PiS pledges more state aid in election year

Ruling Law and Justice (PiS) has announced a new slate of state-funded social incentives that would cost, according to the Ministry of Finance up to PLN 40 billion a year.

The program was announced by its leader Jarosław Kaczyński at the party convention this weekend. “A person whose pockets are empty isn’t free. We are filling these pockets, within what’s possible,” he announced.

The programs include extending the Family 500+ program to every child. It currently covers the second child and subsequent children, an extra state pension for the retirees, income tax exemption for people under 26, and improving the bus transport system.

According to Puls Biznesu daily which quotes data from the Ministry of Finance, the extension of the Family 500+ program will cost the Treasury PLN 17 billion annually, the extra pension will come with PN 11 billion price tag, while tax exemption and the bus system will cost PLN 2 and 1.5 billion respectively. PM Mateusz Morawiecki estimated the cost of the incentives, which also includes lowering the lowest tax rate from 18 to 17 percent, at PLN 40 billion.