| POLISH INFOMATION AND FOREIGN INVESTMENT AGENCY | |||||||||||
NEWSLETTER February 26th 2009, Number 111 | |||||||||||
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TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS
INVESTMENTS IN POLAND
FROM THE REGIONS
ANALYSES AND REPORTS
DID YOU KNOW...?
FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, We kindly invite you to a PAIiIZ conference to be held next Monday. PAIiIZ experts and specialists from the consulting company MDDP “Michalik, Dłuska, Dziedzic i Partnerzy” will discuss the extend to which the Polish tax system influences the country’s investment climate in the country. In the News section we inform about the anti-crisis plan presented by the Polish Government and about the co-operation of the central banks in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic to defend the national currencies’ stability. Together with the organisers we recommend three events promoting investment potential of various Polish regions i.e. the SEZs located in the Pomerania and close to Szczecin and in the Poznań agglomeration. For details go to From the Regions section. In the sections Reports and Analyses and Did you know that.. we write about the high position of the city of Gdańsk in the IT investment attractiveness ranking and about the first Polish zero emission power plat project presentation abroad. Pleasant reading! PAIiIZ’s editorial team NEWS PAIiIZ Conference: tax system’s influence on investment climate A conference “Taxes in Poland and their influence on investment climate in 2008-2009” will take place at the PAIiIZ Press Centre on March 2nd, 2009.
The aim of the meeting is to discuss the impact the Polish tax system has on the acquisition of foreign direct investment and on the country’s image as an investment destination. The conference will be attended by Paweł Wojciechowski PhD, PAIiIZ President; Tomasz Olkiewicz, partner in MDDP Michalik, Dłuska, Dziedzic i Partnerzy and Jarosław Neneman PhD from the Łódź University. Prime Minister presents an anti-crisis plan Among the plan’s priority the Prime Minister pointed out the efforts to protect the country’s labour market, increase pensions and assistance in mortgage loan repayment for families of the unemployed.
In his Friday address the Prime Minister presented the governmental “Stability and Development Plan“. The plan assumes allocation of 3 billion PLN from the EU Operational Programme “Human Capital” to protect jobs and to prepare an Act on the so called stoppage holidays which are to be partly paid from public funds. The Prime Minister declared acceleration of the realisation of EU co-financed investment projects and said that the Government will not intervene in the market of currency options. Mr Tusk explained that the government is determined to keep budget deficit at the planned level. In his address Prime Minister conveyed the need to introduce euro in Poland and asked the opposition to support the governmental efforts to enter the ERM2 preliminary stage. (CIR, PAP)
Polish, Czech and Hungarian central banks to co-operate Presidents of the three central banks want to establish a close co-operation to avoid unfavourable influence of currency fluctuations on the countries’ economies.
According to a communiqué issued by the President of the National Bank of Poland (NBP) Sławomir Skrzypek on Monday, the macroeconomic situation in Poland does not account for the current weak condition of the Polish złoty. Sławomir Skrzypek informed also that the NBP may implement measures to limit the unfavourable economic impact of exchange rates fluctuations. Intensification of information exchange and better management of the banks’ relations may effectively boost actions and initiatives taken by the banks in the East-Central Europe. Similar communiqués were issued by central banks in Hungary and the Czech Republic. (NBP) INVESTMENTS IN POLAND Euros Polska invests in the Katowice SEZ Euros Polska is to invest 11 million EUR in the Katowice SEZ. The company wants to construct a rotor blades producing company which is to be Euros’ second investment project in Poland.
The German company producing rotor blades to various turbine manufacturers worldwide realised its first investment project in the SEZ in 2006. Yet the new investment, to be situated in the Jastrzębie- Żory sub zone, will be considerably bigger. Euros Polska declares the project’s investment outlays to reach 11 million EUR and expects the facility to generate 200 new workplaces. The initiative does testify to the fact that Poland still tends to attract investments in the field of equipment for renewable energy generation. The project confirms also that foreign employers do highly assess the qualifications of Polish employees. The Jastrzębie - Żory sub zone is an attractive investment destination. Among the zone’s major advantages there is the good location in direct vicinity of the planned A1 highway which is to connect the north and south of the continent. Besides the zone’s varied area is easy to adjust to a wide variety of investment needs, regardless of a given project’s size or sector. The zones attractiveness finds reflection in the number and quality of investors interested in the location. To date the zone hosts over 40 projects worth jointly round 2.2 billion PLN which contributed to the generation of 5.5 thousand new jobs in the region. (Katowice SEZ) MACROECONOMIC POLAND
Source: www.nbp.pl FROM THE REGIONS Conference - Building a network of technology parks The conference “Building a network of technology parks in the region” will be held on March 9th. The event is organized by Gdańsk Science and Technology Park and the Pomeranian Special Economic Zone in cooperation with the Association of Organizers of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centers in Poland (SOOIPP).
IThe aim of the conference is to exchange ideas and experience in building networks of technology parks in the region. The project is geared towards business environment institutions, local government units, scientific - research institutes and technology parks, scientific incubators, and other innovation institutions interested in co-operation and development of regional initiatives. The conference will also be a working meeting of the SOOIPP’s Parks and Incubators Section from all over Poland. To confirm your attendance please email office@gpnt.pl or send a fax to (058) 739 61 18 (deadline: March 3rd). (Pomeranian SEZ) Large Investment Fair (TDI) in Szczecin The Large Investment Fair promoting investment opportunities in the Zachodniopomorskie region will be held between March 13-15, 2009 in Szczecin. The Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency supports the event.
Large Investment Fair (TDI) will be held on March 13-15 at the premises of the MTS exhibition and fair centre at Struga Str. 6-8 in Szczecin. The Zachodniopomorskie Region is now one of the most rapidly developing regions in the country. Excellent geographic location, well developed rail and road infrastructure, and access to waterway transport are attractive for investment. Proximity to the border with Germany and the Baltic Sea countries, as well as good railway links with European countries create excellent opportunity for developing international contacts and facilitating export of goods and services beyond the Polish border. The coastal location of the region attracts much investment in tourism and leisure. Additionally, over a half of the total area of the region is agricultural land, which makes the region suitable for investing in food industry or renewable sources of energy, in particular when we consider wind conditions. For more information visit www.mts.pl. To confirm your attendance, please email grzegorz.lis@mts.pl. (International Szczecin Fairs) Economic Forum of the Poznań Agglomeration The Wielkopolska Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WIPH) and co-organizers have the honour of inviting you to participate in the second edition of the Economic Forum of the Poznań Agglomeration, which will take place between April 2nd-3rd, 2009.
The Economic Forum of the Poznań Agglomeration aims at creating a platform for debate concerning regional economic tendencies of development. Local milieu and entrepreneurs interested in the Poznań Agglomeration will have the opportunity to discuss ways of effective management support and coordination of actions and initiatives connected with local investment processes and the agglomeration’s development. The major purpose of the II Economic Forum of the Poznań Agglomeration is the presentation of investment offers of the region to prospective investors. The meeting will be a perfect opportunity to showcase the region’s advantages as an investment destination in the context of the Euro 2012 and the overall region‘s development strategy. While DGA S.A. and Ernst & Young are the event’s essential partners, the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency acts as one of the event’s honorary patrons. For more information visit www.forumgospodarcze.com. ANALYSES AND REPORTS The Word Bank predicts 2% GDP growth for Poland in 2009 The latest World Bank’s report on the Polish economy forecasts a 2% GDP growth for 2009.
During the report’s presentation Tomas Laursen, the World Bank Country Manager for Poland and the Baltic States said that a 2% GDP growth in Poland this year is a very attainable scenario. - From among the new EU member states Poland is in the best fiscal and financial condition. Although the country has been experiencing sluggish external demand and lowering foreign direct investment (FDI), against the backdrop of the rest of the region Poland maintains a far more stable development, also thanks to private consumption which is one of the most important stimulating economic factors - Mr Laursen added. The report points out that the government’s determination to maintain budget’s discipline remains an important anti-crisis element of the economic policy in the country. (PAP) Gdańsk among the 31 most attractive IT investment destinations Gdańsk is the only Polish city and one of eight European locations which entered the ranking of the 31 most attractive investment destinations in the IT sector- Paweł Adamowicz, Gdańsk’s President and Jerzy Kalinowski, representative of KMPG who prepared the ranking "Exploring Global Frontiers - The New Emerging Destinations" informed on Monday.
KPMG presented 31 cities situated on all continents which tend to be most attractive for investors who look for alternative investment locations after traditional outsourcing projects destinations result oversaturated. Among the selected locations there are both big cities from developed countries and smaller destinations from emerging economies. Gdańsk as the only Polish city entered the ranking. It is the easy access to highly qualified IT specialists, good communication infrastructure, the city’s attractiveness as a place to live in and a considerable investment support from local authorities that constitute the destination’s major set of advantages.
Every year Gdańsk universities generate round 150 thousand graduates. The city offers well developed and competitively priced office space, among others, within the Gdańsk Science and Technology Park. Undoubtedly among the major city’s advantages there is the modern airport and well-developed (continually modernised in the frame of the EURO 2012 preparations) transport urban infrastructure. New investors generating jobs are in line to obtain attractive concessions and other investment incentives as well as professional economic assistance on every stage of the investment process. Both the President Adamowicz and the KMPG representatives agree that a good position in the ranking effectively promotes the city and may contribute to new projects acquisition and thus stimulate the city’s and the whole region’s economic development. (Gdańsk City Council) DID YOU KNOW...? Polish zero emission power plant project presented in Brussels Last Tuesday the Southern Poland Power Company (PKE) and “Kędzierzyn” Nitrogen Works (ZAK) presented a projects of a zero emission power plant.
The Project is the first so technologically advanced project of the kind in the world. ZAK’s president Krzysztof Jarosiński told the Polish Press Agency that the companies will together construct the first ever power plant generating power and heat as well as other chemical substances with no CO2 emission (the station’s power - 309 MWe / 125 MWt). Construction of clear energy sources forms an integral part of the modernisation programme of the European power engineering industry. Part of the investment will cost over 1.3 billion EUR and the factory is planned to be completed by 2015. ZAK and PKE want to cover 50% of investment outlay, the rest is expected to come from the Polish budget and the EU funds. Authors of the project are determined to realise the investment even if EU funds are not granted. In this case the companies would turn to private co-investors. To date the project enjoys support on the part of the Ministry of Economy and the local self government. The former Polish prime minister Mr Jerzy Buzek is one of the most engaged supporters of the idea. The European Commission is about to publish criteria for granting subsidies to zero emission projects in the power engineering industry soon. (PAP) 
Editorial office: Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency, 00-585 Warsaw, Bagatela Street 12 Economic Promotion Department, tel: (+48 22) 334 99 49, fax: (+48 22) 334 99 99, e-mail: redakcja@paiz.gov.pl | |||||||||||
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