Go east, young entrepreneur!

According to Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, the former Polish Prime Minister and currently one of the directors at the London-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Poland's eastern neighbors present important opportunities for Polish business. At a recent gathering in the capital, Marcinkiewicz presented his view on Poland, its image and the difficulties its economy is facing.

He said that Poland should open its border to workers from Ukraine and Belarus in order to answer the needs of market and to ensure that economic growth does not slow down. Moreover, he believes heading east will prove beneficial for investors. "[Towards Ukraine and Russia] is a excellent direction to go in. We will encourage investors from Poland to use the EBRD's knowledge," said Marcinkiewicz.

He added that because of its geographical location, Poland has a unique opportunity to act as a launching pad for firms looking to invest in Ukraine and Russia. He said that treating Poland as a starting point for investments in the east is becoming more popular, as the country is viewed as more and more developed. "Poland in the EBRD is seen as a rich country which does not need any help, but which should help the poorer countries," said Marcinkiewicz.

The former PM also listed some of the problems facing the Polish economy, and said that in his view the main obstacle to development is the country's large amount of confusing legislation.

"In 1989 and 1990 we had much simpler economic legislation than we do now. Currently, this is the most important economic problem," said Marcinkiewicz. He also expressed his opinion that Poland's burdensome bureaucracy stifles entrepreneurship.