Poland occupies the 72nd position of the latest ranking of the business-friendly countries, named „Doing Business” and prepared for the last six years by the World Bank. Last year, Poland was at the 76th position, but the progress by 4 positions is factitious because, as the survey authors say, the survey methodology has changed.
The Polish government has improved 4 out of 10 areas analysed by the report – said during the panel discussion Neil Gregory, the World Bank economist, while presenting the report. The regulations regarding the bankruptcy law have been improved, the rules of establishment of a company have been changed, and the pension contribution has been reduced.
I feel that it is still a joke that one can set up a business at one gone – said Henryka Bochniarz, the head of the Polish Confederation of the Private Employers Lewiatan. She admitted that the entrepreneurs expected from the PO-PSL government fast and more consistent deregulation reforms. – I am afraid that when we publish another „Black Book of the Business” containing the unneeded regulations at the beginning of the next year, it will be thicker, and not thinner than a year ago. As the survey conducted by Lewiatan shows, the companies complain mostly about the too high non-remuneration costs of work, complicated regulations and bad infrastructure.
Waldemar Pawlak, the vice prime minister and the minister of economy said that the government intended to focus now on simplification of the regulations for the persons who conduct the business activity but not establish their companies. He admitted that often the regulations are complicated. – Right after issuance of unclear regulations, binding and simple interpretations appear. If it is possible to write such an interpretation, then it is possible to create simple and clear regulations, too – said Paweł Lisicki, the chief editor of „R”, joking, and added: – Recently, the most lively reaction of the readers and the greatest responsiveness has been reported in the case of the articles on how the extended proceedings of the revenue office resulted in the bankruptcy of one company, and on the decision on closing-up of another company by its owner. These are the extreme examples, but the reactions to such stories and telling new stories show that bureaucracy in Poland is reduced too slowly.
All such rankings should be approached sceptically, as they do not show all the changes – reminded Thomas Laursen, an annalist of the World Bank. As if proving this thesis Professor Sergio Rossi from University of Fribourg in Switzerland added: – Switzerland is a country that simplified the company law a long time ago, so its position in the ranking keeps falling, and Rwanda that has not done anything so far, has risen by 76 positions – he explained.
