The National Recovery Plan website has published a map showing HoReCa (hotel, restaurant and catering) companies that will receive EU subsidies. Internet users have pointed out that the money will be spent on purchases such as yachts, saunas, coffee machines, and electric bicycles. “Where this expenditure was not justified on substantive grounds, I will expect quick decisions, including the withdrawal of funds,” announced Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
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!ping POLAND
Title modified for additional context for non-Poles. Original: “Where will the money from the National Reconstruction Plan go? Applications submitted for subsidies for yachts, swimming pools, and coffee machines”
DeepL translation below:
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Since April 2024, applications have been accepted for subsidies for the hotel, restaurant, and catering (HoReCa) industry, as well as the tourism and cultural industries, as part of the National Recovery Plan (KPO). A total of PLN 1.2 billion was available for distribution, and the government assumed that the support would go to 2,500 companies across the country.
The Ministry of Sport and Tourism informs that “support for the project is provided in the form of a refund of part of the eligible costs incurred for the project. The maximum value of the support is 90% of the eligible costs of the project. The maximum value of eligible expenses is PLN 600,000. Therefore, a minimum own contribution of 10% of eligible costs is required.”
# Money from the National Reconstruction Plan. Where will over PLN 1 billion go?
Companies could receive between PLN 50,000 and PLN 540,000, and the investment should not take longer than 12 months and must be completed before January 31, 2026.
The aim of the program is to “create conditions for building resilience in the event of further crises and to develop the entrepreneurship of Polish companies.”
On Friday, a map showing the companies that received subsidies appeared on the KPO website. Internet users quickly began to notice that the money would go, among other things, to the purchase of luxury products. After a few hours, the KPO website was shut down. The following message is displayed: “The service is temporarily unavailable. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
# Yachts, saunas, swimming pools, mobile coffee machines. Where will the money from the National Reconstruction Plan go?
Opposition politicians comment on the matter.
“They have ruined the state’s finances, they are unable to secure revenue for the budget, and now look what they are doing with the money from the National Reconstruction Plan, which was supposed to be used for the development of the Polish economy. Instead of an economic boost, we have a huge scandal: yachts, solariums, outdoor events, mobile coffee machines. The chosen few have received the money, but all citizens will have to pay off the loan. The money was supposed to be used for investments, innovation, and drug safety, but there is nothing left! There is not enough for the energy shield, the tax-free allowance or investments in local governments. A large part of Poles have seen the light. I hope that others will also understand what this government is all about,” read a post on Jarosław Kaczyński’s profile.
“KPO – it’s kind of luxurious here. [TL note: that was a quote from a comedy movie] According to the government website: ‘KPO is support that you can see when you drink coffee in a café or relax in a hotel lobby’. The money goes to yachts, nutritious beer, saunas, catering services, and spa areas. Good morning, Poland!” wrote Paulina Matysiak from Razem on X.
“Let us recall that the KPO was passed in the Sejm in May 2021 by PiS with the support of the Left, PSL and PL 2050, KO abstained, and Konfederacja was against it,” pointed out MEP Stanisław Tyszka from Konfederacja.
“Hundreds of thousands of zlotys for yachts, saunas, ice cream machines, bridge playing platforms, and even for the introduction of short-term rentals—that’s where the funds from the National Reconstruction Plan are going. This is blatant theft of public money that was supposed to go toward innovation. Especially since there wasn’t enough left for the drug factory. It’s such a scandal, it’s mind-boggling,” wrote Marcelina Zawisza, a member of the Razem party.
Jakub Niewiadomski from the Razem party also pointed out how the subsidies were being spent.
“My department did not receive money from the National Reconstruction Plan for chemotherapy chairs, drug pumps, and ultrasound machines. And we really need them (and the hospital has over 200 million PLN in debt). When I read that 500k went to ice cream or a yacht as part of diversification, I’m sorry, but I’M PISSED OFF **** the patients” commented Jakub Kosikowski, a doctor.
“These cancer hospitals did not receive money from the KPO. There was not enough for them. The money went to yachts, solariums, and coffee machines. Donald Tusk’s Yacht+ program,” said Sławomir Mentzen, leader of Nowa Nadzieja (New Hope) and former presidential candidate for the Confederation, ironically.
“So, the whole KPO that the current government fought for was supposed to be for yachts and saunas? Now I understand why they were crying [about their loss in presidential election]. ‘Luxurious’ government – far from the people,” wrote PiS MP Michał Wójcik.
# Finance Minister Andrzej Domański: Every case must be clarified
Andrzej Domański said in an interview with Polish Radio that the KPO amounts to tens of billions of zlotys. “This money has gone to absolutely key areas of the economy, primarily the energy transition,” he said.
“The NRP involves thousands, tens of thousands of investments, and of course, among such a huge pool, there will be one or two examples of funds that have not been spent properly. Every case, every such instance must be investigated. But let’s remember the true picture of the NRP, which is funds that help modernize the Polish economy,” he added.
# Donald Tusk: I do not accept any waste of KPO funds
Prime Minister Donald Tusk also referred to the matter at a press conference. A fraction of the NRP was to go, it was a decision made years ago in connection with the pandemic, to reimburse the losses incurred by the hotel, restaurant, and catering industry. I am not the author of this project, but I understand the intentions of the European Union and our predecessors when these programs were designed. I will not accept any waste of NRP funds. On the way to Łeba, I spoke on the phone with Minister Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, who is responsible for the implementation of the KPO. I learned about irregularities or possible irregularities, said the head of government.
“For now, these explanations are not sufficient for me. I want the audit to lead to a thorough assessment of every dollar spent on this project as soon as possible. Where the expenditure was not justified on its merits, I will expect quick decisions, including the withdrawal of funds where they have clearly been misused,” he added.