The draft act on the amendment of certain acts in connection with the promotion of healthy consumer choices appeared on the website of the Government Legislation Centre at the end of December 2019 and sparked an understandable stir in entrepreneurial circles. First of all, the draft assumes the introduction of a new tax (erroneously therein referred to as “the fee”) on the sale of drinks sweetened with sugar or other sweeteners – beginning in April 2020 – not from 2022 onwards as previously announced in the National Oncological Strategy…

The index measuring entrepreneurs’ mood “Busometr” for the second half of 2020 amounted to 44.5 points (a decrease from 48.8 points in the previous half year), which means that the mood of entrepreneurs continues to deteriorate. A decrease in mood among companies took place in all components measured (the economic situation, labour market, and investments). The level of investment sentiment reached the lowest level in the Index’s history. Despite the decrease, entrepreneurs show relative optimism regarding the situation on the labour market.

Sales in small stores are consistently falling. As a result, their number decreases. Expert reports indicate that this negative phenomenon is exacerbated by the Act on Sunday trade restrictions. In spite of appeals from employers’ organizations, the legislature does not plan any attempts to liberalise the trade ban. We should undertake all actions that can stop the liquidation of small Polish stores – calls the Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers. As one of the solutions, the Union offers large-scale implementation of technological innovations in small trade.

The draft act changes the rate of excise duty on selected products. Cigarettes and various forms pf alcohol will be subject to a rate of excise duty 10% higher than before

The regulations establishing the legal framework for the functioning of intermediaries in the transport of persons are theoretically in force since 1st January 2020. Only theoretically, as there are still no executive provisions of key importance from the point of view of their implementation. We are extremely perplexed that having enforced a very reasonable reform which is the result of months of work and dialogue between the Ministry of Infrastructure and the social side, the legislator was unable to prepare relevant regulations in a timely manner.

Public services are currently the biggest challenges for Poland. Healthcare, education, energy transformation, environmental protection and infrastructure – these are the areas which, according to the Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers, are key from the point of view of further development of Poland. The organisation’s experts prepared a 250-page-long report discussing each of them separately.