Helping entrepreneurs – tax reduction and protective shields

Entrepreneurs are an integral part of the entire Polish economy. We support their activities especially in times of crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Businesses can count on government financial support and tax reduction.

We have ensured that millions of jobs were preserved thanks to the Anti-Crisis Shield introduced during the pandemic. Currently, we have frozen electricity rates for entrepreneurs to support their operations at a time of high commodity prices.

Our main objective is also to promote investment, while reducing the formalities and removing barriers. That is why we have reduced CIT from 19 per cent to 15 per cent, and then from 15 per cent to 9 per cent. In addition, entrepreneurs benefit from easier and more flexible VAT deduction thanks to SLIM VAT.

Maintaining jobs and increasing revenue for Polish companies

The Industrial Development Agency (ARP) is a state-owned joint-stock company which supports the restructuring of Polish enterprises. ARP also takes care of new contracts for H. Cegielski in Poznań. One of the oldest companies producing rolling stock has recorded a 10 times higher turnover of PLN 390 million compared to nine years ago.

“Dear Employees in various workplaces, let us recall how it used to be, the long list of destroyed workplaces. Let me mention just a few: Emalia Olkusz, Autosan, Krosno Glass Factories, Łapy Sugar Factory, or Hydrobudowa Gdańsk and Szczecin Shipyards," stressed Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. And he added: “–today we have an economic policy in our hands, which we are trying to use in the best possible way for the good of Polish industry, so that such pearls as Cegielski in Poznań regain their lustre.”

Increasing minimum wage and hourly rate

We care not only about employers, but also about employees. Over the last few years, the minimum wage and with it the hourly rate has increased significantly. Minimum remuneration for work:

• amounted to PLN 1,750 gross in 2015,
• will be PLN 3,600 gross from 1 July 2023.

This is an increase of nearly 106 per cent.

The net amount of the minimum wage:

• amounted to PLN 1,286.16 in 2015,
• will be PLN 2,783.86 from 1 July 2023.

The hourly rate is:

• PLN 22.80 gross from the beginning of 2023,
• PLN 23.50 gross from 1 July 2023.

“Let us recall this work for 5 PLN per hour. That great wave of unemployment, third great wave of unemployment. It was not so long ago, just 9 or 10 years ago, when unemployment reached almost 15% – 2.3 million people out of work," reminded the head of the Polish government.

Unemployment in the euro area and EU countries

In November 2022, according to data published by the Statistical Office of the European Union, the unemployment rate in the euro area was 6.5 per cent and in the EU countries 6 per cent. The lowest levels of unemployment were recorded in the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany. In Czech Republic, only 2.7 per cent of the population is unemployed. Meanwhile, unemployment in Poland and Germany is at 3 per cent. The country with the highest unemployment rate is Spain, where it reached 12.4 per cent.