What goes on in Poland on the 22nd of November.
Poland and Finland talk about energy security in the face of Russia’s invasion
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki met with the Prime Minister of Finland Sanny Marin. The topics of the talks included energy security and regional cooperation. „We must repel the Russian threat once and for all,” Marin said.
The Chancellery of the Prime Minister informed that the talks during the meeting of the Prime Ministers of Poland and Finland concerned eastern policy, energy security and regional cooperation. They were related in particular to the threat from Russia and the attack on Ukraine.
Prime Minister Morawiecki stressed the need for further sanctions against Russia, adding that today the whole world is paying for Russian aggression, but Russia should pay for all its crimes. “The sanctions are effective and we need to develop them even though they leave our economies without a trace,” he said.
The head of the government also pointed to the need to transfer frozen assets to the Russian Federation and Russian oligarchs for the reconstruction of Ukraine. “These funds cannot just be frozen, because frozen assets become valuable in some cases. We must ensure that these funds are used to rebuild Ukraine and that they feel the pain associated with it, he continued.
VAT on fuels and fertilizers will have to be reinstated
– We will have to restore higher VAT rates not only for electricity, but also for fuels and fertilisers; for this, we can maintain zero VAT on food – says the Minister of State Assets Jacek Sasin in an interview with Polish Radio.
Deputy Prime Minister Jacek Sasin spoke about the so-called anti-inflation shield and taxes on energy resources. – Unfortunately, we will have to reintroduce VAT, not only in this respect, but also in the area of other energy resources, including fertilisers. The Polish government received information from the Commission that the reduction of VAT rates is incompatible with European law and we must restore VAT and excise duty in the case of, for example, the fuel market, where it operates, he said.
– The only derogation we have been able to obtain is the possibility of maintaining zero VAT on food. The fact that food will be cheaper is also due to our government, which made such a courageous decision and then won permission for it in the European Commission. However, in the case of energy resources and electricity, such consent was not obtained, he added in an interview with Polish Radio.