According to representatives of employers’ organizations interviewed by PAP, one year since the swearing-in of Donald Tusk’s government many of the announced changes failed to be implemented; as they said, the government’s actions lack coordination of economic policy, and entrepreneurs do not receive incentives to run a business.
“Few laws reached the desk of the head of state”
“Immediately after the elections won (by the coalition – PAP), it was believed that the president with his veto power would be the main impediment to changes. Meanwhile, few laws reached the desk of the head of state, and even fewer legal acts that would meet employers’ demands were passed,” the chief executive pointed out. economist of the Lewiatan Confederation Mariusz Zielonka.
In his opinion, the greatest success of Tusk’s government is the unblocking of funds from National Reconstruction Plan. “This was also one of our main demands. These funds are particularly important in the context of investments in energy, infrastructure and digital technologies, which can contribute to increasing the competitiveness of Polish companies. However, simply unlocking the funds will not be enough – the key will be how effectively they will be spent, and here there are challenges related to the pace of project implementation and the efficiency of administration,” Zielonka said.
A short list of implemented demands
The Lewiatan economist noted that the list of electoral demands implemented by the government is very short. “To make matters worse, the Prime Minister explains the need to restore the rule of law and hold the previous government to account. It is not clear why fulfillment of election promises would be in contradiction with the process of economic recovery,” Zielonka said.
Employers want the Economic Council
According to the representative of Lewiatan, an appointment is necessary Economic Council operating under the Prime Minister, as a body efficiently transferring the opinions of the economic community to the highest level of government administration, which would also help in coordinating the government’s economic policy. “It cannot be that one minister pushes for solutions in his area and the other criticizes him,” Zielonka noted.
Confederation expert he also pointed out that despite a slight improvement in the quality of law-making, the legislative process is still characterized by haste and lack of reliable public consultations. “After eight years of PiS rule and the complete depreciation of social partners, we were counting on a qualitative change. It did not happen and we still have draft legal acts, such as an amendment introducing an additional day off from work on Christmas Eve, during the creation of which the opinion of social partners was not consulted,” the economist noted. .
However, Zielonka admitted that direct dialogue Lewiatan Confederation The situation with Donald Tusk’s government is much better than with the government elected during the previous term of office of the Sejm.
“Our rating is not high”
She also assessed the first year of Donald Tusk’s government critically National Federation of Entrepreneurs and Employers Przedsiębiorcy.pl representing the SME sector. “Our assessment of the achievement of the goals related to improving the legal environment for business is unfortunately not high. Legislation still remains unpredictable, and entrepreneurs practically do not receive constructive incentives to run a business,” said Piotr Podgórski, legal advisor and member of the Federation’s management board.
In his opinion, the introduced solutions, which the government intended to provide tangible assistance to entrepreneurs, have little impact on improving the conditions for running a business. Podgórski points here to the example of the act on the so-called contribution holidays for entrepreneurs. “It is not a solution with far-reaching effects. Meanwhile the government does not remember the promise it made to entrepreneursaccording to which sickness benefit was to be paid by ZUS from the first day of the employee’s absence from work,” Podgórski noted.
As the representative of the Federation pointed out, entrepreneurs also did not see the introduction of a flat-rate system for settling health insurance contributions, which, in Podgórski’s opinion, would be an expected return from “the path of the oppressive tax system set by the previous government, implemented under the slogan +Polish Order+“.
“It has not been reduced on an annual basis either time of inspection of entrepreneurswhich would be a beneficial solution from the point of view of business certainty,” Podgórski noted.
Entrepreneurs don’t like the free Christmas Eve
Przedsiębiorcy.pl also negatively evaluates the amendment introducing a day off from work on Christmas Eve from next year. “The obligation to provide employees with another day off will not be compensated by the introduction of an additional trading Sunday, because only some entrepreneurs will benefit from it,” Podgórski pointed out.
As the representative of the Federation pointed out, some employers are also concerned about the work prepared by Ministry of Digitization a draft amendment to the Act on the national cybersecurity system, which in its current form would constitute a burden for some Polish entrepreneurs. “Cybersecurity should be ensured while respecting the freedom of business activity and the principles of legal certainty and proportionality, so that certain values do not take precedence over others,” Podgórski emphasized.
Przedsiębiorcy.pl, however, positively assesses the introductory amendment cash PIT for small entrepreneurs and the implementation of the EU directive simplifying the obligations of small businesses related to settling VAT within the EU.
The year of Donald Tusk’s government
December 13, 2023 President Andrzej Duda appointed Donald Tusk as the new Prime Minister and appointed new members of the Council of Ministers. In addition to the head of state and members of the new government, the ceremony was attended by, among others: Speakers of the Sejm and Senate – Szymon Hołownia and Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, heads of the Chancellery of the Sejm and Senate – Jacek Cichocki and Adam Niemczewski, as well as representatives of parliamentary clubs and circles and presidential ministers. The new Prime Minister and ministers took oaths and signed the oath rota.
