Reflecting on the transition from the country’s previous conservative government, Tusk took to Twitter among criticism that his government failed to deliver on their campaign promises. "They left us with record debt, pervasive corruption, a corrupt media, a partisan prosecutor's office, and chaos in the courts. We are finishing the cleanup and speeding up," Tusk wrote Wednesday.
Despite the criticisms, the new government has not been without its achievements, particularly in the areas of EU budget regulation changes and the management of borrowing needs, with experts and academics pointing to the proactive stance Poland has taken in reforming EU fiscal regulations as a noteworthy success.
"Poland was the originator and party to the solution to treat military spending differently when assessing the level of the deficit...the adoption of these rules is a success," Finance Minister Andrzej Domański claimed.
Another area where the government has made strides is in bolstering investor confidence and securing National Reconstruction Plan funds, which, according to Sławomir Dudek, an expert at the Warsaw School of Economics, "will bring relief, there will be funds for investment, including for local governments."
However, the journey has not been devoid of challenges. Adam Mariański, a tax consultant quoted by public broadcaster Polish Radio, pointed out the delays in implementing promised tax reforms and health premiums for entrepreneurs as significant letdowns.
The highly anticipated increase in the tax-free amount to PLN 60,000, one of the more significant campaign promises for the first 100 days, has also faced delays, with Tusk citing budgetary constraints. "We are not giving up on the project of the free amount of PLN 60,000, but this year we are not able to implement it," Tusk explained.
On the legislative front, the government has made some progress, with drafts and plans for changes to the capital gains tax, a reduction in VAT rates for the beauty industry, and provisions for "contribution vacations" for microentrepreneurs, Polish Radio reported.
(jh)
Source: PAP, Polskie Radio