Speaking after a three-hour teleconference with government and opposition politicians on Monday, President Andrzej Duda said the planned massive financial relief package was badly needed by Polish families and the country’s economy.
He voiced hope for “a national consensus on the political scene around these much-needed measures," state news agency PAP reported.
Poland's authorities last week unveiled a PLN 212 billion (EUR 47 billion, USD 52 billion) stimulus package to shore up the economy and shield the country from the impact of an intensifying coronavirus outbreak.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters at the time that the government’s “Anti-Crisis Shield” would deliver a massive injection of funds from state coffers in order to protect jobs, help the country’s entrepreneurs and maintain the liquidity of businesses hit by the coronavirus.
President Duda said on Monday that the package would offer relief to farmers by temporarily exempting them from social insurance contributions.
Duda said on Saturday that the proposed legislation would exempt many self-employed Poles and small firms from social security taxes for three months.
Overall, the planned stimulus package carries PLN 30 billion in funds for employee security programmes, PLN 73.2 billion for enterprise financing, PLN 7.5 billion for healthcare, PLN 70.3 billion to strengthen Poland's financial system, and PLN 30 billion for public investment, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency has reported.
Poland’s bitterly divided government and opposition earlier this month vowed to join forces to stave off the coronavirus.
A total of 766 people have tested positive for the Covid-19 disease in Poland, with eight deaths from the coronavirus so far, officials said on Tuesday.
(gs/pk)
Source: PAP