The past two weeks surrounding the Central Register of Contracts (CRU) have been exceptionally intense. The pace of developments, successive amendments, public declarations, and growing support made even those following the issue closely feel a bit disoriented. But the conclusion is clear: we are now very close to full transparency in public finances.
News
Hearing of Candidates for the Chair of the Fiscal Council
Today, a hearing is underway in the Polish Sejm for candidates for the position of Chair of the Fiscal Council—an independent, expert advisory body established by legislation on December 20,…
We’re asking MPs: do they stand for full contract transparency?
After submitting the petition on the Central Register of Contracts to the Prime Minister and receiving confirmation that it has been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance, we are launching a new campaign: we are asking Members of Parliament about their position on full transparency of public finance sector contracts.
Institute of Public Finance at the European Forum for New Ideas
The European Forum for New Ideas (EFNI) in Sopot is one of the most important events on the map of regional debates about the future of Europe. It is a…
1,254 Signatures for the “YES to a Threshold-Free Central Register of Contracts” Petition Submitted to the Prime Minister
Symbolically — just one day after the International Day for Universal Access to Information —we submitted to the Prime Minister a petition signed by 1,254 individuals in support of a…
How to Heal the Polish Pharmacy Market – New Report by the Institute of Public Finance
Halting the decline in the number of pharmacies, improving access to medicines, increasing competitiveness—and thus lowering drug prices and raising the quality of services—as well as restoring basic rights to…
Dr. Sławomir Dudek, a Candidate for Chair of the Fiscal Council – for Stability and Transparency of Public Finances
We are pleased to inform that Dr. Sławomir Dudek, founder and chief economist of the Institute of Public Finances, has been nominated by the Minister of Finance as a candidate…
IFP at the 2025 Economic Forum: on spending, debt, and transparency
The state of public finances, defense spending, and the role of transparency were the key issues the Institute of Public Finance brought to Karpacz. The 2025 Economic Forum was not only an opportunity to join the debate, but also to demonstrate that it’s possible to talk about the budget clearly, boldly, and with a forward-looking perspective.
Swedish Spending, Irish Taxes – IFP in the Public Debate
In recent weeks, the Institute of Public Finance (IFP) has been at the forefront of the public debate on Poland’s mounting budget deficit and unsustainable fiscal model. Through media interviews, expert analyses, and key appearances at national events, IFP warns against the dangers of “Swedish spending with Irish taxes” and calls for a cross-party strategy to restore fiscal stability and safeguard national security.
Tusk Hints at Budget Problems
“One expert rightly pointed out that we have Swedish-level spending and Irish-level taxes. We are among the EU leaders when it comes to social spending, while taxes in Poland are…
“Recommendations for Poland’s Security” – Expert Panel by the Supreme Audit Office
On June 5, the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) in Warsaw hosted an expert panel organized by the Department of National Defence, bringing together representatives from all major institutions shaping Poland’s security policy.
The Great Budget Deception Right Before the 2023 Election
The state of Poland’s public finances is serious. We face an excessive deficit, high debt servicing costs, and a rapidly growing public debt, which may soon exceed the 60% of GDP threshold.
#TAKdlaCRU – Sign the petition to the Prime Minister
The Central Register of Contracts is in the works — let’s prove that we care about financial transparency. Sign the petition. Every signature matters.
Raising the CRU limit would undermine real transparency — civil society organizations issue a warning
The Institute for Public Finance is among the 46 civil society organizations that have signed an appeal to the Prime Minister regarding the Central Register of Contracts.
IFP Participates in Public Consultations on the Central Register of Contracts
On April 11, we took part in a conference organized by the Ministry of Finance dedicated to the Central Register of Contracts. The aim of the event was to encourage a joint debate on its role.
The second edition of the thesis competition on public finance is now open
We want young people to take an interest in public finance – not only because it’s part of our Institute’s mission, but because it’s about our shared future. Understanding how public finances work is essential for responsible and well-thought-out economic governance.
On Financing National Security at the Banking & Insurance Leaders Meeting
Professor Paweł Wojciechowski, Chair of the Program Council of the Institute of Public Finance (IFP), will take part in a panel discussion titled “Financing National Security: Defense Industry and Military” during the 29th Banking & Insurance Forum, which will take place on April 15–16 in Warsaw.
The Financial Gap of the National Health Fund (NFZ) Could Reach a Quarter of a Trillion PLN, Threatening Public Finance Stability
Changes in Health Spending Rules to Take Effect in 2026 New regulations set to take effect next year could fundamentally reshape the way healthcare spending is structured.. The Fiscal…
Up to 80% of Contracts Hidden from Citizens? New survey by IFP
Download the surveyUp to 80% of Contracts Hidden from Citizens? The original vision of the long-awaited Central Register of Contracts (CRC), intended to serve as a tool for ordinary citizens…
Survey on transparency of public finances at Campus – the Future of Poland 2024
See the gallery from CampusThis year’s Campus – the Future of Poland 2024 is in the books. The Institute of Public Finance was present in Olsztyn as a content partner…
Designing an Independent Fiscal Institution for Poland
Unlike common practices in other EU member states and despite being mandated by EU law, Poland still lacks a fully-fledged Independent Fiscal Institution. IFIs are impartial, expert bodies that help…
Polish National Health Fund’s budget gap: may be short of 159 billion zlotys over the next three years
The health care system in 2025-2027 requires funding of between PLN 92.5 billion and PLN 158.9 billion, the authors of the report “The financing gap in the health care system…
IFP’s Open Scientific Symposium #219Constitution: How to restore the rule of law in public finance
The current state of the rule of law in the area of public finance and the necessary legal standards for planning and controlling state expenditures, taking into account the constitutional…
Register of agreements- an essential component of an open local government budget: the Institute of Public Finance at the Local Government Finance Congress
Reform of the system of local government finance changes in taxes, investments, and budget management. The fourth edition of Local Trends – Local Government Finance Congress will begin tomorrow in…
Higher prices, longer waiting times – economists have counted the effects of the law change on the cab market
Cab transport prices will increase by about 20%, as will waiting times. This will be the result of a change in the law, which will overnight take away the right…
Political preference in distributing subsidies to local governments? IFP’s report confirms scale of inequality
Between 2019 and 2023, municipalities governed by United Right governors received almost 2.35 times more in government subsidies than municipalities governed by the parliamentary opposition. Most of these subsidies came…
“Seeds of discord” – an expert report on the real causes of the crisis in agriculture
Neither grain from Ukraine nor the European Green Deal are the cause of low grain purchase prices in Poland. So neither the embargo nor the abandonment of pro-ecological measures will…
“Open Budget of Local Government”, a panel organized by IFP at the 9th European Congress of Local Governments in Mikolajki!
The Institute of Public Finance, which was an institutional partner of this year’s Local Government Congress in Mikolajki, organized the panel “Open Budget of Local Government.” In the panel, experts…
Every third zloty of public money is spent in local governments. Do we know enough about their budgets?
The administrative reform of 1999, by transferring part of the power to local government, entrusted it with a significant part of public funds to finance: schools, hospitals, roads and other…
Professor Marek Belka joins IFP’s Program Council
Professor Marek Belka – former Prime Minister of Poland, Minister of Finance, president of the National Bank of Poland and an expert of international institutions – has joined the Program…
The Real Budget of Poland for 2024 – Summary
On October 31, the report “The Real Budget of Poland for 2024: Necessary Amendments to Increase Transparency to the Budget Law for 2024. Basic Figures” was published. The authors of…
Budapest Corruption Research Center begins cooperation with Institute of Public Finance
Joint research and publications, exchange of experiences and advocating integrity and transparency in the management of public funds at every level of government are the main goals of the cooperation…
When European taxpayers’ money finances the erosion of democracy
In a report published today, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) exposes a pattern of systemic abuse of public funds by Polish authorities. These funds include European Union (EU)…
Sławomir Dudek: the prime minister created a parallel budget – a spending paradise
The prime minister has drawn hundreds of billions of zlotys from the constitutional budget into some parallel budget, because there he can spend public money on a notebook or even…
For the first time in history, the Supreme Audit Office did not express a positive opinion on the discharge for the government
Every year, the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) prepares for the Sejm (the lower chamber of the Polish Parliament) a comprehensive “Analysis of the State Budget Execution and Monetary Policy Assumptions”.…
Thursday Forum at Warsaw School of Economics
What is the condition of public finances? What do macroeconomic indicators say about the situation of the Polish economy? Are we already facing a recession? How long will inflation last?…
Lies on VAT are back. Contrary to propaganda, Poland VAT faces a hard landing
VAT revenues decreased in January 2023 by over 21%. At the turn of the year, they changed strangely. It is questionable whether VAT returns were deliberately manipulated to artificially increase…
IFP at the European Congress of Local Governments
“Local government finances in the wake of the economic crisis” – this was the motto of the European Congress of Local Governments in Mikołajki, which was attended by President and…
On public debt at the Warsaw School of Economics’ conference
Problems caused by the expansionary fiscal policy in Poland, the transparency of public finances and the scope of application of fiscal regulations – these were the main topics of the…
How is inflation impoverishing Poles? Debate and the presentation of the report
The debate at Świetlica Wolności was accompanied by the presentation of the report of Warsaw Enterprize Intitue that shows which social groups were most affected by the inflation. The following…