Mateusz Morawiecki told a news conference that investment was vital to help the economy emerge from the pandemic-induced doldrums.
“Investment is the best way to create new jobs, modernise the country, and upgrade the infrastructure,” he said.
He added that the government's Strategic Investment Programme, part of a wider socio-economic policy package called the Polish New Deal, aimed to help create half a million new jobs nationwide.
He told reporters that since the pandemic began, Poland “has been among the countries which have not only protected existing jobs most effectively, but also created new ones."
'Big stream of money'
Under the Strategic Investment Programme, EUR 5 billion has so far been disbursed to local governments for new roads, schools, kindergartens, technological parks and energy projects, among other initiatives, Morawiecki told the news conference.
He added that a new call for projects would be held within the next few months, offering "a big stream of money to spark a wave of modernisation."
He told reporters that funds available under the Strategic Investment Programme were being used by "almost all local governments, including those in previously neglected areas."
Morawiecki described the project as “a revolutionary idea and a breakthrough" helping "boost and equalize development opportunities throughout Poland.”
He pledged efforts to ensure that the country "develops as equitably and evenly as possible."
“This is why we want to allocate these big streams of money in a fair way to all local governments,” he said, as cited by the state PAP news agency.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, IAR, TVP Info