The objective of the paper is examination of the stabilizing effects of the system of creeping band of admissible exchange rate fluctuation that was in force in Poland in 1995-2000. According to the theory created by P. Krugman, such a system, if considered reliable by the participants of financial markets, can, by keeping the exchange rate expectations on the desired level, make a factor widening the degree of autonomy of the monetary policy, with simultaneous fulfilment of the existing exchange rate obligations.

The empirical analysis made and the adduced instances of cases in which the so-called stabilizing speculation has played a beneficial role permit to state that, especially in the second part of the period in question, the stabilizing effect of the band of admissible exchange rate fluctuations, together with the increased floating of the zloty, constituted an important element that enabled the National Bank of Poland to maintain a partial freedom in the conduct of monetary policy in the face of the steadily growing capital mobility.

The article presents an infological approach to explain the sense of the term knowledge. Originally, the idea of such an approach was developed by Bo Sundgren (1973) and Börje Langefors (1980) to define the term information. The concept was based on the assumption that information can be viewed as a name of the context delivered by the message K defined according to (1). By analogy, the term knowledge w can be interpreted as the contents of the set consisting of three elements (2), information I, context (C) of the problems Q under solving, and the experience (D) of the user U. The approach seems to be perspective for manifold analysis of knowledge. Among others, w can be considered as a name of the relation combining the elements in (2), which makes a good background for developing a relational theory of knowledge.

Gap between governmental spending and governmental ownership in financial sector is one of the main barriers in progress of public finance reforms in Poland. Only clear dividing of financial services on public and private goods and same fuzzy semi-public goods can define scope of governmental presence in our financial service.

The objective of the paper is to show the relationships existing between the demographic situation and the political and economic condition of Saudi Arabia. The author draws attention to the growing effect of rapid demographic increase that, combined with the inadequate government policy, leads to massive unemployment and, in the longer run, multiple tensions in the country's economy and policy. The paper critically assesses the economic policy instruments applied by the state aimed at limiting the scale of unemployment, such as: the reform of the educational system and the programme of promoting the employment of local population in place of foreign workers, i.e. the socalled Saudization Programme.

According to the "Environmental Kuznets Curve" (EKC) hypothesis, the level of pollutant emission grows along with the initial stage of economic development and, then, diminishes with further economic development. Usually, the EKC hypothesis is explained by three effects: the scale effect, the structure (or composition) effect and the income effect.

In this paper, a verification of the EKC was undertaken basing on the example of the carbon dioxide emission by the industry in the OECD countries, this time the attention being concentrated on two less popular effects: the .shock. effect and the effect related to the "pollution heaven hypothesis" ("dirty production migration" effect). As an example of shock the petroleum crisis of the seventies was chosen. The verification results showed a substantial impact of the petroleum crisis on the change in carbon dioxide emission by the industry and, at the same time, unimportance of the "pollution heaven" effect.

Despite its selective nature, the excise duty is one of themost effective sources of the state budget revenues. A fundamental influence on the receipts from this source is exercised by: the kinds and number of articles recognized as excisable and the volume of their sales in the country and of their imports, the excise duty rates, the extent of granted allowances and exemptions, as well as the efficiency in collecting the revenues from this duty.

The range of excise duty applicability is very large and covers a great number of articles, many of them of no significant fiscal importance. At the same time, the list of allowances and exemptions introduced both by acts of Parliament or by ordinances of government bodies is excessively extended. The bulk of revenues obtained from the excise duty comes from taxation of alcoholic beverages, tobacco articles and fuels, while the source of greatest importance is the duty on domestic sales of goods that, in 1994-2001, provided on average 87.7% of the total excise duty revenues. The taxation of imports played a much smaller role.

The rates of excise duty burden are relatively high and since the start of their functioning have been many times modified. However, in recent years a trend towards stabilizing the excise duty rates, and even towards reducing some of them, can be observed.

Excessive excise rate duties led to deterioration in the condition of the spirits, wine and tobacco branches. Financial difficulties of some firms, especially those producing alcoholic beverages, led to accumulation of arrears in the discharge of their excise duty liabilities and to remission of a part of their indebtedness on that score.

The excise duty is a flexible source of budget revenues and it is the Minister of Finance who plays the role of the main author of the state's policy in this area. He has broad powers in shaping the rates and introducing the allowances and exemptions and, consequently, in shaping the revenues from the excise duty. The excessive authority of the Minister of Finance and the use of excise duty as a source of additional revenue whenever the budget is in critical situation is often subject for criticism.