Work on new rules for sponsoring sports by State Treasury companies is in its final stages, the Ministry of State Assets announced. The catalogue of good practices is to include, among other things, transparency of contracts and efficiency of spending funds.
The Ministry informed that during the meeting of the Team for Sponsoring Sports by State Treasury Companies, which ended on Tuesday, the comments submitted to the developed catalogue of good practices were discussed and a schedule for further actions was established. The document – as stated on the MAP website – is to unify the principles and standards of cooperation between companies with State Treasury participation and sports entities, taking into account transparency, efficiency of spending funds and corporate social responsibility.
MAP: New Sports Sponsorship Rules Almost Ready
It was noted that work on the recommendations is ongoing in a circulating mode, with the participation of members of the ministry's management. Directors of departments supervising companies with State Treasury shareholding also participate in the meetings, who have submitted their recommendations regarding the introduction of changes and improvements to the current provisions.
– The submitted comments are a valuable contribution to the final version of the document. Thanks to the involvement of all parties, the developed practices will be better adapted to the specifics of individual companies, also from the perspective of the supervisory function performed by MAP – emphasized Karolina Hytrek-Prosiecka, advisor for sports sponsorship by state treasury companies.
She emphasized that sports sponsorship is not only an element of supporting the development of athletes, but also an important function of building business in companies with State Treasury shareholding.
– We want the catalogue of good practices in sports sponsorship to be an effective document that will be regularly updated, responding to the changing needs of the market – she concluded.
Audit in State Treasury companies
During the audit conducted in state-owned companies, a number of irregularities in sponsorship spending were revealed. After the Olympic Games in Paris, the head of the Ministry of Sport announced that he would apply to the Supreme Audit Office and the capital city hall to initiate an audit of the PKOl's finances, including the organization's spending of money from the state budget and state-owned companies, and the correctness of decisions regarding the remuneration of PKOl board members.
Many SP companies have recently announced the end or non-extension of their sponsorship of Polish sports organizations; Tauron, Krajowa Grupa Spożywcza and Enea have withdrawn from sponsoring the PKOL. Earlier, the agreement was terminated with immediate effect by PKP Intercity, citing a loss of trust in the PKOl resulting from media controversies surrounding the Committee's activists, as well as by Polish Airports. Under this agreement, which was of a barter nature, PKOl representatives had the right to use a special VIP check-in zone at Chopin Airport in Warsaw, and after the games it came to light that President Radosław Piesiewicz and members of his family did this most often, although he explained that they paid for it.
Most of the sponsorship agreements were to be valid until 2027 and their value was eight-digit, e.g. contracts with Enea or Krajowa Grupa Spożywcza amounted to PLN 11-12 million each.
Main image source: Newspix