French government ministers will meet nextTuesday 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
