There will be no bonus for election turnout for KGW. Once again, it turns out how true to life this famous quote is, which says that no good deed will go unpunished.
It was supposed to be so beautiful. The government of Mateusz Morawiecki promised Rural Women’s Circles a cash reward if they actively participate in the pre-election campaign to encourage residents to participate in the parliamentary elections in autumn 2023.
This was about the payment of funds to KGW, whose headquarters are located in a commune with a population of up to 20,000, in which the turnout in the elections to the Sejm of the Republic of Poland held on October 15, 2023 was above 60%. The amount of support was to be the quotient of PLN 250,000 and the number of rural women’s associations based in a given commune.
The money from the “attendance bonus” for KGW was to be paid by June 30, 2024.
The ladies from KGW did their best. But they will not receive the expected reward. Well, unless that’s what we call “crumbs”, which we’ll talk about below.
Honey is too good for a bear?
The current government already in mid-April this year. presented new rules for the distribution of attendance bonuses. First of all, this “operation” was then called an aid program. It was assumed that the list of persons eligible to receive funds for high turnout in parliamentary elections would be expanded, and the funds that would go to one KGW – a maximum of only PLN 50,000 – were planned. zloty. In addition, a new obligation was imposed on KGW – to organize at least two events aimed at integrating the local community by June 30, 2025.
More on this topic in the article below:
Another game changer
But it turns out that this is not the end of the changes.
The Ministry of Agriculture has sent for public consultations another draft regulation “on the detailed scope and methods of implementing certain tasks of the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture”, in which it once again changes the rules for granting – as it was called aid (i.e. not an attendance bonus) – to rural women’s associations. . It follows that the money earmarked earlier in the budget for the payment of the turnout bonus will be divided equally among all KGWs, regardless of whether they joined the campaign to increase turnout in the elections or not, and part of these funds will be allocated to… aid for agricultural producers harmed as a result of this year’s unfavorable weather phenomena, such as spring frosts or hailstorms.
As we read in the justification for the proposed regulations, “the Ministry of Agriculture receives signals about the appropriateness of providing assistance to all rural women’s associations in the same amount without differentiating it depending on the number of associations in a given commune, and providing assistance to all associations regardless of the size of the commune.”
Therefore, it was decided that rural housewives’ associations “will receive aid in the amount of PLN 5,000.” At the same time, they were obliged to organize only one event integrating the local community instead of two, and the limitation of aid to circles operating only in municipalities of up to 20,000 was abolished. inhabitants.
– Due to the changes being introduced, it is proposed to extend the deadline for receiving aid applications to September 20 this year, and consequently to extend the deadline for aid payment to December 13 this year, the deadline for implementing an event integrating the local community to September 30, 2025 and, consequently, the deadline for settlement of the aid by October 31, 2025 – we read in the justification.
As also added:
– Changes in the conditions for providing assistance to rural women’s groups should contribute to reducing the need for funds for this assistance. According to data from ARiMR and the National Association of Farmers, Agricultural Clubs and Organizations, there are approximately 16.4 thousand. rural housewives’ circles. At the same time, it is not possible to estimate the number of rural wives’ associations entered in the National Court Register. Taking into account the above, it is estimated that After the changes introduced, funds in the amount of approximately PLN 100 million will be necessary to implement this assistance, which would allow the unused funds to be allocated, among others, to: to help agricultural producers affected by this year’s unfavorable weather phenomena, such as spring frosts or hailstorms. It should be noted that in the specific reserve item 69 additional funds for the activities of rural women’s clubs and brass bands in communes with a population of up to 20,000. residents, funds in the amount of PLN 532.7 million were planned.
Yes, no good deed will go unpunished…
– .
