SOVIETS SAY 1987 ECONOMIC RESULTS UNSATISFACTORY
The Soviet government said economic
results achieved in the first three months of the year were
unsatisfactory, the official news agency Tass said.
    Soviet industrial production from January to March grew by
2.5 per cent compared with the same period last year, but fell
short of its target by 0.8 percent, official statistics showed.
    "The Council of Ministers (government) emphasised that the
results did not meet the Communist Party's exacting demands for
the radical reconstruction of the economy," Tass said. "The first
quarter economic results were deemed unsatisfactory."
    The government said poor economic results last January,
when industrial production was 0.1 lower than in January 1986,
had been overcome to a considerable extent in March, but the
negative effects had not been completely eliminated.
     It singled out failings in the engineering, chemical and
timber industries, as well as light industry.
    Growth in the machine-building sector, a priority in
Kremlin plans for economic renewal, also fell short of target
by 4.2 per cent, with below-level output in nearly all branches
at a cost of 723 million roubles (1.08 billion dollars) in
undelivered products.
    The sales volume of consumer goods fell 2.7 per cent short
of planned growth, with a resulting decline in income to the
state, the figures showed.
    Foreign trade turnover totalled 27.5 billion roubles (41.25
billion dollars), or 4.8 billion roubles (7.2 billion dollars)
less than in the same period last year.
    The power industry, however, performed well. Output of oil,
electricity, gas and coal were all above plan.
 Reuter
