Deputy Minister of Agriculture Michał Kołodziejczak announced on Sunday that he would apply for VAT – a minimum of 8%. – for cooking oil, which can come from Ukraine to Poland. Why should he come at a 0% rate? – He was asking.
– We analyze what is happening. There was no appropriate unit in the Ministry of Agriculture that would analyze on an ongoing basis how much and what kind of goods flowed into Poland. Today we analyze it once a week, full data is coming in, for example how many frozen raspberries arrived this year – said Kołodziejczak on Sunday on TVP Info.
Frozen raspberries from Ukraine. Several hundred tons have arrived in Poland since January
As he said, several hundred tons of frozen raspberries have already arrived from Ukraine this year.
– The invoice price of frozen raspberries is 1 euro 15 cents, which is less than PLN 5. In Poland, it is not profitable to grow raw vegetables for this amount. (…) I do not agree to this, we are building Polish production and limiting imports – noted the deputy minister.
Now I will propose, if it is possible to implement it quickly, to introduce VAT, at least 8%, on cooking oil that can come from Ukraine to Poland. Why should it come at a 0% rate, which is for Polish producers and Polish consumers, so that production here is profitable, Kołodziejczak pointed out.
The farmers’ protest starts on February 9
The deputy minister also referred to the protest of farmers from all over Poland announced for February 9. The protest is to last 30 days and will include, among others: at the blockade of border crossings with Ukraine. The decision to protest was made by, among others, management board of NSZZ Solidarność Rolników Indywidualnych. The reason for the protest is, among others, the recent decision of the European Commission to extend duty-free trade with Ukraine until 2025.
– If Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski had a bit of honor, he would go out to Polish farmers today, because I often hear from PiS politicians that people from the Ministry of Agriculture should go out and we go out and talk, said Kołodziejczak and added that he will most likely also go out to protesters on February 9 farmers.
As he said, he identifies “with many demands about the ‘green deal’ and that the border with Ukraine should be closed very tightly.”
I can assure you that most likely this week I will be calling for restrictions on sugar imports to Poland, he added when asked for specifics.
– Tomorrow morning, after what I saw at the border, I will be contacting the Road Transport Inspection to check the cars that transport goods from Ukraine through Poland to Lithuania, to see if they accidentally remove the seal in Lithuania and the same car with the goods does not return. to Poland – announced Kołodziejczak.
Food security should come first
As he emphasized, “let all of Poland finally understand that in all the political uncertainty that exists now, food security should come first.” He repeated that the first changes would be proposed in the coming week and announced that on Monday he would go to Lublin to meet with the voivode and subordinate services to “make decisions on specific actions.”
Earlier, on Sunday morning, Minister of Agriculture Czesław Siekierski visited the Polish-Ukrainian border crossings in Korczowa and Medyka. Deputy Minister Kołodziejczak also informed on Sunday about the commencement of inspections at the border crossing with Ukraine in Dorohusk in the province. Lublin Province.
