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Goal is to eliminate lockdowns: Head of Development Fund

“It should be a priority for the industries that may be potentially affected by the restrictions to develop sanitary protocols with the Health Ministry that will allow them to operate,” Paweł Borys, head of the Polish Development Fund (PFR) said, in an interview with “Dziennik Gazeta Prawna” daily newspaper.

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Mr Borys was asked about the cancelling aid from the Polish Development Fund’s “Financial Shield.” He said that “the process is proceeding smoothly and according to plan”. “We currently have over 150,000 applications for subsidised cancellations submitted by companies. About 90 percent of them were approved; the rest require additional clarifications or documentation,” Mr Borys declared.

The head of PFR was also asked about a possible fourth wave of COVID-19 and the need to possibly reintroduce restrictions on economic activities or lockdowns, and in that case, would the PFR activate the financial shield again. Mr Borys answered that “in my opinion, it should be a priority for the industries that may be potentially affected by the restrictions to develop sanitary protocols with the Health Ministry that will allow them to operate”.

“The main goal is to prevent businesses from closing. In Europe, we have COVID-19 passports for people that have been vaccinated, recovered or tested themselves so that they can function normally. We know that the virus is present and will be present, but it is worth preparing to live with it normally, especially through vaccinations. All this is so that we do not have another lockdown in autumn,” Mr Borys emphasised.

He added that “it seems that the fourth wave will be lighter in terms of its health and economic consequences”. “However, the protection of life, health and the economy in autumn depends mainly on the universality of vaccinations, especially among high-risk groups, mainly the elderly,” Mr Borys stressed.

Asked whether the government is considering the reintroduction of state aid in the case of a fourth wave Paweł Borys said that “if it will be necessary and there is a government decision, then, of course, we are ready to act”. “On the other hand, it is worth remembering that there are still aid instruments operating which at the moment are appropriate. For example, loan guarantees granted by BGK [Bank of National Development]”.

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