New “100 Changes for Companies” amendments passed in Sejm

On Friday, the Lower House of the Polish Parliament adopted a series of amendments which, the ruling PiS party claims, are aimed at removing barriers to business, according to Polish press reports. The law, the government says, will bring PLN 230 million in savings in its first year of application and will affect Acts in the areas of construction law, labor law, freedom of economic activity, financial law and environmental law. Also, one of its goals, according to the government, is to provide safeguards that will protect entrepreneurs by allowing them to file complaints regarding such areas as length of time taken in auditing their businesses. Some specific details of the amendments include: increasing (to PLN 2 million) the annual limit of net revenue (from sale of goods, products and financial operations) which can be claimed on expense ledgers; shortening the deadline for filing a complaint against building applications (to 21 days); and the permission of construction companies to use a temporary structure for 180 days (an increase from 120 days) while waiting for construction permits. The provisions of the so-called “100 Changes for Companies” will come into force on January 1, 2017.