Business community fear loss of contracts over new public tenders Act

Polish entrepreneurs fear the loss of public contracts estimated to be worth billions of złotys to EU competitors after the implementation of amendments to the public tenders Act. However these are required, as Brussels will not pay a dime from its structural funds. The EU Commission will not accept any of the projects, if EU companies do not have the same rights, as their Polish competitors. The Commission also thinks that delays in the amendments to the public orders' bill are one of the major threats to Poland's successful integration. Domestic firms presently control a majority of zł. 41.3 billion in government orders due to preferential treatment. "EU firms have much better financial access, allowing them to carry out orders on their own, and also preparing projects if they have less chance of acquiring contracts," said Wiesław Zawadzki, director of the Business Center Club. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, B1) M.M.