Civil law contracts will not be subject to contributions until 2026 – according to Monday's statement by the Minister of Funds, Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz. Contributions are one of the milestones of the National Reconstruction Plan, which will be negotiated with the European Commission, she added.
Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, head of the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, when asked in TOK FM about the issue of paying contributions for civil law contracts (this is one of the milestones of the National Reconstruction Plan), said that this will not happen by 2026.
– I talked about it with the Prime Minister and I see that today there is a decision that there will be no such reform until 2026. (…) Therefore, my role is today to try to indicate to the Ministry of Family solutions that will fit into the provisions of the KPO and which I can take and try to negotiate with the Commission (European Commission – ed.) so that these funds went to Poland – said Pełczyńska-Nałęcz.
“There will be no such reform until the beginning of 2026”
The minister emphasized that the decision to undertake such a reform is made by the prime minister. – My understanding today is that in this dimension of full contribution, there will be no such reform until the beginning of 2026 – she added. She also recalled that the issue of contributions for civil law contracts is a reform negotiated by the previous authorities.
Pełczyńska-Nałęcz said that her ministry is currently looking for “possible solutions” that would be “acceptable” during Poland's talks with the European Commission, i.e. would be within the framework that is currently included in the KPO, but at the same time “would be acceptable in the coalition.”
The minister added that she would negotiate this matter with the European Commission in Brussels in the coming days. – I understand the Prime Minister's decision at this moment, but perhaps there is a possibility of other reforms that will prove to be acceptable to the Commission to some extent – she said.
Last week, after media reports that the government was withdrawing from this reform, the tvn24.pl business editorial team sent questions to the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, and the Ministry of Finance about further plans for this milestone. However, we have not received a response on this matter.
Contributions for civil law contracts
In the middle of the year, we informed that the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy was preparing a draft amendment to the Act on the social insurance system and the Act on social insurance in respect of accidents at work and occupational diseases. The regulation was to provide for compulsory social insurance coverage (pension, disability, sickness and accident insurance) for civil law contracts (including contracts for specific work), with the exception of contracts performed by secondary school students or students up to the age of 26.
However, in October this year, Minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz signaled that the government was considering withdrawing from this milestone, although its fulfillment “should be included in the applications” for the payment of further money from the KPO.
– The key here is the decision that the Polish government has the right to make independently, whether it wants to implement this reform or not – said Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, when asked during the conference about the contribution of civil law contracts.
National Reconstruction Plan
National Reconstruction Plan and Increasing Resilience (KPO) is a program that is intended to strengthen the Polish economy. Funds from the program are intended to help Poland achieve previously set goals faster, implement new investments, accelerate economic growth and increase employment. Under the program, Poland receives money in the form of non-repayable grants and preferential loans.
After the revision, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan consists of 57 investments and 54 reforms. Poland will receive EUR 59.8 billion (PLN 257.1 billion) from the KPO, including EUR 25.27 billion (PLN 108.6 billion) in the form of subsidies and EUR 34.54 billion (PLN 148.5 billion) in the form of preferential loans. In line with EU goals, a significant part of the KPO budget is allocated to climate goals (44.96%) and digital transformation (21.28%).
Main photo source: Radek Pietruszka/PAP