The dismissed president of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, Katarzyna Duber‑Stachurska, accused the Ministry of Finance and Regional Policy of overseeing the KPO grants, alleging that the ministry knew about irregularities and loosened rules to expedite funding, fueling a scandal over the allocation of public money.
Dismissed PARP Head Directly Blames Ministry of KPO
At the end of July, the presidency of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) was terminated, with Katarzyna Duber‑Stachurska stepping down over irregularities in the allocation of KPO funds. On Sunday, August 10, Duber‑Stachurska posted a message on LinkedIn, placing full responsibility for the KPO affair on the Ministry of Finance and Regional Policy (MFiPR). “PARP is an implementation agency; it does not make program decisions or set grant criteria. All procedures, regulations, and contracts are approved by the Ministry of Finance and Regional Policy. PARP has no autonomy in this regard. That was the case with KPO HoReCa,” she emphasized. She added that the ministry, represented by Pełczyńska‑Nałęcz, had approved even the description of invoices with expenses and supervised daily program implementation. “The ministry knew about the boats – it answered operators’ questions on whether vessels with combustion engines could be allowed. The minister assured entrepreneurs that she personally intervened to loosen the original rules so that funds could flow more smoothly and quickly,” Duber‑Stachurska wrote.
Pełczyńska‑Nałęcz Orders Internal Controls
After early reports highlighted the investment map funded by KPO, the Minister of Finance and Regional Policy assured that remedial actions had already begun two weeks earlier. She also announced the dismissal of the head of PARP around the end of July. Pełczyńska‑Nałęcz said that audits were also being carried out in institutions responsible for selecting beneficiaries, with the same people who had overseen the program for 1½ years. “You are asking your minister have handled the program for 1½ years audit themselves,” she wrote. She claimed the audits would not reveal any irregularities because the programs “were and are being implemented in line with current regulations and the documentation approved by MFiPR.”
KPO Investment Map
On the government site dedicated to KPO, an investment map was published showing who received EU money and for what purpose. Most questions arise over how funds were allocated in the HoReCa sector – owners of hotel and catering businesses used EU money to purchase yachts, motorboats, saunas, and solaria. EU Commissioner spokesperson Maciej Berestecki informed that “Poland must take explanatory action” regarding the controversy over how KPO funds were spent.
– Duber‑Stachurska firmly reiterated this point. The post ended with a bitter remark: “This is how the illusion ends that Poland can have a nonpartisan and efficient public administration.”
**Kaynaklar:** LinkedIn, IAR
