Biznes Fakty
„Lies like these were repeated until many believed them”
Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, asserts that neglecting consumer protection stands as one of the most significant failures of the Third Polish Republic. She contends that the true strength of the free market lies with consumers and taxpayers.
In her social media post, Pełczyńska-Nałęcz provided instances of the „abdication from consumer rights protection.”
Pełczyńska-Nałęcz: consumers and taxpayers are the primary force of the free market
„The prevailing belief was that the free market was thriving when major interest groups were prospering: large investors, banks, and developers. It was thought that if banks were making substantial profits, the financial system was functioning effectively. If housing prices were high, the real estate market was 'flourishing'” – she expressed, adding that „these kinds of falsehoods were repeated for such an extended period that many came to accept them as truth.” The ministry states that the reality is „entirely the opposite.” „The foremost strength of the free market comprises consumers and taxpayers. Their rights must be prioritized above all else. In the absence of these rights, and without a fair, free market, there can be no growth or robust economy. Subsidies for loans represent merely one of numerous misguided anti-consumer policies” – she asserted.
Minister outlines a list of misguided policies
She also highlighted that these misguided policies include: developers concealing housing prices, which restricts the ability to choose based on cost, diminishing individuals’ credit ratings for submitting multiple inquiries to accurately assess the credit market, interest rates on savings that fall significantly below inflation and the NBP base rate – which she described as „a blatant theft, depriving individuals of their savings, along with the highest mortgage margins in Europe and WIBOR – a playground for manipulation favoring banks, to the detriment of apartment buyers and small to medium-sized enterprises seeking growth.” She emphasized the necessity for more solutions, such as legislation mandating the disclosure of developers’ prices, and fewer policies like 0% loans.
