Amendments to ease adminstration procedures for businessmen fail completely, smokers have their advocates in the Lower House, even among the non smoking depouties, and what is the age allowing to buy prophylactics?

Press reviewed by Agnieszka Bielawska

Making life easier for entrepreneurs is not easy, writes Rzeczpospolita. The setting up of one special office, which was to help entrepreneurs in their constant rush between various institutions, has failed completely. The office was to help beginning entrepreneurs register their company immediately without visiting various institutions for the necessary signatures in line with the amendment to the law on business freedoms. In practice, however, the regulation proved to be a disaster, writes Rzeczpospolita, quoting various businessmen who had received no help at the newly established office. On the contrary, even beginners knew more that the person responsible for the office. As an effect comments the daily, the amendment only showed that making things easier for business in Poland  is only wishful thinking on part of the entrepreneurs.

Smokers lobby against the introduction of a total ban on smoking writes Dziennik. Under the headline ‘Smokers have their advocates in the Lower House', the daily writes that even several NON smoking deputies protest against a total ban on smoking in the Lower House buildings.  The plan on banning smoking is supported by 77% of Poles reads recent data, which is a huge number compared to the 5% in the UK when the ban was introduced. However, fierce arguments are exchanged between cigarette producers and tobacco growers on the one side and supporters of the plan. The first argue that the new regulations will hit some 5,000 employers and 15,000 plantators leaving them with no means of subsistence. Also, they add the budget will be deprived of  over 15 billion zloty since 80% of the price of a cigarette pack  finds its way to the budget in the form of taxes. Supporters of the plan argue however that there are no concrete data stating that the tobacco industry provides more to the budget than is spent on eliminating the health damage caused by smoking. 

Gazeta Wyborcza comments the decision of certain drugstore chain in Poland not to sell condoms to underage buyers. Every suspiciously young looking person is asked to show an id, adds the paper. The drugstore shop assistants motivate that by doing so they abide by the children’s rights convention. Thing is, writes Gazeta Wyborcza that there is no law in Poland banning the sales of condoms to teenagers. Additionally there is no law demanding an id while shopping for prophylactics. Now, reprimanded for such a decision the drugstore issued an internal communiqué to its employees NOT to sell condoms to small children, winds the daily.