STORY:
Y2K Uncertainty in Eastern Europe

Lots of questions surrounding Y2K compliance in Romania and Russia

Old computers and questionable tests leaves residents of Eastern Europe uncertain about what Y2K will bring. Instead of fixing computers many countries in Eastern Europe have decided to ignore the computer Y2K issue which could end up being a huge concern.

Here’s how the problem is being explained in much of Eastern Europe. Since the West uses computers for more things the west will have bigger problems. Since Eastern Europe has old computers and doesn’t rely on computers as much as those living in the west do, then there will be less of a problem come New Year’s Eve.

It is true that much of the government keeps records mannualy and therefore, many state agencies will not be effected by the Y2K bug. But what about power companies and energy facilities? They do use computers and there is a chance that could bring potential problems as Year 2000 dawns.

From the Baltic states to the Balkans power grids are in danger of being affected by Y2K. The region’s power grids are interconnected and that means a failure in one could trigger a power outage in another country. In fact, many countries rely on aging Soviet-era nuclear power plants for energy and there is concern of widespread blackouts.

Romania’s national electricity company Conel says it has done readiness tests, but one company source told the Associated Press no such tests have taken place. In many former Soviet bloc nations, old government secrecy habits continue and that could be the case with Y2K compliancy.

The uncertainty is causing different reactions in different countries. In Bucharest the U.S. Embassy has advised Americans to be prepared for possible power outages. They are telling people to keep a few days supply of food, have a tank full of gas and extra candles and cash.

Bulgaria’s government has declared January 3 a holiday because officials were worried about disruptions in electricity and natural gas deliveries. One of the country’s two oil refineries will suspend operations until January 4.

Estonia’s power company works with electrical grids from Russia, Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus. Just in case there were problems, recently Estonia power officials conducted a test that separated them from the others, to make sure their system would work independently.

As a precaution against blackouts, Hungary's hospitals will perform only emergency surgery over New Year's and send ambulatory patients home, the country's hospitals association said. In Poland all trains will stop for at least 45 minutes shortly before midnight on December 31.

To be safe Hungary is closing its banks from December 30 to January 3. In Ukraine the central bank is asking commercial banks to complete all its large transactions two weeks before the New Year. Officials at the central bank also told commercial banks that they better be Y2K compliant by December 22 or they would be disconnected from the country's electronic payment system.

DATE: 12/20/99

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