. Bulgaria area 42,823 so. Mi., slightly larger thai Tennessee x. Population 9 million Romania Independent Union opens 1 St conference in Bulgaria Sofia Bulgaria apr the Independent labor Union pod Krepa opened its first National Congress saturday amid expectation that it will become a Trade Union confederation and formulate its position regarding the All communist government of Premier Andrei Zukanov. The two Day meeting attended by some 900 delegates from All Over the country will discuss the program and statute of the labor Union that is regarded As the Backbone of the opposition Union of democratic forces uhf an Alliance of 19 Independent parties and groups of which pod Krepa is a member in their struggle against communist monopoly on Power. In his opening speech pod Krepa Leader Konstantin trenches blamed the ruling communist party for the current economic crisis. A we Are going to face unemployment in the near future and it is Only the Market Economy that can solve that problem a he said. Krten inf graphics trenches called for a higher mobility of the working Force which is now banned from moving into Sofia Ana other Large cities to look for better jobs and he advocated gradual privatization of state owned industries. He said that pod Krepa has approached the government for talks concerning Tor eign workers in Bulgaria and bulgarians working abroad. Trenches said vietnamese workers unofficially estimated at some 50, Juu who work in Bulgaria should be Seni Home and replaced by bulgarians. Trenches said in his speech that to a Krepa supports the demands of Buliga ans working on contracts abroad Tio chive their full salaries. So Jar. Government has been cashing Abou percent of their income into hard cup he a flip the pod Krepa Union claims a membership of More than 100,000 and wielded considerable clout in Ece Tio wide strikes for higher pay and Grafl Riner