Vetting business

Owing to a discrepancy in the wording of the new lustration act, the boards of all companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) could be called on to give testimony concerning cooperation with the communist security services (SB) between 1944-1990.

In the official version written up by Law and Justice (PiS) deputies, a clause containing the word "financial institutions" was replaced by "entities." This change in wording could extend lustration activity to include all entities listed on the WSE.

This alteration has aroused the concerns of the business community. The Business Centre Club issued a statement expressing anxiety at the increasing impact of politics on the economy. It is uncertain whether it would include foreign companies on the WSE. There is also a potential conflict with constitutional law.

While some businesses are disturbed by the news, most do not expect a drastic change. "Shareholders are only interested in how the company is affected. If a board member is a professional and his former activity has nothing to do with the firm, why should he be dismissed?" asked Małgorzata Krzysztoszek of the Polish Confederation of Private Employers (PKPP) Lewiatan.

President Lech Kaczyński has already approved a version of the act, expected to come into effect at the end of February.