At least five million hours, cumulatively every year, are taken up by citizens personally submitting explanations to summonses from various types of offices. The Minister for Development and Technology, Waldemar Buda, has announced that his department is preparing proposals for statutory changes to be submitted to the government. They should finally put an end to this bureaucratic practice and give Poles more time for themselves, according to the Ministry.

As Minister Buda explained at a press conference, written and electronic contact will take precedence in relations with offices. The changes are to come into effect from 2023.

“We want to give Poles back their time. Instead of wasting it in an office, they should spend it on things that are important to them. That is why we are putting an end to the practice of calling on Poles to give personal explanations in offices. They wasted up to 5 million hours a year on it. Remote communication techniques are being developed sufficiently so that a citizen or entrepreneur can provide explanations without having to leave home. “However, we are giving Poles a choice, which may be important for elderly people who prefer to deal with official matters in a more traditional way”, said Minister Waldemar Buda during the conference.

One of the aims of the proposed changes is to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy in state-citizen relations. The provisions of the Code of Administrative Procedure and the Tax Ordinance will explicitly indicate that written (and electronic) forms will take precedence. In the event of a possible summons, the authority will explain in detail why a personal appearance is necessary.

The proposed changes will be part of the Deregulation Act, which will be referred to the List of Works of the Council of Ministers in the autumn. The new rules will also apply to local authorities.

Adrian Andrzejewski