Minister Pełczyńska-Nałęcz: We suspend payments from the KPO until the contracts are checked
I decided today that no funds for the HoReca industry will be paid until individual contracts are checked and considered to be consistent with the rules of the program-said the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz.
The spending of a subsidy from the KPO raises more and more controversy. Let us remind you co -financing was awarded to many surprising and absurd projectssuch as the purchase of yachts, coffee machines or bridge course. The Minister of Funds and Regional Policy Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz decided to organize a conference during which she referred to this matter and responded to disputed issues.
– The HoReCa program in doubt was included in the KPO during the PiS and during PiS was approved. Then, during the previous government, a change was made in this program. The principle of KPO is such that If the program is changed, its further changes are in principle not possible – said Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz.
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Annual grace period for projects
The minister reminded her that her ministry introduced an annual grace period for the purchase of durable goods.
– Why annual? Because all investments from the subsidy part must end in 2026. If the KPO began earlier, if this program were implemented earlier, then this grace period could be longer. It was introduced by our decision at all, because when we found this program, there was no grace period – said Pełczyńska-Nałęcz.
She also referred to the so -called loosening the criteria.
– change regarding what loss in turnover due to Covid entitled to obtain a subsidy, She was not a loosening, but a normal, procedural action. In the first recruitment, a high ceiling is given to 30 %, and then – because the indicator has not been completed – in the next recruitment a lower ceiling of 20 percent. speed loss. This is normal and necessary for KPO – the minister explained.
Payments suspended
She added that rAge huge emotions and social outrage, which caused some subsidies and contracts. For this reason, her ministry undertook quick and broad control activities: in the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP), as well as in units that granted subsidies.
– Finally, I decided that no funds would be transferred to payments to beneficiaries, until the individual contract is inspected and recognized as consistent with the principles of Horec – said the minister.
She noted that every incorrectly qualified contract and subsidy that is incompatible with the rules will be checked and settled. On the other hand, the suspended funds for projects in which there are no mistakes are to be paid as progressive inspections.
– and we want to do this friendships for entrepreneurs, because while some minority, although we understand that a very outrageous pool has irregularities, the other contracts are contracts with honest entrepreneurs who should get subsidies from signed contracts and should be paid as soon as possible – emphasized the minister.
Numerous complaints about cooperation with PARP
She emphasized that the ministry may ask for a refund of funds Also when the money has already been paid.
“This is a normal procedure that we use in the ministry every day,” she pointed out Pełczyńska-Nałęcz.
The president of PARP Katarzyna Duber-Stachurska also referred to the resignation.
– Two weeks ago, at the end of July, I dismissed the head of PARP because of ineffectiveness, sluggish activities, not only in terms of HoReCa, but also other programs. There were numerous complaints from the beneficiaries of HoRec when it comes to cooperation with PARP, On the other hand, the reason for dismissal was not these specific irregularities in the HoReCa area, because I did not receive any letter from the president in this matter – said Pełczyńska -Nałęcz during a press conference.
Subsidies for politicians' families
The minister received a question about whether he did not see the conflict of interest in a situation where the funds from the program are received by family members because such situations occurred. One of the subsidies was to be received by the wife of the richest MP of the Civic Coalition.
– This situation is humanly outraged as a man, but as a minister I have to act in accordance with the rules. This is a huge money and there can be no suspicion that something has happened from the political key and that someone from the ministerial set, one of us intervened in the procedures. It is not possible to enter in the program regulations that It is not allowed to support people with a legitimacy of one or another party or people whose spouse or mother or father have a party ID. These are not allowed entries in the recruitment, and if they are not there, there is no title to enforce them. Human indignation remains-said Pełczyńska-Nałęcz.
Highlanders took subsidies for jacuzzi and sauna. “I had phones from guests, they cancel the arrival because I rob the state”
While entrepreneurs from northern Poland applied for funding, including On yachts, bridge courses or solariums, the owners of companies from Podhale focused primarily on SPA services – according to the subsidy map review published by the ministry.
There is no shadow of suspicion
The minister believes that political intervention in the above situations is prohibited. According to her, “it would be the worst practice.”
– I would like to point out that there are justified comments on some contracts, but There is no shadow of a suspicion that someone from the ministry derived corruption benefits here or private benefits. It is clean here, here it is open, transparent, it is full of data and iron use of all procedures – she added.
Pełczyńska-Nałęcz stated that the situation regarding the publication of a subsidy map on the fund's website has a “second bottom”.
– The first are citizens who used a transparent, explicit side, specially intended for this to give citizens full access to the openness of data about the great investment project, which is KPO. People were worried about some projects, people noticed this, we take very unambiguous checking actions. However, it appeared around it The group would call it swords who start the anti -EU and anti -Fund heea with great harm to the project and beneficiaries she assessed.
Two special controls
Minister Pełczyńska-Nałęcz informed that in connection with the transfer of funds from KPO to the Horeca industry, she decided to initiate two additional inspections.
– Now, in response to social expectations, this is probably a good time to order these checks. Until now there was one, it is about the HoReCa industry, now there are two additional – commissioned because of this situation – said the minister.
On Monday, the Minister of Justice Waldemar Żurek announced that the proceedings regarding possible irregularities in the KPO, which on Friday was initiated by the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw, was transferred to the European Prosecutor's Office. They will be carried out by independent EU prosecutors.
PARP data shows that 3005 contracts with entrepreneurs were signed as part of the HoSeCA sector support. Until the end of July, entrepreneurs were paid PLN 110 million from a total amount of support of PLN 1.24 billion.
– However, the so -called Loosening about what loss in the turnover due to Covid entitled to obtain a subsidy was not a loosening, but a normal, procedural action. In the first recruitment, a high ceiling is given, and then, because the indicator has not been completed, in the next recruitment a lower ceiling of 20 percent. speed loss. This is a normal standard and necessary action within the KPO – she explained.
