| POLSKA POLAND POLSKA POLAND POLSKA POLAND POLSKA POLAND POLSKA POLAND POLSKA | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS
INVESTMENTS IN POLAND
FROM THE REGIONS
ANALYSES AND REPORTS
DID YOU KNOW...?
FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, This week the XVIII Economic Forum 2008 held in Krynica ended. At the end of annual meeting of economists, politicians and entrepreneurs, the Deputy Prime Minister, Waldemar Pawlak declared governmental support for the promotional activities of Polish companies active in the CEE region. Moreover, we inform that the Ministry of Regional Development drew up documents outlining the implementation of a new Swiss-Polish Co-operation Program and the Ministry of Infrastructure put the project of high speed railway construction in for public consultation. In this Newsletter you will also find information of the Polish export performance in July and about optimistic forecasts on car production in Poland. We would also like to draw your attention to the new investment in the Starachowicka SEZ and to the biggest Polish investment in Russia. Pleasant reading! PAIiIZ’s editorial team NEWS The government opts for developing regional companies At the end of the XVIII Economic Forum 2008 held in Krynica the deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Mr Waldemar Pawlak emphasised that the entrepreneurship development plays an important role in the economic growth in Central and Eastern Europe. That is why the government will support Polish companies operating both in Poland and in the whole CEE region as well as to help improve the Polish companies’ co-operation with business partners from the region.
The Deputy Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak presented this year’s governmental initiatives aiming at supporting the entrepreneurship in Poland. These are to consist in, among other things, foreign exchange law amendment. “Thanks to the new regulation, Polish companies may now settle transactions in many various currencies and thus do not have to pay for the transaction costs, a useful improvement when taking into account that Poland has for some time been doing business in EUR.” According to the Polish Deputy Prime Minister, the economic growth in the CEE region is to a large extend a result of good performance of companies operation in the region. “It is important that the companies had a regional character. Every country of the region, Poland included, should prop up the country’s specific business segments and take advantage of the successful sectors to create good inter-regional contacts.”, the Minister emphasised.The Deputy Prime Minister used the example of successful regional companies from the energetic sector and mentioned the common initiative of a nuclear power station construction by the Polish Energetic Group and a Lithuanian company as well as the PSE Operator’s involvement in the Polish-Lithuanian energetic bridge construction. Mr Pawlak emphasised that shared initiatives do contribute to successful business projects. In the face of the challenges of CO2 emission limits and growing energy demand Poland’s economy should take more interest in alternative technological possibilities. He also emphasised that the Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister’s, Andrej Kobiakov’s, participation in this year’s Krynica Forum testifies to the changes taking place in this part of Europe. The expected privatization in Belarus is a sign of possible positive economic trends which may contribute to the development of the whole CEE region. (Ministry of Economy) Go to top...
Polish-Indian Chamber of Commerce On Wednesday, September 17th an assembly of the Founding Members of the Polish-Indian Chamber of Commerce took place in Poznań (PIIG). The new non-governmental organization will intend to significantly stimulate business activity generating prospects in various business initiatives of Polish entrepreneurs in the Asian markets.
A group of Indian and Polish entrepreneurs came up with the idea of establishing the Chamber. In May a group of Polish managers-to -be of the project visited India. The visit, initiated by the Indian side, offered a possibility to meet and talk with the representatives of Indian business and also with the country’s administration delegates. During the visit Indian entrepreneurs emphasised their serious interest in the possibilities of entering into economic co-operation with Polish businesses from many sectors, among others, the farm and food processing industry, furniture industry, ICT and industrial automatics. The Assembly of the Founding Members of the Chamber gathered government representatives from both countries and delegates form at least 150 companies which became founding members of the organization. The Polish government was represented by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Waldemar Pawlak and the Secretary of State of the council of the Prime Minister, Eugeniusz Grzeszczak. The project managers aim at attracting well-known and successful production and commercial companies seeking new interesting markets to enter. The Chamber’s members will constitute the organization’s strength in creating attractive and negotiation-friendly conditions for Polish and Indian entrepreneurs’ contacts. During his visit to India in January this year, the Deputy Minister of Economy, Adam Szejnfeld emphasized that Poland hopes to strengthen the ties between the two countries, especially in the fields of the energy, mining and food processing industries. (PIIG) Swiss-Polish Co-operation Program Poland is to receive almost 1 billion Swiss franks in assistance funds from Switzerland as part of a program to support reforms, level out differences among regions, boost environmental protection activities, shore up the SMEs’ situation, develop infrastructure and upgrade business environment in the country.
On Monday, September 15th Polish Minister for Regional Development, Elæbieta Bieńkowska officially announced the opening of the Swiss-Polish Co-operation Program and informed that the applications’ submission is to start beginning October this year. Propositions of projects to be financed from the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Program can be submitted by public institutions, local governments or ministries, NGOs as well as both private and state owned companies. Director General of the Swiss Agency For Development and Co-operation, Martin Dahinden said that the program forms an important element in the Swiss-Polish relationships. “The support that we offer to the EU newcomer countries has been enjoying a considerable support in my country. We even had, as in many cases, a referendum on this and it got approved by the Swiss.”, Martin Dahinden added and expressed his hope that the program would contribute to level out differences in socio-economic development with countries of the 'Old EU' and would help to further strengthen ties between Poland and Switzerland. Janusz Mikula, Deputy Minister from the Ministry of Regional Development, informed that the applications may be submitted starting from October 1st till December 23rd. Funds from the Program will be used for complex integrated programs in less developed peripheral areas, modernization of infrastructure, the private sector, export and health protection. Subsides may even account for 10 million Swiss franks. The Program will be a perfect opportunity for the Polish side to draw on the experience of implementing structural and cohesion funds in Switzerland. It is a continuation of a co-operation and other financial assistance programs the countries realized in the 90s. Switzerland has been among the first countries to offer assistance in the period of transformative changes in Poland. “I am deeply convinced that the experience and knowledge gained in the previous period of co-operation will be effectively put to use in managing the new initiative.”, said the Minster Ewa Bieńkowska. (Ministry of Regional Development) INVESTMENTS IN POLAND The Starachowice SEZ will host a new investor SEFAKO will construct its new plant and a warehouse in the Starachowice SEZ. The company has already declared to invest 75 million PLN and to hire 150 new employees.
SEFAKO manufactures boilers and boiler spare parts. The company deals also with the products’ transport, installation and designing of other power generating equipment. SEFAKO was granted a business activity permission to operate in the Sździszów sub-zone. The project assumes construction of a new shop floor rigged with new equipment and entailing new technologies application. SEFAKO’s plant will be built on a 17 ha lot that belongs to the investor and which has been incorporated into the Starachowice-based SEZ in August this year. This year the Starachowice SEZ has already issued 17 permissions thanks to which investors declared to jointly incur investment costs reaching nearly 280 million PLN and to create 700 new workplaces. (Starachowice SEZ)
A Polish plant in Siberia Centrozap is to construct a timber processing plant in the Komi Republic located in Siberia. The undertaking is estimated to cost near 300 million PLN.
The company received a 49-year tenancy permission of over 600 thousand ha woodland lot. Centrozap wants to build a timber processing plant and, according to what Jaros³aw £atacz told the PAIiIZ Newsletter, the project has already entered a preparatory stage which consists mainly in arranging orders and supplies of the timber processing equipment. Also the factory itself as well as the facility’s related infrastructure e.g a hotel and health centre for employees has been in the designing phase. The plant’s construction process is planned to start next year, completed in two years’ time by 2011 when the production estimated to process round 1.8 million m3 should be initiated. (Centrozap) MACROECONOMIC POLAND
Source: www.nbp.pl FROM THE REGIONS
PAIiIZ signs agreements with regional capital cities in Eastern Poland On September 12th the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency and the city of Bia³ystok signed an agreement concerning arrangements on promotion-connected co-operation. The Agency wants to improve promotional chances and boost investment attractiveness of Polish regions situated in Eastern part of the country. In order to achieve this PAIiIZ intends to intensify mutual efforts and work together with the region’s capital cities.
On behalf of the city the agreement was signed by the city’s president Tadeusz Truskolaski, PAIiIZ was represented by Mr Pawe³ Wojciechowski, President of PAIiIZ and Mr Robert Kwiatkowski, member of the Management Board. In July this year representatives of the city of Lublin entered into a similar agreement with the Agency. PAIiIZ plans to sign further contracts with Olsztyn and
The aim of the agreements consists in undertaking common initiatives in order to help the regions more effectively attract foreign investors and provide efficient investment related services. PAIiIZ will promote the cities and the whole region’s investment offer among potentially interested entrepreneurs in selected foreign markets. The Agency intends to intensify co-operation with the capital cities also because of the “Economic Promotion of Eastern Poland” financed from the Operational Programme - Development of Eastern Poland (EPD OP) managed by PAIiIZ and the region’s local self-government units. (PAIiIZ) ANALYSES AND REPORTS Doing business 2009 Poland managed to maintain its position as far as the country’s investment climate assessment is considered. Admittedly, Poland fell by two positions in the World Bank’s ranking assessing the conditions for pursuing business activity, yet this year’s report ranked more economies than in the previous years.
Analysts form the World Bank did appreciate the judicial system reform in Poland, the changes concerning the official receiver’s profession and simplification of mortgage granting procedures for entrepreneurs. Poland streamlined the bankruptcy proceedings by passing a new law on official receivers licensing, toughening requirements in this professional group. Now to obtain a licence and become an official receiver a candidate is required to pass an exam in economy, finance, law and management. Moreover, the reform limits the receiver’s remuneration to 3% of the bankrupt’s estate, decreasing the former level of 5% and thus rising the level of reclaimed assets from 28%to 30% a dollar. Singapore, which tops the ranking this year, is followed by New Zealand, the USA, Hong Kong, Denmark and the United Kingdom. Doing business 2009. Deloitte: Self-governments should go promoting Deciding on an investment destination usually involves consideration of around 60 factors. It is the local self-government that exerts most influence on the majority of the aspects.
According to an analysis conducted by the Deloitte Global Location Facility Services and presented on the XVIII Economic Forum 2008 held in Krynica, companies usually weigh the pros and cons of round 60 aspects of a given investment destination. “Companies usually focus on factors which may in both short and long run be influenced and changed by the local governments. Investors tend to choose locations that only near the expected key requirements. Investment incentives belong to a very widely applied methods yet they seem to be rather overestimated. Local governments should certainly pay attention also to other elements of their investment offer.”, Sebastian Mikosz, Director at Deloitte's Warsaw office told “Puls Biznesu”. “The governments should actively direct their promotional efforts to reach out to the outside environments and coherently build their own image. It is also worth taking up initiatives together with construction groups or real estate agencies. What counts is also the speed and quality of the investment service offer together with investment oriented support from public administration institution also at the governmental level. Local governments, in turn, should provide non-financial incentives and support companies after the investment project’s completion. It is also the independent initiative of the local authorities to effectively distribute their own funding and e.g organize English lessons in kindergartens.”, added Sebastian Mikosz. The Deloitte analyses show that in case of a plant construction project it takes 3 years from the initial project decision to its realisation and 18 months in case of a service centre. The surveyed companies admitted that their choice of Eastern Europe is not only determined by low labour costs but that investors feel also attracted by the support provided after the investment has been completed. (Puls Biznesu) DID YOU KNOW...? High Speed Trains to connect Warszaw, £ód¼, Wroc³aw and Poznań Construction of 540 km of high speed railway tracks is bound to shorten the journey time by half, make the connections between major Polish cities safer and more comfortable. Also modernization of the already existing railway tracks is to be conducted by the year 2020. The ministerial railway modernization plans are now put in for public consultation.
Cezary Grabarczyk, the Minister of Infrastructure presented the details of the project in £ód¼, one of the cities included in the high speed railway track. The Ministry plans to connect the country’s capital with the cities of Poznań and Wroc³aw, with a shared section between Warszawa and £ód¼. It has not yet been decided whether the railway’s bifurcation directed towards the two end cities will be situated in Sieradz or Kalisz. The Ministry has drawn up two documents outlining the project i.e. “High Speed Railways Construction and Implementation Program in Poland” and “The Environment Impact Assessment Forecasts for the High Speed Railways Construction and Implementation Program in Poland” The documents have now been presented for public consultation, should they be accepted, the Council of Ministers will vote to pass a suitable resolution. The Ministry hopes the process will be completed by the end of the year. Preparatory works are planned to be started as soon as possible, the construction and modernisation of the railway connection should finish by 2018. Within the next two year test drives will take place and the connections will be available for public use in 2020. The investment will cost 22 billion PLN and further 3.2 billion PLN is to be allocated to the propose of train acquisition. The project is to result in a construction of 540 km of new railway tracks. The £ód¼-based railway hub where a new trains station and an underground train connection with other city’s stations (£ód¼ Widzew, £ód¼ Fabryczna and £ód¼ Kaliska) is to be of key importance for the project. The new tracks will enable trains to reach the speed of 300km/h and consequently make the travellers spend half the current time in the journeys between the major Polish cities. Further regions, the Silesian agglomeration and Kraków, are to be incorporated into the high speed railway system after the main railway line of the country has been modernised. (PAP, Ministry of Infrastructure)  Editorial office: Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency, 00-585 Warsaw, Bagatela Street 12 Economic Promotion Department, tel: (+48 22) 334 98 15, fax: (+48 22) 334 99 98, e-mail: redakcja@paiz.gov.pl | ||||||||||||||
|
