Gminas play fair for investors

Wejherowo gmina, located in the Pomorskie voivodship at the seaside, was the winner at the fourth edition of the Gmina Fair Play competition. ŁódŸ also got a special award and the best gminas in the tourist category were Nieporet and Serock. The competition's aim is to select, award and support those local governments that offer the best conditions for investors and their businesses.

The organizer of Gmina Fair Play is the Institute for Private Enterprise and Democracy, and the patronage of the competition is held by the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency (PAIiIZ). The jury consists of parliamentary representatives, public authorities, and PAIiIZ representatives. However, it is investors that are asked to rate the gminas they have had dealings with. Some 3,740 entrepreneurs who launched or completed investments within a gmina took part in the competition and assessed various aspects of cooperation with selected regions.

A total of 139 gminas from 16 voivodships entered the competition. Out of this number the jury selected 123 units, which passed the first verification process and were given certificates. The best seven gminas, Wejherowo, Kleszczów, Duszniki, Słubice, Mszczonów, Nieporęt, and Serock,  were awarded special prizes, namely the Gmina Fair Play 2005 Statue. Ten local governments were given honorable mentions and this year for the first time the special award was given to ŁódŸ gmina, for exceptional efficiency in attracting foreign investors. In this edition, 22 gminas were granted the 'Golden Business Localization' title. Among them were Kleszczów, Ozorków, Czerwonka, Rybnik, Krapkowice, and Zielona Góra.

This year gminas were competing in four categories, urban gminas (over 30,000 citizens), small towns (up to 30,000 citizens), rural and tourist gminas. The competition helps competing gminas to promote themselves and attract investors. Apparently, investors are more willing to invest in gminas that take part in the competition. This is why this year the number of participants grew by 52 percent.

"We observed a growing interest in our gmina among investors, also the foreign ones. Companies are more eager to place their investment in our region. In 2005 three companies launched their investments here and created 250 jobs," said the mayor of Krapkowice gmina, Piotr Solloch.

The competition lasts 12 months in two stages. For a gmina to take part, it has to prove that in the last year investments have been launched on its area and it had the right to take administrative decisions on investments.