Planning a better future for Poland
The government has discussed its draft National Development Plan (NDP) 2007-2013 with entrepreneurs and NGOs, with roughly zł.560 billion of EU structural funds at stake. The sum, equivalent to three-quarters of the Polish GDP, constitutes six years of EU help for the country and some local funds.
The NDP embraces all aspects of structural, social and environmental development and provides guidelines on what projects should receive EU money. Deputy Prime Minister Jerzy Hausner, who was responsible for preparing the plan, warns against looking at the plan purely from "the point of money."
He calls the task a new, great initiative of institutional change. In his opinion, the example of the unimplemented Lisbon strategy puts more emphasis on dealing with economic issues on a national level.
"Let's not compare ourselves to Greece or Ireland right now, but see the eastern lands of Germany as an example that money itself does not mean development," says the Deputy Prime Minister. The ex-communist lands of Germany are performing below expectations and massive investment from western Germany did not decrease unemployment or increase growth.
During a conference last week, as a sign of goodwill, Minister Hausner presented the president of the Polish Confederation of Private Employers (PKPP), Henryka Bochniarz, with a response to the black list of business barriers published recently by her organization. Thanking him for the document, Bochniarz reminded him that the gap in communication between the government and entrepreneurs still remains, something which must be remedied if the NDP is to be successful. "[The NDP] won't go to the bottom drawer, it will be implemented," said Bochniarz.
Representatives of all social groups claim the NDP, covering such strategic issues as support for families, education and healthcare, should become the subject of nationwide concern, especially in the face of pessimistic opinion polls. Research from the Institute of Public Affairs reveals just two percent of Poles are very happy with the functioning of the market economy. Some 26 percent are satisfied, which could be positive news, but as much as 66 percent share the opposite view.
The director of the Institute of Public Affairs, Lena Kolarska-Bobińska, criticizes the government's proposal: "The plan omits several large social problems." In her opinion, the plan fails to address the dark side of Polish business, such as companies violating labor rights and dodging the law.
Her organization's research shows that 69 percent of the population wish that entrepreneurs had a larger influence in the country. This credits businesspeople with a degree of trust and provides a mandate for them to lobby for better access to the decision-making process.
"[Private employers] as a social group can say proudly, we have influence on the country's policy," says Bochniarz, but she is requesting tighter cooperation. Minister Hausner is asking for businesspeople to act as a watchdog over the NDP's implementation and to make sure all laws and legislation are adhered to. "A bill must be in use," he says, vowing for interaction and cooperation.
The NDP embraces all aspects of structural, social and environmental development and provides guidelines on what projects should receive EU money. Deputy Prime Minister Jerzy Hausner, who was responsible for preparing the plan, warns against looking at the plan purely from "the point of money."
He calls the task a new, great initiative of institutional change. In his opinion, the example of the unimplemented Lisbon strategy puts more emphasis on dealing with economic issues on a national level.
"Let's not compare ourselves to Greece or Ireland right now, but see the eastern lands of Germany as an example that money itself does not mean development," says the Deputy Prime Minister. The ex-communist lands of Germany are performing below expectations and massive investment from western Germany did not decrease unemployment or increase growth.
During a conference last week, as a sign of goodwill, Minister Hausner presented the president of the Polish Confederation of Private Employers (PKPP), Henryka Bochniarz, with a response to the black list of business barriers published recently by her organization. Thanking him for the document, Bochniarz reminded him that the gap in communication between the government and entrepreneurs still remains, something which must be remedied if the NDP is to be successful. "[The NDP] won't go to the bottom drawer, it will be implemented," said Bochniarz.
Representatives of all social groups claim the NDP, covering such strategic issues as support for families, education and healthcare, should become the subject of nationwide concern, especially in the face of pessimistic opinion polls. Research from the Institute of Public Affairs reveals just two percent of Poles are very happy with the functioning of the market economy. Some 26 percent are satisfied, which could be positive news, but as much as 66 percent share the opposite view.
The director of the Institute of Public Affairs, Lena Kolarska-Bobińska, criticizes the government's proposal: "The plan omits several large social problems." In her opinion, the plan fails to address the dark side of Polish business, such as companies violating labor rights and dodging the law.
Her organization's research shows that 69 percent of the population wish that entrepreneurs had a larger influence in the country. This credits businesspeople with a degree of trust and provides a mandate for them to lobby for better access to the decision-making process.
"[Private employers] as a social group can say proudly, we have influence on the country's policy," says Bochniarz, but she is requesting tighter cooperation. Minister Hausner is asking for businesspeople to act as a watchdog over the NDP's implementation and to make sure all laws and legislation are adhered to. "A bill must be in use," he says, vowing for interaction and cooperation.
