Good Practices in PPP

19.11.2009

The Investment Forum Good Practices in PPP took place at the PAIiIZ seat on November 18th. The Forum was organised by the consulting firm Investment Support. The aim of the meeting was to present legal aspects which play a vital role in projects which fall in the remit of public-private partnership in Poland, to present PPP projects to potential investors, to discuss co-operation opportunities and the best project realisation methods which work in the PPP framework.

At the beginning of the year, two new Acts shaping public-private co-operation entered into force i.e. the Act on PPP and the Act on services and construction work licencing. Both Acts make it possible to realise public projects with the use of private means and the engagement of private investors.

During the forum Agata Kozłowska, Director of Investment Support drew attention to a number of vital differences between the two Acts. The essence of the idea of PPP framework is that both partners share the investment risk without a clear specyfying which partner takes a given risk. In the case of a licence, it is the private partner that shoulders the greater economic risk. Another vital difference between the Acts concerns the possibility of property rights assignment to the private partner in PPP  arrangements whilst in the case of a licence public properties may only be made accessible to the private partners in order to accomplish a given project.

Moreover, the Forum offered the possibility to present investment projects which are to be realised in the PPP framework and which were selected in the 3rd edition of the contest for the Best PPP Project. The awarded projects concern the renovation of the Sopot station premises, extension of the Kolna Sport and Recreation Centre, construction of a multi storey car park in Płock and the Yatenga Museum in Żory.

The contests is a unique initiative which focuses on the promotion of public-private projects at the initial stage of realisation. The two former contests jointly attracted 93 projects. Projects which were awarded in the contest received support in the preparatory stage and during the phase of preliminary analysis. This year one of the main awards in the contest is the project’s promotion activities during an international investment forum and a study tour to France. (PAIiIZ)