Jobs for the boys at UKiE while the business community suffers

Last year the Office for European Integration (UKIE) spent zl. 22 million on advice, translation of documents and rent, while its total budget, together with remuneration for its 400 employees, was zl. 78 million. However, the heavy spending has not really increased the knowledge of EU subsidies and funds available among the business community. According to a survey by Parkiet, most business people are terrified by the bureaucracy they have to overcome when applying for subsidies and apparently do not even know where to turn for help and what the conditions for granting aid are. Some help comes from the Polish Agency for Entrepreneurship Development (PARP) in charge of distributing EU grants. Its last year operational costs were zl. 23 million. "This year the money the agency will have at its disposal will be zl. 652 million and will come from PHARE program and the EU subsidies," said Boguslaw Grabowski of PARP. (Parkiet, March 15-17, pp. 1, 10, 11) J.K.