Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday that he was medium-satisfied translation by the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy Pełczyńska-Nałęcz in the KPO case. At the same time, he emphasized that his expectations in this matter are higher, but he still has “some patience”.
There are doubts about subsidies for diversification of activities for enterprises from HoReCa sectors (hotel industry, gastronomy) that suffered as a result of a pandemic. According to media reports, companies received subsidies from KPO, including for company yachts. On Tuesday, the head of MRIT explained the matter during the government meeting.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk asked at a Wednesday press conference about whether “he is satisfied with the translations and activities of Minister Pełczyńska-Nałęcz on the national reconstruction plan” replied that “on average”.
– If I say that on average I was convinced by the Minister's arguments, it's because I need urgently unambiguous information about what was not done, or actually what you need to do and immediately so that European funds are not so easily accessible to those who combine – he said.
– So that my expectations for the actions and words of the minister are higher than I have heard before, but I still have some patience – the prime minister emphasized.
He added that he would like the minister supervising European funds to be “extremely vigilant in such matters.”
– Since we know that European funds can be obtained and in accordance with the law and procedures, although with the naked eye you can see that they should not go to some places or for some purposes, in my opinion the role of the minister is not to control Post Factum, (…) Only such everyday supervision and possibly quick and urgent changes – added the prime minister.
Tusk emphasized that the case “is actually complicated.”
– The problem is that at this stage I can say with a clear conscience that I exclude any insinuations about breaking the law or corruption or breaking procedures. There are no such situations, and we, just in case, carry out and inspections and in PARP, the prosecutor's office also deal with these matters – noted the head of government.
The Minister of Funds reported that all contracting contracts are checked and repaired. On Tuesday, Pełczyńska-Nałęcz declared that no funds from KPO for the HoReca industry would be paid until individual contracts were checked and considered to be consistent with the rules of the Diversification Support Program for this sector. She reminded that subsidies are possible.
– There is no such country in the world (…) where there are no irregularities with large public and investment projects. (…) Most likely, there are expert errors and there are irregularities at the level of operators, more and less serious. So the role of the minister, the entire ministry is to control, search and then act properly. Withdraw the funds, solve conversations – we do it all the time. Now in Horece we will do it on a total public view – she said.
At the same time, she noticed that possible irregularities, “there are not many, because on a scale of 824 thousand contracts, you can say – I do not know – 30, maybe 100 it is nothing.” She stipulated that even if it were one contract, the case requires “the government's respect and proper action.”
Deputy Minister of Funds and Regional Policy Jan Szyszko announced last Friday that in connection with irregularities at the end of July, the previous PARP president Katarzyna Duber-Stachurska was dismissed from his position. He added that he ordered the PARP president Krzysztof Gulda to perform additional inspections. In addition, on the same day in this case, the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw undertook checking activities.
The first recruitment as part of KPO support for the Horeca industry started in May 2024 and was originally to last until June 5 last year, but was extended. The second started on July 18 last year. And he was also extended many times. Ultimately, it lasted until the end of October 2024. According to PARP data, 3005 contracts with entrepreneurs (each contract with a different company) were signed as part of HoRP data from KPO funds. As at the end of July, entrepreneurs were paid PLN 110 million from the total support amount PLN 1.24 billion.
The national plan for reconstruction and increased immunity (KPO) is to strengthen the Polish economy; It consists of 57 investments and 54 reforms. It provides for Poland EUR 59.8 billion from EU funds, including EUR 25.27 billion in the form of subsidies and EUR 34.54 billion in the form of preferential loans. Poland has received PLN 67 billion so far. Another tranche of money is to affect in autumn. (PAP)
Fos/ Malki/ LM/
