“These contracts are being pushed through at all costs just so that Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz can have nice photos. We are not discussing what kind of equipment this is, because it is classified. All our doubts are being confirmed,” said Law and Justice (PiS) MP Andrzej Śliwka, referring to the latest reports on the SAFE loan.
SAFE loan. Pressure to sign unfavorable annexes
The Niezalezna.pl portal revealed that the military and the government are forcing defense companies to sign extremely unfavorable annexes to contracts under the SAFE loan, which overturn the entire financing system. These annexes drastically change the provisions of advance payment terms that had been in force so far. The money paid to defense companies for manufactured equipment will be lower than before. Company representatives openly speak of the risk of being accused of acting to the detriment of their own firms.
“Pushing contracts through in a very short time”
The matter was addressed during a press conference by MPs from Law and Justice (PiS).
Work is underway to ensure that as many Polish companies as possible join the SAFE program. In this very short time, these contracts are being pushed through. I have serious doubts whether they are in line with our national interest and whether companies will not lose out on this – and consequently also the Polish military. An example is the “San” project, where for many months we were assured by government decision-makers that a key role would be played by the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) and the Polish Anti-Drone Company (APS) from Gdynia. It turns out that Polish banks – PKO BP and Pekao SA – did not want to provide APS with bank guarantees so that they could enter the consortium as the main partner, and they were pushed down to the second tier, becoming a subcontractor in the project. A Norwegian company moved up to the top tier,** said MP Kacper Płażyński.
He also added that “if this is what strengthening the Polish armed forces was supposed to look like, then he has serious doubts whether everything is being done properly.”
“I am surprised that no Polish bank was willing to guarantee financing for such an investment within a company that successfully carries out deliveries to Ukraine or Jordan,” he stated.
Law and Justice (PiS) MP Andrzej Śliwka recalled that the party “from the very beginning, when a real discussion about the SAFE loan instrument started, pointed to many flaws and risks.”
“We warned those in power against falling into a trap. Unfortunately, the ruling camp unlawfully, in violation of the constitution, entered this loan. It was supposed to be the most financially attractive option on the market. Today we already know that the statements by Mr. Domański or Kosiniak-Kamysz that the interest rate would be below 3 percent are a lie. A propaganda goal is overshadowing what is most important – the good of the Polish Armed Forces,” he emphasized.
“We will not let this matter go”
In his opinion, contracts under SAFE “are being pushed through at all costs just so that Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Kosiniak-Kamysz can have nice photos.”
“We are not discussing what kind of equipment this is, because it is classified. All our doubts are being confirmed. Contracts that are now being signed are mostly refinancing contracts, while new ones have deadlines that cannot be met with financing that results in negative margins for companies. This will lead to decisions currently being made by company boards being unreliable and uneconomical, and will affect the condition of these entities,” he said.
He also announced that “they will not let this matter go.”
“Each of these contracts will be analyzed by us. We will check whether the funds are being spent properly. The Polish Armed Forces require wise support, not political support aimed at fulfilling the political goals of Donald Tusk and Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz,” he concluded.