Sixteen years is a lot of time. This is exactly how much has passed since Poland joined the Union. Financially, it was put to good use on time. 130 billion euros flowed into the country “clean”for which highways and expressways were built, a water supply network was developed and ecological means of transport were delivered to local governments.
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However, EU money “works” not only in infrastructure. It is also real help for citizens. In 2014-2020, 929 thousand people benefited from the EU budget. Polish unemployed, and 290 thousand. people received funding to open a business in the country. Also 33 thousand people got EU support. Polish enterprises. Among the people who benefited from the help are three of our heroes: the owner of a roofing company, a milk producer and a photographer. As they admit, the road to subsidies was sometimes bumpy, but they do not regret going through it.
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See also: “It will be a knockout for Poland”. President of Poznań on the consequences of Poland’s veto in the EU
From a journalist to the owner of a roofing company
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Agnieszka Petrecka lives in Człuchów, a commune with a population of 14,000 in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. For several years she was a journalist in a local newspaper. After the birth of the children, Agnieszka was unable to return to editorial work. But, as we hear, the Człuchów market is not an Eldorado with interesting offers and decent wages.
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– It is difficult to find a good job in our town. Most of the offers are full-time work for the lowest national or illegal work. I couldn’t do anything better. In turn, my husband worked in a roofing company for ten years, where he also earned the minimum wage – says Agnieszka.
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– I was sick of this. I told my husband: “let’s start our own business, you will build roofs, I will take care of the paperwork.” We didn’t have enough savings alone to start anything. Then I started looking for information about subsidies – he adds.
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Ms Agnieszka says that she had two options: support from the employment office or EU subsidy. The latter path was more complicated in formal terms. There were more applications to be filled in, and in addition, it was necessary to travel to Gdańsk for training courses, during which they were taught how to prepare a business plan. The reward for this effort was the payment of more funds than in the employment office and the possibility of using the so-called bridging.
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– It was a kind of scholarship for people who were just starting a business. It is known that at the beginning there is not much income, and ZUS has to be paid for something. My bridging was 1 thousand. PLN, so it was just for ZUS contributions – explains Agnieszka Petrecka.
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As he adds, after a year of waiting, the application was approved, and the account of the future owner of the roofing company received 20,000. PLN. – A roof cannot be made without scaffolding or good tools. The subsidy was just enough to start – our interviewee sums up.
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Poland received EUR 130 billion purely from the EU budget. See how they changed the Polish economy
Today, the company continues to operate, although due to the crisis caused by the pandemic, some orders are processed more slowly. Agnieszka explains that some of the clients postpone their work, and more carefully look at each zloty before spending it.
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– In general, there is a lot of work. We try to do good quality work, we rely on commands – we hear.
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Meanwhile, negotiations are underway on a new EU budget. Poland – let us recall – does not agree to make payments of funds dependent on the so-called rule of law. However, according to most Member States, this issue is not up for discussion. The resistance of Poland and Hungary may mean problems with the payment of funds from the new budget and problems for potential beneficiaries.
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– What do I think about it? In the past, I wrote about people who were in a similar situation to me. I know none of these people would have started a business without a subsidy. Nobody could afford it. Nobody would dare to take out a loan. It’s not everything. I can see my son’s school, a street where he goes to classes, a common room where he spends his time after school. It all came from an EU subsidy – concludes Agnieszka Petrecka.
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“It’s hard to invest with your own”
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Kazimierz Komar lives in a small town near Siedlce in Mazovia. Since 2007 he has been running a farm where, among others, produces milk. The entire area is twenty hectares, and there are two farm buildings on it. Mr. Kazimierz breeds about 40 cows.
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A few years ago, a man applied to a local agricultural agency for a subsidy. The farmer planned to buy equipment for milk production: a tank with a capacity of 400 liters and a milking machine. The total cost of these devices was approx. 40 thousand. PLN. The aid covered the reimbursement of half of the costs.
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– I remember that everything went very smoothly. I got help in preparing the application at the counseling center. Of course, I had to buy the equipment myself at the beginning. After a year, I got my money back – explains Mr. Kazimierz.
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The man admits that thanks to the new investment, he could develop his farm, and without the money from the European Union, he would have had to ask a bank for a loan. Today – as he admits – he cannot imagine starting a business without subsidies.
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– Agriculture is a difficult business. Especially if you are producing milk. Recipients aren’t paying much, so it’s hard to invest on your own. I cannot imagine that someone would suddenly invest half a million zlotys in building a barn. A subsidy is some kind of help. If it were not there, there would probably be no volunteers for this activity – believes a farmer from Mazovia.
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“All support is good”
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It started with amateur photography for fun. Then a few people pointed out to Aurelia Affene that she should consider turning her passion into a business. However, bringing the after-hours activity to the level of a professional activity meant that some money had to be invested.
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– Better hardware, lenses, photo manipulation software. In total, it turned out that I need 40 thousand. PLN. Is that a lot? For the starting person, for sure. For someone who is already in the market and has experience, no. However, any support is good – explains Ms Aurelia.
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Our interviewee admits that the entire application procedure was too much for her. The disbursement of funds took place only after a year. In addition, all documents had to be submitted in person. It was necessary to declare the prices of the equipment in the documents. Meanwhile, the prices indicated, as explained by Ms Aurelia, have changed, and some of the equipment has disappeared from the market.
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– Other shortcomings? Conversations with officials, training, business plans. It was all arduous, uncertain. However, in retrospect, I think it was worth it, explains Ms Aurelia.
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The EU budget and the rule of law. Andrzej Duda: a preliminary agreement is outlined
The owner of the photo company admits that she is now trying to focus on the development of her business, which has slowed down a bit due to the pandemic. Aurelia Affene does not even rule out that she will change her business or start a new one, because during the crisis the demand for professional photographers’ services decreased. The woman also notices what is happening around Poland.
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– You know, I avoid politics. But I hear about all this discussion about veto for the budget. We are in a crisis and I believe that we cannot afford to distance ourselves from the Union. It is giving people a chance for development. The more that the state does not give anything in return – emphasizes Aurelia Affene.
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yesterday (20:16)
zxcvbOne in 100 it will happen that a company founded thanks to a subsidy will last 2-3 years. I wonder if it is so good in this Uni, why is it so bad that … Read the whole thing
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yesterday (19:18)
mikiart. sponsored by the Union
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yesterday (20:10)
bornkoOne in 100 it will happen that a company founded thanks to a subsidy will last 2-3 years. I wonder if it is so good in this Uni, why is it so bad that … Read the whole thing
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