Poland to expand SEZ incentives into whole country

The Ministry of Development plans to expand investors’ incentives reserved for the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) onto entire Poland’s territory, hoping that it will increase investment to PLN 117.2 billion and help create some 158,300 new jobs by 2027. “Our proposition is not a minor adjustment, but a real pro-development breakthrough in Poland’s current economic policy,” Deputy PM Mateusz Morawiecki said. “Tax preferences will depend on three criteria: the location of the investment, the nature of the investment, and the quality of the jobs being created,” he added. Tax exemptions will be available for new investments that meet quantitative criteria that are understood as investment outlays and qualitative criteria in line with the Responsible Development Strategy. The ministry emphasized that investments “which have a positive impact on the economic development of the country and the region, through the transfer of know-how and the provision of favorable conditions for employees,” will be preferred. The Special Economic Zones were created in the 1990s established to boost economic growth, especially by creating new jobs, developing specified industries and expanding exports. They offer various incentives such as income and property tax exemptions. There are currently 14 SEZs in Poland, which cover some 25,000 hectares.