According to the president, there are areas that must be excluded from political struggle. According to Andrew Duda is primarily about “strategic infrastructure investments and strengthening the country's defense and resilience.” In this context, he mentioned the construction of the Central Communication Port.
President Duda criticizes the government. He speaks of “sluggishness regarding CPK”
– Ambitious and expensive projects initiated by the state authorities are usually not implemented during only one parliamentary term, so it should not matter which government approved which plan – said President Andrzej Dudaquoted by Polish Press Agency. According to the head of state, the flagship example of such an investment is the Central Communication Port.
Andrzej Duda emphasized that in the opinion of “virtually all civilian and military experts, as well as the majority of Poles, the need for its construction is beyond dispute”. – Due to its location, history and culture, Poland should be a bridge between the East and the West, the South and the North – he stated. The president, citing a report by Kearney, said that the CPK project will allow for the creation of 290 thousand new jobs by 2040 and will ensure an increase in total production in Poland by as much as PLN 90 billion per year.
– It seems that the icing on the cake was the support from the European Union for the CPK, the transfer of nearly PLN 870 million in funding – he emphasized and added that “hence the current government's sluggishness in this matter is surprising on the one hand, and above all, which is very painful, costly”. President Duda also said that “nothing is known about talks with foreign investors, the Vinci group has decided to invest in an airport project in Hungary, and the Minister of Finance is delaying the transfer of treasury securities for the implementation of the CPK”. In his opinion, since January, there has been an outflow of staff from the CPK company at the level of 20-30 people per month.
CPK Company responds to President Duda's words
The Central Communication Port Company responded to the words of President Andrzej Duda. “The CPK program is being consistently implemented. Since January alone, the CPK Company has concluded agreements with over 20 companies, the total value of the contracts is over PLN 500 million” – we read in the announcement. The CPK company accuses the president of two false statements. It concerns leaving the company and delaying Ministry of Finance with the transfer of Treasury securities to CPK.
“From January to August, a total of 87 people left the company. In the same period, 42 people were employed. This gives an average of 5 departures per month. Such staff fluctuation results from the natural needs of the company and in no way threatens the continuity of its operations, and even less the quality of the projects it implements,” the company reports. As for treasury securities, the company emphasizes that “financial funds from the CPK Multiannual Program, stage I for 2021-2023 were suspended in the fourth quarter of 2023. In 2023, the company was to be recapitalized with the amount of PLN 7 billion, but it only received PLN 3.7 billion.”
“The CPK company has submitted an application for recapitalization under the Multiannual Program, stage II for the years 2024-2030. The first funds will reach the Company this year,” we read in the announcement. The company adds that work on the CPK Program has never been interrupted. “Preparations are ongoing, and all previously concluded agreements are being implemented,” the CPK company reports, emphasizing that thanks to listening to the experts, “the construction schedules have been made more realistic and based on facts and figures.”
Launch of the Central Communication Port could be possible in 2032 at the earliest. According to the plan, the CPK is to be located in the Baranów commune between Warsaw and Łódź, together with a railway junction. The total estimated Cost this investment is PLN 155 billion.