KOOSPOL, FOREIGN TRADE MONOPOLY FOR FOODSTUFFS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R015900060008-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 12, 2003
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: February 13, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

 Approved For Release 2003/08/12 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO15900060008-6
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(a)
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6. At the time of ass% tion of gcwer by the Qa i muni.*ts in 194(4, the
living standard of the ordinary workaan in Cseohoplovskia vas at least
three timee better than his counterpart in Bulgaria or Rumania. The
top-level o oknomtn pla nners in Czeohos' ovakia have had and are having
a difficult time trying 'to, bring down the standard of living of the
Osiohs to a 16`Vel comparable to ghat, of the Bulgarians and Rumanians.
However, efforts in this direction are being carried out. An exaarle,
of this can be related in the case of the Import of fresh raisins from
Bulgaria Into Czechoslovakia. The planned import of raisins from
Bulgaria for 19i49 Iownted to 10 thousand ton% and fir,1950. 12 thousand
tons. The Bt lgarians asked 9. o crowns per kg fo'f''" a raisins at the
Bulgarian-Rumanian ~border~s A wBulgariandootnud.ssion, consisting of-about
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established war proewas 5.50 orome per
Director amemazo
e e or ees were a ways ace
on prices pa a year a ore. g basin confronted with this data,
Smejkal also said that,he'could'not approve the Bulgarians' price of
9.50, and referred the matter to higher autho ities, The case
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taken up with the,Ministry of Foreign Trade.
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Approved For Release 2003/08/12 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO15900060008-6
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25X1 1 Minister Gregor was x>It : in
a the time, and is 4ept y, Vice Minister Dvorak, said that he could
nbt possibly rule on the matter in Gregor's .absence.. At this, the
matter was allowed to ride along for some time, during which raisins
kept coming into Czechoslovakia until the 10 thousand tons were
delivered. It was late Autumn 1949 when the Bulgarians brought up
the case again,-to Minister Gregor. Gregor also refused. to approve
the price, saying that this was a case for high-level political
decision.: The matter then came up before the Supreme Economic Council
in Moscow, and when Gregor visited Moscow,in March 1950, he was directed
to pay the Bulgarians their asking price Of 9.50, which has dince
remained the established prise. Thus, in 1949, Czechoslovakia paid
Bulgaria 38 million more crowns than the world market required, and in
`1950 39 million. This made a total overpayment of 77 million crowns
for the two years. The result is a drastic lowering of the standard
of ,:living - of the entire population. During the same two years,
Czeckeslbvakia paid Rumania 7.50 and Hungary 6.50 per kg for-raisins.
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namyes o o c a s. a oospo :. e e
o oospo was Pau a nu , who assumed the post in No-mber 1951
after Smejkal was relieved. Paula comes from the workers' cadre.,, and,"
came to Koospol from the firm Chmel a Slad.. Head of the cadre
department was Rys (fnu).. The head of the commeroial.department was
1llacura (fnu). Jo-sef Maly, coming from the workers' cadre of" the fanner
Prago-Fruct warehouse, heads the department which imports and exports
all herbs. Eckstein (fnu) is in charge of the Fruits & Vegetables
Division. He also came to Koospol from the firm Chmel a Slad and.
knows nothing about the business a In charge of exporting all fruits
is Karel Kratky.
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Approved For Release 2003/08/12 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO15900060008-6