Programmes supporting and promoting export

Export promotion is regulated by the government plan published in September 2003 ‘The Programme of Promoting the Polish Economy to 2005.’ Poland supports and promotes the export of goods and services offered by Polish companies using the following activities:

• Pledges and guarantees for pro-export enterprises

Since 2000, there has existed the opportunity for small and medium sized enterprises to obtain special line guarantees within the framework of the National Fund for Credit Guarantees at bank BGK S.A. The guarantees can cover investment credits or credits taken to buy materials and raw materials for production, taken in domestic or foreign banks in zlotys or other currencies. The guarantees do not cover loans from financial institutions other than banks (e.g. Funds or agencies).

• Subsidised interest rates on export credits

Taking up this instrument enables export crediting banks to offer exporters advantageous conditions thanks to which they can introduce flexible interest rates on credit refinancing, thus making such rates closer to international market rates. In accordance with the regulation, the maximum threshold of payments cannot exceed 0.2% of the interest rate cost increased by 2 percentage points of the nominal margin.

• Insurance for export credits guaranteed by the Ministry of the Treasury

Insurance provided by the Export Credit Insurance Corporation - KUKE S.A. - covers:

• Insuring Polish concerns abroad;

• Insuring the costs of searching for foreign markets;

• Providing guarantees for banks financing supply credits;

• Providing guarantees in the sphere of the production of goods earmarked for export;

• Providing credit confirmation guarantees connected with export contracts;

KUKE S.A. also prepared the "Export credits for the Russian Federation' programme. This enabled a rise in the involvement of Polish and Russian banks in servicing Polish companies exporting to Russia and the development of trade financed by credits, especially the supply of investment goods and construction services. The setting up of new insurance instruments - guarantees addressed mainly to the small and medium sized sector - "Packet - Easy Export' and "Russia - our trade partner' - is also planned.

In addition, in the framework of guarantee activity, KUKE S.A. started to provide export insurance guarantees on its own account (guaranteeing well-executed contracts, returns, pre-auction guarantees and insuring contract guarantees).

• Promotional activity by the Trade Departments of Polish Embassies and Consulates and 30 embassies in which such departments are not separate units, belonging to the economic-trade sphere of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Activity to ensure access for Polish goods, services and capital to the foreign markets
• Analysing the legal regulations of foreign countries related to economic, trade and finance problems, including: customs, foreign currency, tax law, regulations related to foreign investment and providing enterprises with public assistance and involving the state in specific sectors of the economy
• Promoting the Polish economy, goods and companies
• Assistance and support for Polish exporters on foreign markets, including ensuring useful economic and trade information
• Activity in the area of public relations, concentrating on building a picture of the Polish economy via the following activity:
• Lobbying on international markets to support Poland’s economic interests.
• Initiating and organising seminars on economic co-operation with Poland
• Disseminating information on the Polish economy among representatives of international public opinion (via contacts with the international media)
• Promoting the vision of Poland as an attractive place for foreign investments (the supervisory and co-ordinating activity of the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency - PAIIZ)
• Raising the status of promotional events and enterprises on the Polish market via the patronage of the Minister and/or Ministry of Economy, Labour and Social Policy
• Providing information via the Polish media about the government’s pro-export policy (including information on the projects such as Domy Polskie and TISPE)
• Activity in the sphere of publishing
• Implementing the teaching programme 'THE ACADEMY OF FOREIGN TRADE'
• The incoming missions of foreign importers coming to Polish fairs and sub-financing of outgoing missions of Polish experts
• Foreign importer missions at Polish fairs and financing foreign export-related trips. One of the largest organisations of missions is the Polish Chamber of Commerce (KIG), the largest and widest ranging local government institution handling economic affairs in Poland. It covers about 500,00 enterprises conducting economic activity in Poland.
• A system of Minister of Economy awards for special achievements in exports (Master and Junior Exports), participation in the activities of the Polish Promotional Emblem ‘Teraz Polska,’ the President’s Economic Award, the Marka – Markom programme)
• Support for fairs and exhibitions
• The initiative of creating and supporting ‘Polish Houses’ (Domy Polskich) running trade activities and various forms of promoting the Polish economy, especially small and medium sized businesses. At present, Domy Polskie operate in Germany, the Czech Republic and are being introduced in Russia, Sweden and the Ukraine.

The Polish government's economic policy - presented in the program "Enterprise - Development - Work II"  covers the realization of the following strategic goals:

• Return to a 5% annual GDP growth path over the next two years;
• Activating the labour market and increasing employment;
• Efficient use of European funds for the development of the country.

These aims will be realised via the following activities:

• Developing entrepreneurship;

• Promoting employment and limiting poverty;

• Supporting innovativeness;

• The development of infrastructure;

• Increasing regional and local opportunities;

• Efficient use of EU structural funds;

• Restructuring and privatisation of state-owned assets

Government experts believe the key precondition of realising strategic aims is via a strengthening of the economic condition of Polish companies. This is vital to economic recovery, ensuring work, raising civilization standards and benefiting - amongst other things - from economic models and EU structural funds.

In the area of regional policy, the government is continuing administrative reforms aimed at realising the concept of a unitary, decentralised state. This it is doing by shifting duties, responsibilities and funds from central government into the hands of local government. This will mean the end - amongst other things - of the dominance of special (sectoral) administration over regional administration in handling public finances and limit the role of goal-based funds and government agencies. The government expects that a significant share in implementing regional development policy will be assumed by EU funds. It is estimated that after EU accession, the combined value of financial sources expected in the National Development Plan, together with domestic co-financing, may even reach 24-30 million zlotys.

The aims and activities outlined in the "Enterprise - Development - Work II" plan cover to a large extent the priorities earmarked in the Lisbon Strategy, the programme for economic and social reform in the EU in the period 2000-2010. Its main aim is to make the EU the most competitive economy in the world. The pro-development initiative is one element of Poland's active attitude to the challenges thrown up in implementing the Lisbon Strategy and EU membership, as well as striving to most fully use the benefits resulting from them.

source: www.poland.gov.pl