Posted on 11/10/2005 7:49:43 PM PST by ncountylee
LONDON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - France may ease regulations to create jobs in deprived areas rocked by two weeks of civil disturbances, the country's finance minister said in comments published on Friday.
In an interview with Britain's Financial Times newspaper, Thierry Breton said France had failed those who live in the bleak urban housing estates where the riots started.
"We have put a lot of money into those suburbs over the past 20 years," he said. "But obviously it wasn't enough. We need to work on how to create more jobs and growth in those areas."
On Thursday, French police reported violence for the 15th night in a row, although on a smaller scale than before. Youths protesting about conditions in the suburbs that ring France's main cities have set light to thousands of cars and fought with police.
Breton said he had prepared a series of proposals to improve the troubled suburbs, which he will present to Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.
"We are working...to implement new measures, where people can create companies more easily and with less regulation," he said. If accepted, the plans could be quickly adopted, he added.
Among the proposals are an increase in tax benefits, boosting state guarantees for business loans and relaxing professional qualifications on firms such as hair salons and taxi companies, the newspaper said.
Breton did not expect foreign investors to be scared off, saying the unrest was more limited than its portrayal in the world's media.
"They will see the disconnect between what is shown and what is real," he told the FT newspaper.
The riots began after the accidental deaths of two youths apparently fleeing police but grew into protests by poor white youths and youngsters of North African and African origin.
Oh! And I'm making sure not to buy any French goods that would support their economy.
Funny, I don't feel doomed.
Oh, welcome to Free Republic
Well, they could put an eye out that way.
Plenty of opportunities for tow truck drivers and junk yard owners/workers, too. All they need is a little more government help to get started.
Except... who gets their nukes?
Why that's a no brainer. Chirac will offer to share them with Iran.
Whip me, kick me, beat me more;
I didn't give you enough before!
(Anonymous Ribbit)
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