The government's decision to close the border with Belarus may have consequences for the Polish economy and the transport industry. “We hope it will last briefly,” said Jan Buczek, president of the Association of International Road Carriers (ZMPD). He added For some companies, the situation may end in closing of business.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Tuesday that from Friday morning the border with Belarus, including railway crossings, will be closed in connection with the Russian-Belarusian military maneuvers “Zapad”. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński announced that the relevant regulation will be published on Wednesday.
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Closing the border with Belarus. Will hit the transport industry
“We understand that this is not a fad. Certainly such steps are taken with caution and we respect it,” said the head of the association.
According to Buczek, closing the border means suspending the flow of goods between the European Union and the countries of the Community of Independent States (CIS), including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Armenia and Georgia. He estimated that this would cause perturbations for carriers and company owners, as well as combination of traffic that will be difficult to discharge with the sluggish work of Belarusian customs.
The President of the ZMPD pointed out that Breaks in transport services translate into a lack of revenues, while operating costs remain unchanged.
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When asked about how long carriers can withstand in this situation, the president of Buczek pointed out that everything depends on the individual financial condition of companies. “There will certainly be those who cannot stand it and maybe it will also be a contribution to the decision to close the business. And those who survive will probably have a bonus in the form of increased market interest in their services, “he emphasized.
Closing the border with Belarus. Will there be compensation?
The President of ZMPD is skeptical about the possibility of obtaining compensation from the European Union. In his opinion, road transport in the EU is this area of the economy, “which is not treated with special attention like farmers.”
“Carriers could certainly try to apply to the Marshal's authorities for some benefits, but I suspect that they will not do it to a significant extent. It will probably be individual cases and I doubt that there are funds to satisfy these expectations” – summed up the president of ZMPD.
