FRANCE PLANS TO COVER SOCIAL SECURITY DEFICIT
French government ministers will meet next
Tuesday to discuss measures to cover the state Social Security
Fund's deficit before the summer, Prime Minister Jacques
Chirac's social affairs adviser, Marie-Helene Berard, said.
    Employment Ministry officials say the fund, in surplus
until 1985, faces a 24 billion franc deficit by the end of this
year, largely because of rising unemployment. Budget Minister
Alain Juppe said the fund needed more resources and a
management overhaul. The government was not in favour of
introducing an additional tax to fund the deficit as did the 
previous socialist administration between 1982 and 1985, he
said.
 REUTER
