The government is working on a bill that will facilitate the distribution of coal by local governments. This will give residents greater access to the resource at a lower price.  Local governments will be able to buy coal for PLN 1,500 and sell it for up to PLN 2,000. The difference, between buying from an importer and selling to residents, is income for the municipality. It is money to cover the costs of coal distribution. It is worth noting that today the price of this raw material in private depots often exceeds PLN 3,500.

According to the planned regulations, a single customer will be able to buy a maximum of 2 tonnes of coal in this way. The difference between the market price and the price for local governments will be covered by the state budget. Importantly, only households will be able to benefit from the preferential purchase of coal from the municipality. This will be possible on the basis of a special application.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Assets Jacek Sasin emphasised during a press conference in Otwock that private entities will not be able to resell the purchased coal to other intermediaries. Only customers with registered coal cookers are to benefit from the distribution. According to Sasin, the draft will systematise the rules for the sale of coal by local governments.

The draft law states that local governments can perform these tasks first, i.e. receive coal at 1500 PLN from importers, then sell it at a price of no more than 2000 PLN. “Importantly, local governments can do this in a very different form, with the help of many intermediaries, including private entities”, Sasin said.

The proposed solutions are expected to simplify the paperwork, allow municipalities or municipal companies to purchase coal well below the market price from importers up to 1,500 PLN gross per tonne, and allow importers to apply for compensation for selling coal to the municipality below cost.

Adrian Andrzejewski