What did the Romans ever do for us?

   Shipping household goods to Poland can damage your health – or your bank balance.

   I was warned about this by seasoned expatriates in Warsaw who claimed to have been fleeced by Polish customs after shipping innocuous-looking household goods from abroad. I was told horrifying (and hopefully apocryphal) stories of steely eyed bureaucrats swarming down on freshly shipped boxes from abroad like a murder of ravenous crows.

   One recently arrived expatriate admitted he had shipped over some antiques and was subsequently slapped with a $4,000 bond to cover the goods until he finally departs. "And that didn't include the cases of vodka," he said.

   The problem of shipping for me started before it began. The first company I approached to ship my household goods to the country said it would cost me $14,000. That's from London to Warsaw. Why? Costs at Polish customs, of course, was the reply.

   Others quoted similar prices, so I decided to try a shipper based in Warsaw.

   "You have to understand that Polish laws are stupid," was the first thing the Polish shipper said. I was expecting the worst, which came next. "Shipping anything into Poland will be a problem. You will have to pay a huge bond. Don't bring anything of value and if you can avoid it, don't ship anything. Buy everything when you get here."

   The shipper was so helpful in dissuading me from shipping anything into the country that I didn't use him. I still wonder how his business is doing.

   None of this gives out the right signal to new investors. Business people, local and foreign, have told me it's much easier to set up shop and import goods than it was in the past.

   But the fact remains that although I can start operating my manufacturing plant with relatively little hassle, I still shudder at the thought of dockside bureaucrats sifting through my prized antique stamp albums or expensive overcoats.

   Only royalty and presidents expect a red carpet when they arrive in a country, but when the welcoming party comes in the form of list-ticking bureaucrats you're often inclined to get back on the aircraft and go home.

   Most investors stay, but they all have horror stories. Bureaucrats shrugging shoulders and saying "this is Poland," simply doesn't wash. The country needs investors with the finances and the know-how. With more foreign investment comes more visible wealth: shops get stocked, roads are upgraded and bridges are built.

   "But what did the Romans ever do for us?" is a common metaphorical cry in emerging markets as they open up to foreign investment for the first time.

   Well, actually, quite a lot.