The government has unveiled an ambitious "Polish New Deal" programme which aims to boost the economy after the pandemic, plough more money into public healthcare and education, and give parents extra social benefits.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at the conference on Saturday.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at the conference on Saturday.Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański
The wide-ranging programme launched on Saturday by Poland’s ruling conservatives includes a massive cash injection for the country’s health system, with healthcare spending to increase to 7 percent of GDP by 2027.
The government has also vowed to introduce a new payout for families with two or more children.
Parents will be given an extra PLN 12,000 (USD 3,220, EUR 2,650) in total to cover the cost of bringing up their second child between the ages of one and three.
Families will be able to choose whether they want to receive the money in payouts of PLN 1,000 a month for a year, or PLN 500 a month for two years.
The total amount will be doubled if the family has another child within three years.
Moreover, under the new plan, Poles will start paying income tax when their earnings exceed PLN 30,000 a year. The current threshold at which taxes kick in is PLN 8,000.
Other priorities of the “New Deal” are cybersecurity, agriculture, education, clean energy and clean air, as well as creating a positive business climate for companies.
Officials have previously said the initiative would see a number of "very big changes," and that it would be comparable to flagship projects launched by the government in recent years.
