Taking control of Żabka. Deputy Prime Minister Henryk Kowalczyk on the words of Jarosław Kaczyński. “We’ll gladly take over any grocery store chain”

Kowalczyk on Wednesday in TOK FM was questioned Statement by PiS President Jarosław Kaczyński of October this year regarding the potential buyback of the Żabka network. The Minister of Agriculture recalled that the government, in accordance with the Law and Justice program, has created a food holding company: Krajowa Grupa Spożywcza. When asked if KGS has plans related to Żabka, he replied: “It has plans to be able to act on the market.”

– Krajowa Grupa Spożywcza has proven itself very well when it comes to buying grain. Unfortunately it was only created in May, so we don’t have many tools yet, but we want to equip it with other tools, such as agricultural and food processing. He is now becoming a fertilizer distributor. Will it create a commercial network? I would like to, but I wouldn’t point to a specific example here, the deputy prime minister said.

– If a network wants to sell, we’ll talk. (…) We are not talking to anyone in particular, but we are willing to buy any chain of grocery stores – said the head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Kowalczyk explained that Żabka was given by the PiS chairman as an example. – Indeed, this example is good, but whether it will materialize, whether it will be this particular network or another, or its own network, or cooperation with other nationals, is not a foregone conclusion, but it is really the target model – Kowalczyk said.

The PiS chairman told Puławy in October that among PiS’s stated tasks “was to ‘take back’ the most strategic parts of our economy from foreign capital.” He added that the process “continues to progress”.

– At the moment, the decision has probably been made that these electric networks of railway lines, a large enterprise with a large electricity transmission network, will be bought up in a very short time by one of the American funds. The same fund (CVC Capital Partners – ed) owns Żabka. These Żabka stores can also be bought back, Kaczyński said at the time.

“The reported statement does not refer to any specific process with our participation, so we have no reason to comment on it” – said the press office of the Żabka chain in response to our questions.

Krajowa Grupa Spożywcza SA is the largest state-owned company engaged in the production, storage and sale of food. The purpose of its creation is to build a strong food entity. The capital group of Krajowa Grupa Spożywcza SA has several subsidiaries in the following segments: grain and milling, sugar, potato starch, fruit and vegetables, confectionery, agriculture and seeds.

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Henryk Kowalczyk also said that “the biggest increase in food prices is behind us, which doesn’t mean that prices will go down, but the growth rate will definitely decrease.”

“Unless something unusual happens, like war expansion and waves, for example.” energy prices – he stipulated.

When asked about the ministry’s forecasts on the increase in food prices for next year, he replied: “at the moment we can talk about forecasts of about ten percentage points compared to what it is”. The head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was also asked what the VAT on fuel and gas will be from January next year. – The VAT will have to be increased due to the communication from the European Commission. I hope it will be lower than 23 percent, which is preferential,” he said. When asked whether the gas rate would be 8 or 23 percent, he replied: “Maybe more 8 (percent), but I wouldn’t judge , these are the decisions of the finance minister”.

Deputy Prime Minister Kowalczyk added that decisions on the matter should be taken in the near future. He recalled that zero VAT on food will be maintained, “for now for six months, then we’ll see what the prices will be, when they start to fall, then maybe it’s better to go back to VAT”.

Until the end of the year, as part of the anti-inflation shield, the VAT on food and gas is 0%. Early November the European Commission informed that the current regulatory framework does not allow the application of a zero VAT rate to natural gas and fertilisers, while motor fuels cannot benefit from any reduced VAT rate, even temporarily. Therefore, the government has announced the reintroduction of VAT on gas from 1 January next year; at the same time, he has proposed solutions that freeze gas prices for households and allow VAT refunds for less well-off people who heat their homes with gas. It was also decided that the VAT rate on some food products would be set at 0%. will be maintained until June 30, 2023.

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