KPMG estimates that a real value of all investments of French companies on the Polish market in 2014 totalled 98,7 – 103,2 billion zlotys. Economic relations between Poland and France have always been strong, not only during the nineties when many big French companies were emerging in Poland, but also these relations hastened for the second time after the accession of Poland to the European Union. We are observing an increase of the number of companies after 2006 on the level of 20-30 per cent, that is even a period of economic crisis in the world did not slow the trend of increasing French investments in Poland. Together, it is already ca. 100 billion zlotys – confirms Maciej Witucki, Chairman of Francuska Izba Przemysłowo-Handlowa in Poland and Chairman of Orange Poland Supervisory Board.
Frenchmen most willingly commit themselves to manufacturing (1/3 of investments), trade (17 per cent of investments), information and communication (13 per cent of investments) as well as real estate market (7,9 per cent) and construction (3 per cent).
Among French companies standing out in the Polish commercial estate market, it is worth to enumerate enterprises like: Eiffage Construction (general contractor of Centrum Biurowe Podwale in Poznań), Bouygues (developer responsible for building of Miasteczko Orange and West Point 120 in Warsaw), BNP Paribas Real Estate (director of i.a. five GLL Real Estate Partners real properties in Warsaw and Wrocław) or VINCI Construction, which may be proud of I degree prize in the “Building of 2010” competition for the office at Opolska Street in Cracow.
Satisfied French citizens
Nearly 90 per cent of examined companies evaluated the investment attractiveness of Poland very positively or positively, none of them indicated a negative grade. Almost 2/3 of French entrepreneurs think that against other European markets, Polish attractiveness increased and only every fifth respondent believes that it deteriorated.
CCIFP and KPMG report points out that 87 per cent of entrepreneurs are pleased with foregoing effects of their investments and evaluate obtained results as very positive or positive. Moreover, as many as 97 per cent would recommend our country to foreign companies, so far not present in Poland.
French investors are satisfied with the state of Polish economy (87 per cent), labour market (71 per cent), business environment (56 per cent) and especially with local suppliers cooperation. However, they value worse timely cost allocations with contractors – there are 44 per cent of positive answers here, and 16 per cent of negative.
What should be changed?
French investors are not pleased with all aspects of functioning on the Polish market. They negatively value i.a. public sector in Poland (44 per cent of respondents think that the bureaucracy level is too high here and extremely complicated tax and law system is characterized by lack of stability) and infrastructure (44 per cent of negative indications).
Optimistic prognoses
Most of entrepreneurs (64 per cent) are going to increase the scale of foregoing investments, and 26 per cent of them are going to open a new department or office. Every third company will maintain a present seize, 3 per cent consider decrease but no one declared to withdraw from Poland. A straight majority of respondents believe that their consolidated incomes will increase in 2014 (79 per cent).
The potential in economic cooperation between Poland and France results also in the fact that there are still not many investors from a segment of small and medium companies. It is partially caused by too high barriers and investment risk, but also – by stereotypes. There is still a big concern on either side: French citizens, who are afraid of permafrost, and Poles, who are afraid of being fed on oysters on the French side. We have to break these stereotypes so that the economic exchange may be even bigger and so as that Poles may not afraid of going to France and small and medium French companies would like to visit Wisła more often – sums up Maciej Witucki.
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