The working meeting in preparation for the Poland-Ukraine Construction Convention with the special participation of Minister Jadwiga Emilewicz and PAIH’s Board Member Grzegorz Oszast, showed the great potential for the construction industry and the main directions of operation in the reconstruction of Ukraine. Its aim was to define the needs, expectations and challenges of Polish companies operating as part of the post-war reconstruction of our neighbour's country.
The meeting was hosted by Konrad Wyrwas, Director of Development Strategy and Public Relations of the Polish Association of Construction Industry Employers, PZPB President Jan Styliński and Karol Kubica, Head of the PAIH’s Foreign Trade Office in Kiev. The event was attended by representatives of GDDKiA, the Ministry of Development and Technology, representatives of law firms and numerous specialists from the construction industry.
Infrastructure, energy, agriculture, transport and IT were identified as key sectors. The need to develop tools for resolving business disputes and arbitration, as well as the developing system of investment guarantees, were also discussed. During the discussion, legislative challenges requiring the most urgent action were discussed. These included transparency, foreign exchange facilitation, streamlining of, among other things, fast-track procurement procedures, amendments to the provisions on Public-Private Partnership and legal harmonisation in the context of Ukraine's planned accession to the EU.
Minister Jadwiga Emilewicz stressed that a Polish-Ukrainian fund is needed to support the activities of companies and a grant system to prepare investments. She also mentioned that the European Investment Bank is also ready for industry meetings to present companies with a mechanism for obtaining funds. As Minister Emilewicz emphasized, it is important to create units in Ukraine similar to the Special Economic Zones operating in Poland. The head of the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy informed about the planned publication of the White Paper on barriers in the public procurement law, which can be indicated and quickly resolved without having much impact on the Ukrainian side. One of the areas where we see specialisation is Poland’s success in terms of obtaining EU funds.
Grzegorz Oszast, Member of PAIH’s Management Board, encouraged those present to engage in business projects in Ukraine, while at the same time warning that the condition for success in this market is to get to know its specifics, acquire a network of relations and a presence on site, allowing a company to operate efficiently at the stage of tenders and project implementation. He also reminded that PAIH provides assistance in entering the Ukrainian market and establishing relations is provided by PAIH’s Foreign Trade Office in Kiev, which after a period of temporary operation in Warsaw has returned to Ukraine.
Experts in the road construction industry from the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways argued about the experience of the Directorate in long-term construction projects that can successfully be used in Ukraine. At the same time, they emphasized that the Directorate wants to share the solutions developed in the field of tender procedures, selecting contractors and using funds in a transparent and effective manner.
Jacek Shugajew, President of the Management Board of KredoBank operating in Ukraine, who participated in the meeting, stressed that loans are currently available on the Ukrainian market in a very limited way. Large investments are also not currently being carried out, as a result of ongoing hostilities and the associated risk. He added that KredoBank, despite the difficulties, currently maintains lending and other instruments for entrepreneurs.
The meeting was organized by Polish Association of Construction Industry Employers. PAIH was one of the co-organisers.
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