05.05.2008. BTNews: Poland

May

5

≡ Category: B₪TNews | ≅

Tenth Business Roundtable with the Government of Poland - Poland’s changing course: implications for business

A conference entitled “The Tenth Business Roundtable with the Government of Poland” will be held on May 26th 2008 at the Westin Hotel in Warsaw.

Economist Conferences’ Tenth Business Roundtable with the Government of Poland is a unique opportunity to debate the issues with Poland’s political and business leaders. This exclusive event brings together experts from the Economist Intelligence Unit, business leaders and government representatives in a discreet, off-the-record environment. It will be an excellent moment to spark debate, surface the issues and explore solutions. This event gives an opportunity to discover how Poland’s leaders intend to deliver on their promises, to share insights and experiences, and to network with your peers from industry and commerce.

Introduction

A fresh start for business in Poland: how the new environment will impact business strategy

Presenting Economist Conferences’ Roundtable with the new government of Poland – a unique opportunity to explore the country’s future with its leadership.

We will investigate topics such as:

How will policy makers square political promises with economic realities?

What is the timetable for completing privatisation?

When will Poland join the Euro – and what price will it pay?

How will the government and the presidency resolve their differences?

This exclusive two-day event brings together experts from the Economist Intelligence Unit, business leaders and government representatives in a discreet, off-the-record environment. Key government ministers will engage in dialogue with you and your peers.

The people who know

This event is an excellent opportunity to discover how Poland’s leaders intend to deliver on their promises, to share insights and experiences, and to network with your peers from industry and commerce.

Engage in debate on critical issues including:

How will the stalled economic liberalisation programme be restarted?

How will government bureaucracy be cut to accelerate business change?

What can be done to improve Poland’s position in the European Union?

What infrastructure changes can we expect to see?

Why you should attend

Poland is poised to transform its business environment – but the changes may be painful. Understand the decisions that are being taken, and gain insights into how business can best react.

Meet and debate with government leaders including Deputy Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak, Minister of Finance Jan Vincent-Rostowski, Minister of Infrastructure Cezary Grabarczyk, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslaw Sikorski.

Access the ideas and people that are making a difference in today’s Poland – in a highly productive, facilitated setting.

For further information, contact:

Tamara Joseph

Client Relations Executive, EMEA
Tel: (43 1) 712 41 61 21
Fax: (43 1) 712 41 65
E-mail: eeurope_customerservice@economist.com

Registration form:
http://www2.economistconferences.com/doc/07eupol/r.html

Programme

Chairman: Nenad Pacek, Vice-president, EMEA, Economist Intelligence Unit

MONDAY MAY 26TH 2008

8:00 am	Registration and networking coffee

8:30 am	Economist Intelligence Unit briefing and business outlook on the global economy, CEE and Poland Impact of global financial turmoil on Poland and Central Europe Poland’s business environment in comparative perspective Can Poland sustain its recent strong economic growth? What are the main obstacles that need to be removed? Outlook on Poland’s future economic policy: implications for business How are companies doing in Poland - EIU benchmarking survey results Questions and discussion Nenad Pacek, Vice-president, EMEA, Economist Intelligence Unit James Owen, Senior Economist, Economist Intelligence Unit
9:00 am	Breaking down the barriers facing business Discussion with Waldemar Pawlak, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Steps to improve the business environment What is the government doing to reduce the barriers facing business? Ways of attracting more foreign direct investment Brain-gain: government plans for bringing back migrant Poles Top business concerns for 2008 and 2009 Profit margin squeeze: impact of a strong zloty, rising interest rates and wages Questions and discussion Panellists: Rafał Krasnodębski, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Division Krzysztof Wierzbowski, Managing Partner, Wierzbowski Eversheds
10:30 am	Break

11:00 am	Accelerating privatisation Off-the-record discussion with Aleksander Grad, Minister of the Treasury Privatisation: a new programme for Poland’s state industries? Eliminating political interference in the state-owned giants Steps to make the privatization process more transparent Questions and discussion Panellist: Dariusz Nowak, President and Chief Executive Officer, LOT Polish Airlines
12:00 pm	Address by Michal Boni, Secretary of State, Head of the Strategic Advisers Team to Prime Minister Donald Tusk
12:30 pm	Lunch

2:00 pm	Reducing the weight of the state Off-the-record discussion with Jan Vincent-Rostowski, Minister of Finance How quickly can the budget deficit be brought down? Strategies for adopting the euro Reforming the tax system: is flat tax on the agenda? The challenge of social spending cuts Questions and discussion Panellist: Witold Orlowski, Director, Independent Centre for Economic Studies
3:30 pm	Break

4:00 pm	Parallel workshop: Delivering on the promise of better infrastructure? Discussion with Cezary Grabarczyk, Minister of Infrastructure Progress on government plans for infrastructure development Spending EU funds: progress on infrastructure projects Removing infrastructure bottlenecks for business The role of public-private partnerships in infrastructure development Questions and discussion Panellist: Olga Grygier, PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Managing Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Division
	Parallel workshop: The future of healthcare in Poland Discussion with Ewa Kopacz, Minister of Health and key healthcare stakeholders Is healthcare reform back on the top of Poland’s agenda? Coping with the ageing population: implications for healthcare spending Rising costs and skill shortages in the healthcare system Defining the role of the state and private players in healthcare provision How to build constructive relations between the health authorities and industry stakeholders Questions and discussion Panellists: Damian Raczkowski, Deputy Chairman, Health Committee Andrzej Sokołowski, President, Polish Association of Private Hospitals
5:30 pm	Farewell cocktails hosted by Nomura