There are 14 Special Economic Zones in Poland. Investors may conduct economic activity on preferential terms on those areas. The zones were established to boost economic development in our country. They are one of the key tools of the regional policy. The primary benefit for entrepreneurs conducting their business activity in SEZ is the income tax exemption and the option of state subsidies.
At the meeting devoted to Special Economic Zones, NIK President Krzysztof Kwiatkowski talked about findings of the NIK audit on SEZ functioning. The Supreme Audit Office scrutinised that area three times already. The inspectors checked effectiveness of the aid offered to the entrepreneurs who wanted to make their investments in the zones. Did tax reductions really attract investors and did the new workplaces fuel professional activation of the people living nearby? The auditors also checked what costs the state incurred due to tax allowances, if they were granted in a justified manner and if the Minister of Economy effectively monitored and analysed effects of the zones’ operation.
Following its audits, NIK stated that Special Economic Zones are an effective form of help for entrepreneurs. SEZ activity contributes to economic and social development. In 2006 - 2010, the entrepreneurs’ investment outlays in the zones totalled PLN 47.5 billion. 85 thousand new workplaces were established as a result of invested funds.
The President of Katowice SEZ talked about the effects of SEZ functioning in Poland, whereas the Minister of Economy presented the new principles of SEZ operation in 2016 - 2026.
The meeting ended with a visit in one of the plants operating in the Special Economic Zone in Łódź.
