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- WORLD, Page 31World NotesPERUOff to a Shaky Start
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- Lima went on a wild shopping spree last week as nervous
- consumers cleared store shelves of essential products like rice
- and oil in anticipation of shortages and steep price increases.
- The hoarding made an inauspicious start for President Alberto
- Fujimori, who began his five-year term last week without
- delivering an expected recovery plan to reduce rampant
- underemployment and curb the country's 3,000% 1989 inflation
- rate.
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- Right after taking office, Fujimori replaced the heads of
- the navy and air force, and declared a two-day bank holiday to
- give himself time to prepare his economic rescue program. But
- the President's economic team has been torn by disagreements,
- leading several members to resign. In a reversal of a campaign
- pledge not to resort to drastic shock-style policies, Fujimori
- hinted that he would cut price subsidies, raise taxes and
- streamline state-owned companies. Even by conservative
- estimates, such severe steps would cause inflation to skyrocket
- to 250% a month, exacerbate the recession and erode the
- salaries of the workers who elected Fujimori to help them.
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