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The following OECD assessment and recommendations summarise chapter 5 of the Economic survey of Poland published on 11 June 2008.
Contents
Improving transport infrastructure is another key challenge
In the coming years, Poland will implement a vast programme of building and renovating transport infrastructure, financed through substantial EU and public resources. Yet the use of EU funds is subject to a limited time frame, and the deadline for completing many investments has been further advanced by the organisation of the 2012 European soccer championships. Thus whatever obstacles exist – such as labour shortages – have to be sorted out rapidly. Maintaining a high vigilance over possible collusive behaviour among the suppliers of building materials and ensuring tendering procedures are as competitive as possible would be additional helpful steps. More generally, the legal framework needs to be streamlined in many areas, including public procurement (especially the ease with which multiple appeals can be launched), issuance of building permits, environmental impact assessments and archaeological research. Also, adopting a hedging strategy against euro/zloty exposure would allow the funding that is effectively available for projects to be safeguarded. Finally, the coordination among various Ministries and implementing bodies in channelling EU funds should be enhanced. The adoption of multi year budgeting systems would help not only in this respect, but also in order to address the fiscal demands implied by co financing.
Closing the transportation infrastructure gap should be guided by efficiency criteria. That is why it is crucial to design and publish a comprehensive top down strategy based on careful cost benefit analysis and that addresses long term prospects and interrelations among the different modes. It must be recognised that, with predictable increases in income levels, several regions in Poland will probably lose their eligibility for EU funds beyond 2013. Therefore the authorities should already actively seek greater private sector financial involvement in the process of building, maintaining and operating infrastructure, all the more so as the option of blending private and EU funds has not yet been explored. The use of public–private partnerships (PPPs) may in certain cases deliver better value for money and should be treated on an equal footing with public procurement schemes. Hence, the current PPP law should be streamlined. The creation of a central public unit responsible for the oversight and quality control of cost benefit analyses could lead to the more widespread use of PPPs. In addition, it could help improve the business climate.
Market regulations and ownership structures should promote fair competition both between and within different transport sectors. Extending tolls to the entire motorway network but also charging passenger cars for using expressways would help to rebalance the modal split that is currently oriented toward roads, with all the implications for the environment and urban planning that follow. In accordance with EU guidelines, reforms in the rail sector require a clear ownership separation of infrastructure and operation in the public conglomerate (PKP Group), which should improve third party network access. Coupled with a strengthening of the regulator’s position, this would also make access charging policies more transparent. In regional rail services, generalising competitive tendering procedures and creating independent system operators would reap efficiency gains. Finally, air transportation would benefit from the restructuring of the Polish Airports’ State Enterprise and from further reducing airports’ regional market power by introducing a fixed formula for calculating price caps on take off and landing fees.
The road network is fairly sparse
Kilometres, 2004 or latest available year
Source: European Commission (2007), Panorama of transport and New Chronos database.
How to obtain this publication
The Policy Brief (pdf format) can be downloaded in English. It contains the OECD assessment and recommendations.The complete edition of the Economic survey of Poland 2008 is available from:
Additional information
For further information please contact the Poland Desk at the OECD Economics Department at eco.survey@oecd.org. The OECD Secretariat's report was prepared by Alain de Serres and Rafal Kierzenkowski under the supervision of Peter Jarrett. Research assistance was provided by Sylvie Foucher-Hantala.
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