Economic promises
Reducing the budget deficit
Democratic Party (PD) promises to cut state spending, especially for mining, metallurgy and state administration, and to remove encumbrances on salaries.
Law and Justice (PiS) will liquidate most of the non-budgetary agencies and funds. It also plans to reduce the budget deficit to under three percent.
Peasants' Party (PSL) sees investments, economic growth and then cuts in spending as vital to reduce the budget deficit.
Self Defense (SO) plans to generate economic growth of seven to nine percent of GDP through active monetary policy. It also promises to reduce the budget deficit to 2.1 percent of GDP.
Entering the eurozone
PD says Poland should enter the eurozone and sees 2009 as a realistic date.
PiS says Poland should enter the eurozone only when it will be of the largest benefit to the economy. It believes Poland will achieve the Maastricht criteria within the term.
PSL believes the ratio of the złoty to the euro is the most important factor when considering entering the eurozone.
SO: It does not plan to enter the eurozone if it takes power.
Taxes
PD advocates a flat, pro-family tax, so for those with dependants there will be a certain sum exempted from taxes.
PiS promises to simplify tax law. CIT will be 19 percent (with reduced rates for R&D), PIT will be at 18 and 32 percent, which after four years will be reduced to 28 percent. It will also abolish the three percent VAT rate, and lower the basic rate from 22 to 18 percent over four years.
PSL advocates a wide use of tax-reduction opportunities for investors and is firmly against flat taxes.
SO promises that the social minimum will be exempted from taxation and a fourth tax group for those earning over zł.144,000 annually will be created. CIT will be reduced to 10 percent, but a 30 percent dividend tax will be introduced.
Social Security
PD will consider reducing premiums for those beginning their career and will also look for savings in the ZUS administration.
PiS sees the ZUS costs as an obstacle for creating new jobs and views their reduction as an absolute necessity. The party will consider exempting newly created jobs from ZUS charges in the first two years.
PSL views huge unemployment as the main cause behind large costs of work and may consider calculating the premiums for the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund based on the number of acres.
SO says the system is "bankrupt" and blames previous governments for increasing premiums instead of tackling unemployment. SO promises to create an open public retirement fund for those who do not want to be in the private funds.
Unemployment
PD plans to introduce a 100-percent tax reduction of investment costs and advocates decreasing ZUS and labor costs and simplifying work contracts for new workers.
PiS is resurrecting its 'Employment First' program which provides for the simplification of establishing enterprises, increasing investments by 25 percent, and is also based on a state program of building apartments and roads, introducing tax exemptions for R&D and ZUS exemptions for newly created workplaces.
PSL promises to promote those willing to invest and advocates using funds from the EU for this purpose. It considers public and state investments and education vital to curbing unemployment.
SO is presenting its 'Lepper's Anchor' plan for increasing economic growth, which states that demand should be created by giving the poorest money through unemployment benefits and tax exemptions.
Democratic Party (PD) promises to cut state spending, especially for mining, metallurgy and state administration, and to remove encumbrances on salaries.
Law and Justice (PiS) will liquidate most of the non-budgetary agencies and funds. It also plans to reduce the budget deficit to under three percent.
Peasants' Party (PSL) sees investments, economic growth and then cuts in spending as vital to reduce the budget deficit.
Self Defense (SO) plans to generate economic growth of seven to nine percent of GDP through active monetary policy. It also promises to reduce the budget deficit to 2.1 percent of GDP.
Entering the eurozone
PD says Poland should enter the eurozone and sees 2009 as a realistic date.
PiS says Poland should enter the eurozone only when it will be of the largest benefit to the economy. It believes Poland will achieve the Maastricht criteria within the term.
PSL believes the ratio of the złoty to the euro is the most important factor when considering entering the eurozone.
SO: It does not plan to enter the eurozone if it takes power.
Taxes
PD advocates a flat, pro-family tax, so for those with dependants there will be a certain sum exempted from taxes.
PiS promises to simplify tax law. CIT will be 19 percent (with reduced rates for R&D), PIT will be at 18 and 32 percent, which after four years will be reduced to 28 percent. It will also abolish the three percent VAT rate, and lower the basic rate from 22 to 18 percent over four years.
PSL advocates a wide use of tax-reduction opportunities for investors and is firmly against flat taxes.
SO promises that the social minimum will be exempted from taxation and a fourth tax group for those earning over zł.144,000 annually will be created. CIT will be reduced to 10 percent, but a 30 percent dividend tax will be introduced.
Social Security
PD will consider reducing premiums for those beginning their career and will also look for savings in the ZUS administration.
PiS sees the ZUS costs as an obstacle for creating new jobs and views their reduction as an absolute necessity. The party will consider exempting newly created jobs from ZUS charges in the first two years.
PSL views huge unemployment as the main cause behind large costs of work and may consider calculating the premiums for the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund based on the number of acres.
SO says the system is "bankrupt" and blames previous governments for increasing premiums instead of tackling unemployment. SO promises to create an open public retirement fund for those who do not want to be in the private funds.
Unemployment
PD plans to introduce a 100-percent tax reduction of investment costs and advocates decreasing ZUS and labor costs and simplifying work contracts for new workers.
PiS is resurrecting its 'Employment First' program which provides for the simplification of establishing enterprises, increasing investments by 25 percent, and is also based on a state program of building apartments and roads, introducing tax exemptions for R&D and ZUS exemptions for newly created workplaces.
PSL promises to promote those willing to invest and advocates using funds from the EU for this purpose. It considers public and state investments and education vital to curbing unemployment.
SO is presenting its 'Lepper's Anchor' plan for increasing economic growth, which states that demand should be created by giving the poorest money through unemployment benefits and tax exemptions.
