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Polish local governments decry finance ministry's delay on tax reform evaluation
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ Poland /Economy & Trade

Polish local governments decry finance ministry's delay on tax reform evaluation

From Rzeczpospolita · () Polish

Translated from Polish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Poland's Finance Ministry will not amend the local government revenue act to take effect next year, delaying promised reforms.
  • Instead, the ministry proposes forming a working group to evaluate the reform, a move local government representatives criticize as a procedural delay tactic.
  • Representatives express disappointment and frustration over the ministry's perceived failure to uphold agreements made during the bill's passage.

Polish local government representatives are expressing strong disappointment and frustration with the Finance Ministry's decision to postpone changes to the local government revenue act. The ministry announced it will not implement amendments for the upcoming year, instead proposing the formation of a working group to evaluate the existing reform, likely in September.

I admit that I expected such a practice.

โ€” Grzegorz KubalskiGrzegorz Kubalski from the Association of Polish Counties expresses his disappointment with the Finance Ministry's decision.

Grzegorz Kubalski from the Association of Polish Counties (ZPP) voiced his dismay, stating he expected such a delay. He recalled that Finance Minister Andrzej Domaล„ski was present and sought local government support for the revenue act project but has since been absent from meetings. Kubalski suggested the minister likely wishes to avoid answering questions about breaking agreements.

The ministry does not foresee changes to the local government revenue act that would be effective for 2027.

โ€” Marek WiewiรณraMarek Wiewiรณra, director of the Local Government Finance Department at the Ministry of Finance, stated the ministry's position.

Marek Wรณjcik of the Association of Polish Cities, who also serves as the secretary for the local government side in the Joint Commission of Government and Local Self-Government, directly stated their dissatisfaction. He emphasized that the 2024 law was intended as the beginning of a system for financing local governments, not its conclusion. Wรณjcik views the proposal for a new working group as a procedural maneuver to postpone necessary decisions.

Perhaps he would not want to answer our questions about why he is not keeping the agreement between us.

โ€” Grzegorz KubalskiKubalski speculates on the Finance Minister's absence from recent meetings.

Arkadiusz Chฤ™ciล„ski, the mayor of Sosnowiec, recalled the good faith shown by local governments in supporting the 2024 bill, which came with promises of a thorough and swift evaluation and collaborative work on adjustments. He expressed deep regret that this goodwill is now being treated in such a manner, highlighting the lack of fulfillment of these commitments.

We are not satisfied with the lack of reaction to our demands regarding the amendment of the act of October 1, 2024, on the revenues of local self-government units.

โ€” Marek WรณjcikMarek Wรณjcik of the Association of Polish Cities expresses dissatisfaction with the ministry's response.
About this summary

Originally published by Rzeczpospolita in Polish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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