| POLISH INFOMATION AND FOREIGN INVESTMENT AGENCY | ||||||||||||
NEWSLETTER December 10th, 2009, Number 152 | ||||||||||||
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TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS
INVESTMENTS IN POLAND
FROM THE REGIONS
ANALYSES AND REPORTS
DID YOU KNOW...?
NEWS Legal barriers to the inflow of foreign direct investments to Poland Poland is considered to be an attractive investment destination. Nevertheless, foreign entrepreneurs often bring up issues concerning legal and practical barriers to investing in the country.
One of the major problems encountered in the investment process in Poland is the lack of spatial development plans which in consequence may delay all procedures necessary to obtain a building permit. The situation poses many difficulties especially in the renewable energy sector and strongly affects the construction of wind farms. Investors interested in the sector in Poland encounter other difficulties when it comes to connecting wind installations to the national energy grid and obtaining funds for the projects from EU funds and the national budget. It is important to remove the existing complications not only to make use of the favourable wind conditions which make the country one of the most attractive wind farm locations in Europe but also in order to help the country reach its targets regarding energy production from RES. It is also necessary to revise provisions which shape conditions for business activity in the Special Economic Zones, mainly those concerning the criteria according to which private land may be included in a SEZ, the flexibility in the conditions indicated in the authorization to operate within a SEZ and adverse tax provisions. In the process of public aid calculation, tax authorities continually refuse to take into account losses suffered by entrepreneurs in their business activities located in SEZs. This refusal has a vital practical impact because it influences a given investments’ profitability whilst a different approach to the problem could well create an additional investment incentive.
Further reforms are needed in provisions which regulate foreigner residence and work permits in Poland. The provisions relate mainly to: restrictions on freedom of provincial governors in determining the criteria for granting work permits, reduction of restrictive requirements for companies in which foreigners hold positions, facilitation of work permit procedures for employees delegated to work in Poland, introduction of the possibility to implement the complete procedure by proxy and the possibility to appeal against the decision of the consul in case of a visa refusal. This year was favourable for the development of public-private partnerships in the Polish market. At the beginning of 2009, 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 licensing. 2009 saw numerous procedures to choose a private partner to carry out projects in various sectors initiated. The number of such initiatives rose substantially when compared to previous years. Yet PPP in Poland could develop faster if communes across the country - as these are the main entities which run such projects - followed clear and cohesive procedure interpretations of e.g. tax regulations. Foreign direct investment (FDI) constitute an important development and growth factor for the economy of a host country, mainly through new technology and know-how transfer, introduction of new management methods, job creation and general development of regions and countries. Still, the existing barriers to the inflow of foreign investment limit Poland’s development in the field and require necessary changes in the Polish law to be introduced. (PAIiIZ) Seminar on the implementation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprise The seminar took place on December 8th, 2009 at the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency. The seminar was organized within the OECD program which aims at promoting the Guidelines for responsible business.
The OECD Guidelines are a set of recommendations for responsible business conduct. The guidelines are addressed to authorities of multinational enterprises operating in the 33 countries which implement the guidelines. The Guidelines express the common values advocated by the governments of countries from which most of the world's direct investment and the majority of multinational companies originate. The seminar was attended by representatives of multinational companies in Poland and independent civil society organizations as well as trade unions and NGOs. Poland is a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) since 1996. The OECD brings together 30 countries which actively engage in the development of democracy and market economy. In Poland the OECD National Contact Point has been located in PAIiIZ since 2001. Among the program partners are the BPCC, CSRInfo and FOB. (PAIiIZ) Lubuskie’s mission to Blomberg Marshal Office of Lubuskie, in co-operation with the Kostrzyn-Słubice Special Economic Zone and the ASTAR advisory company from Hamburg organised a trade mission to the Federal Republic of Germany.
The aim of the mission was to find business partners, customers and suppliers of services and products who would enter in co-operation with companies active in the metal, wood and furniture industries in the region. The mission served also as an opportunity to promote the Lubuskie voivodship and to encourage German companies to invest in the Kostrzyn-Słubice SEZ. The mission was attended by several dozens of entrepreneurs from the region. The mission involved direct talks during which Polish entrepreneurs presented their offers as well as talked about the expectations of the German partners. Moreover, around 30 bilateral talks took place and many may result in contracts. The event was complemented by a conference on the economy of the Lubuskie voivodship and North Rhine-Westphalia. (Kostrzyńsko Słubicka SEZ) Employers have no plans to reduce jobs Presentation of the survey on employers' plans for the first half of 2010 took place on December 7th, 2009.
The fifth survey of employers’ plans in Poland, conducted by the Randstad Research Institute and TNS OBOP, shows that employers do not intend to reduce employment. In comparison to previous surveys, the report shows that more and more companies consider pay rises. Companies which plan pay rises declare also to increase employment. - Three out of four employers have no plans to change employment levels - says Kajetan Słonina CEO Randstad in Poland. Such declarations are made mainly by foreign-owned companies located in the northern and central Poland. - Foreign companies, whose subsidiaries operate in our country, reacted to the crisis on the global market very quickly - comments Kajetan Słonina - Decisions taken at the headquarters of global corporations immediately ran down to the individual branches in Poland. So before the wave of the crisis has reached us, most companies had already prepared for a difficult situation - explains Słonina. We see a marked improvement in employer mood in the labour market - comments Słonina. - Evidence of this is the large increase in the number of firms that declare pay rises (23% compared to September 13%).
The study explored the impact of labour costs on the actions taken by companies and asked the surveyed what investments would they make, if labor costs were reduced. - Only one-tenth of the respondents declared that the reduction in labour costs would increase employment - comments Słonina - Company development is the main goal of Polish entrepreneurs. Last 12 months saw an increase in the optimism of entrepreneurs in Poland. Companies feel more stable and can focus on activities supporting their development. This fact is confirmed by the high percentage of employers who expect the acceleration of economic growth in Poland, a thing which cannot be achieved with appropriate human resources. The expectations make employers plan to raise wages. (Randstad) Agreement between the Agricultural Property Agency and PAIiIZ The Polish Information and Foreign Investment invites you to the ceremony of signing an agreement between PAIiIZ and the Agricultural Property Agency which will concern measures which are taken to increase FDI inflow to Poland.
The Polish Information and Foreign Investment invites you to the ceremony of signing an agreement between PAIiIZ and the Agricultural Property Agency which will concern measures which are taken to increase FDI inflow to Poland. The meeting will take place on December 14th 2009 at 13.30 at the PAIiIZ Information Centre, Warsaw, 12 Bagatela Str. Participation in the event is free. The conference will be held in Polish. To confirm your participation please contact Aleksandra Bigda at aleksandra.bigda@paiz.gov.pl. (PAIiIZ) Conference: PAIiIZ in 2009 The Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency invites you to a conference devoted to the activities undertaken by PAIiIZ in 2009 which will serve as an opportunity to present the Agency's strategic objectives for 2010 and the results of a survey concerning services provided by PAIiIZ to investors.
During the conference representatives of the Agency will sign a cooperation agreement with academic institutions located in Poland. The meeting will take place on December 18th 2009 at 10.30 at the PAIiIZ Information Centre, Warsaw, 12 Bagatela Str. Participation in the event is free. The conference will be held in Polish. Translation into English will be provided. To confirm your participation please contact Aleksandra Bigda at aleksandra.bigda@paiz.gov.pl. (PAIiIZ) INVESTMENTS IN POLAND New investors in the Łódź Special Economic Zone New investors were granted business activity permission to operate in the Łódź SEZ. New companies declared to invest over PLN 80 mln and create 250 jobs.
One of the new companies is Yuncheng Poland which is the first firm from China to invest in the Łódź SEZ. On an over 1 ha plot situated in Konstantynów Łódzki the company will construct a modern plant for rotogravoure printing. Total investment outlays will amount to at least PLN 16 million 886 thousand and the new plant will offer employment to at least 30 people. You can find detailed information about the investment in PAIiIZ Newsletter 147. The othe new investment will be executed in the commune of Żabia Wola in the Mazowsze voivodship where Logistics Service S.A plans to build a modern logistic centre. The centre will comprise a warehouse complex, office space and a transport centre. The company declared to invest PLN 67 mln and generate at least 226 jobs. In 2009 the Łódź Special Economic Zone issued 14 permissions to run business activity. The total amount of investment outlays declared by the companies nears PLN 500 mln. New projects are expected to create over 1000 new jobs. In BPO, ceramics, logistics, pharmaceutics, food contraction and metal industry. (Łódź SEZ) MACROECONOMIC POLAND
Source: www.nbp.pl FROM THE REGIONS Days of the Podkarpacie region in Paris The Days will take place in Paris between December 9 - 11, 2009. The region will showcase its tourist attractions and business opportunities.
The event will offer an opportunity to present the city of Rzeszów and other locations of the region, such as Przemyśl, Tarnobrzeg, Krosno and Sanok. The region will aslo be promoted throug a trade mission of representatives of the Special Economic Zones: The Euro-Park Wislosan and Euro-Park Mielec, representatives of the Podkarpacie tourism sector and representatives of companies from the region. The mission’s participants will be able to conduct direct talks with representatives of French institutions and firms operating in tourism, aviation, transportation, engineering, automotive, food, chemicals, construction. Presentations and business talks will be complemented by events offering the opportunity to try traditional organic products form the region. Podkarpacie will also be promoted at the Paris European Christmas Fair on December 10-11. Parisians will be able to see the tourist offer of the region, admire the goods made by Carpathian craftsmen and try regional products. (esanok.pl) ANALYSES AND REPORTS Manpower's Employment Outlook Barometer Decline in net employment outlook translates into slightly lower chances of finding employment within the next three months.
On December 8th, the employment agency Manpower Poland announced the results of its Employment Outlook Barometer. According to the outlook, in the first quarter of 2010 employers will continue to carefully analyze the market. Forecast of net employment is 4%. 15% of employers in Poland plan to increase total employment, 11% foresee a reduction of employment and 71% of the respondents have no plans to introduce changes in the first quarter of 2010. The survey shows a slight decrease in employer’s optimism as forecast of net employment declined by 1 percentage point in comparison to previous quarter and 8 percentage points y-o-y. - Good information for both employers and employees is that, although the net employment outlook for Poland is lower than in the previous quarter and the year before, Polish entrepreneurs are among the most optimistic employers from all the 17 surveyed countries in Europe - explains Iwona Janas, Director General of Manpower Poland. Most employers from the 17 countries remain pessimistic about future plans for the recruitment of employees. The only positive net employment outlook for the first quarter of 2010 was for Norway and Sweden (both 6%), Germany (+5%), Poland (4%), Austria (3%), Greece and Switzerland (both 1%). The Manpower Employment Outlook for the first quarter of 2010 was developed on the basis of individual interviews conducted between 15th and 28th October 2009 on a group of 750 employers in Poland. (Manpower Poland) DID YOU KNOW...? Students of the University of Warsaw won silver medal in the international competition IGEM Students from the Department of Biology of the University of Warsaw, won a silver medal in an international competition in the field of synthetic biology - International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM).
The team from the Department of Biology, organized under the supervision of Professors Jacek Bielecki and Piotr Stępien, represented in this year's competitions not only the University of Warsaw, but the entire country. The students returned with a silver medal from the finals held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston during which the team presented results of a project which required over half a year and examined genetically modified bacteria intended to kill cancer cells - an innovative method of fighting cancer. Students intend to continue the research and plan to present the final results during the next year’s finals of the IGEM 2010. The iGEM contest, held since 2004 by one of the world's most renowned technical universities - MIT's focuses more and more on student team work. The main goal of the contest is to promote synthetic biology i.e. a field of science which uses the existing genomes to create new ones and improved thanks to genetic engineering. The term itself has been formulated by a scientist of Polish origin, Professor Wacław Szybalski. (University of Warsaw) 
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 99, e-mail: redakcja@paiz.gov.pl | ||||||||||||
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