2016-06-20

May Polish Shipyards grow rich

The Shipyard Act and, in particular, the Act on activisation of the ship industry with complementary industries, is one, out of the three flagship projects of the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Waterway Navigation, beside the planned improvements in the navigability of our waterways and building of a shipping canal across the Vistula Spit. One of its major assumptions shall be zero VAT for production, import, parts and equipment for possibly the broadest catalogue of floating vessels. The planned tax preferences shall apply to such type of ships as sea-going tugs and ice-breakers. There shall also be an extended catalogue of new ships with zero VAT rate. This new Act assumes a possibility to choose between the current 19% CIT or PIT and the new flat-rate (1%) tax from the value of sold production, regarding ship construction and reconstruction. The Act shall also facilitate providing the grounds, at which ship-building and complementary production is carried out, with the status of special economic zone.

In the government’s estimates, these new solutions shall during the next few years stimulate the growth of domestic shipyard production, with simultaneous generation of approx. 3 thousand of new jobs. According to Mr Marek Gróbarczyk, the Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Waterway Navigation, this Act is of “key significance for restoration of the maritime economy”. As he has often emphasised, “there shall be no future for the Polish Seaside without successful shipyard projects, supported by effective performance of the ship-building industry”. In line with the accepted time-schedule, the Act is to be voted by the Parliament and signed by President of the Republic of Poland by the end of this year to become effective on January 1, 2017. Currently, the Act is analysed by the European Commission.

The Polish shipyard branch has, in general, approved the solutions, as proposed by the Ministry. Mr Jerzy Czuczman, Director of the Forum Okrętowe Union of Employers, has stated that the project of the Act has for years been expected by the branch. He has positively approached all the solutions of VAT rellief for entrepreneurs.

“I assume that the issue of VAT is very important as, in the scale of the whole country, it may amount to several dozen million of PLN, which may be used by businesses for their own goals, e.g., R & D programmes,” he said.

In his opinion, the proposed regulations, concerning new special economic zones, may stimulate the shipyard industry with a positive impact. According the involved entrepreneurs, the new Act shall provide the shipyard branch businesses with “real financial tools”. 
One of the panels at the Forum of Maritime Economy, Gdynia, 2016 shall be dedicated to issues of the shipyard industry.

fot. W. Jakubowski