Summary of the Presidency of the Belgian Business Chamber in the International Group of Chambers of Commerce.
The BBC held the Presidency of IGCC for a six-month term from January to June 2021.
Report by Belgian Business Chamber
Thank you for your trust!
"It has been honestly a great opportunity for the Belgian Business Chamber and also for the Belgian Embassy who has been always to side with us. We have tried to shine as much as we could and providing to IGCC the best of what we were able to organise considering the circumstances. I can only confirm the BBC full commitment during this period and the great pleasure we had in collaborating with you. It was a great pleasure for us to have this floor and contribute to the IGCC's development. Thank you very much and I wish very all the best to the Polish-Spanish Chamber of Commerce." ~ Pierre Detry
"Thank you very much for everyone's commitment - it was a challenging, but very successful half of the year." ~ Magdalena Leo
Meetings
International Women's Day
Together with the other 10 International Chambers, we organised 4 inspirational and women empowering panel discussions: 1) Can women keep work-life balance during Covid? The pandemic's impact on women entrepreneurs and women’s careers, 2) Women in Tech - success and challenges. 3) Nurturing our relationships during the coronavirus pandemic. 4) International Networking - a panel discussion of Benelux Embassies.
Over 100 participants had a chance to listen to the panellists from the business environment of the Chambers and of the Ministry of Family and Social Policy.
The event was held under the honorary patronage of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Find our more: here.
Meeting with Grzegorz Piechowiak, Governement Plenipotentiary for Foreign Investment
The online meeting with Government Plenipotentiary for Foreign Investments Mr. Grzegorz Piechowiak aim was to create a platform for dialogue between foreign investors and Polish government and to show the important contribution of FDI to polish market, which sums up to be 40% of Polish GDP.
Before the speech of Government Plenipotentiary for Foreign Investments, Mrs. Eliza Przeździecka (Chief Economist of AmCham Poland) made a review of the latest Foreign Direct Investment Report.
After the publication of FDI report, we discussed with Government Plenipotentiary for Foreign Investments about the results of the report and created an opportunity for associated members to ask a representative of the Polish government bothering questions in this area.
Mr. Piechowiak assured us of the government's willingness and openness to resolve the foreign investors issues and to keep Poland attractive and investor-friendly. After the speeches and Q&A session, over 100 participants had a chance for online networking.
The meeting was held under the honorary patronage of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium.
Meeting with Tadeusz Kościński and the Representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Development Funds and Regional Policy
The online meeting with was a part of the Ministry initiative „Dialog z Biznesem”.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Finance Mr. Tadeusz Kościński, Ambassador of Belgium to Poland Mr. Luc Jacobs, President of the Belgian Chamber of Commerce Mr. Pierre Detry and Deputy Minister Mr. Jan Sarnowski and Mrs. Anna Chałupa.
More than 120 representatives from different sectors and companies have raised several questions which were related to withholding taxes, transfer prices, employee stock ownership plan, the excise tax on alcoholic products, teleworking regulations, Real Estate investment trusts, and many more.
Letters and Statements
- 14th of January - IGCC position on the draft of the Amendment to the Act on Competition and Consumer Protection and certain other acts published on January 14, 2021 (UC69)
- 12th of February - IGCC’s position on the Act on additional revenues of the National Health Fund, the National Monument Protection Fund and the creation of the Fund for Supporting Culture and National Heritage in the Media Area, addressed to Mr. Tadeusz Kościński, Minister of Finance, Funds and Regional Policy.
- 12th of February - IGCC letter requesting the repeal or temporary suspension of the provisions of Art. 11o paragraph. 1a and paragraph. 1b of the CIT Act. addressed to Mr. Tadeusz Kościński, Minister of Finance, Funds and Regional Policy.
- 19th of April - The positions, comments and opinion of the IGCC on the document functioning under the title “Tax clarifications on transfer pricing No. 4 – presumption and due diligence referred to in Art. 11o paragraph. 1b of the CIT Act and Art. 23 for paragraph 1b of the PIT Act ” addressed to Mr. Jan Sarnowski, Undersecretary of State and Mr. Marcin Jarmożny, Director of the Transfer Pricing and Valuation Department at the Ministry of Finance
- 23rd of April - IGCC’s position on the announcement of the Polish government, presented at the conference on April 1, 2021, regarding rents for tenants in commercial facilities with an area of more than 2,000 m2 addressed to Mr. Jarosław Gowin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development, Labor and Technology.
Adhesion of the new Member
During our Presidency, we carried out the joining procedure of the Polish-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce. From April 2021 IGCC has 17 associated Chambers of Commerce.
It was an excellent and challenging Presidency. Thank you! Let's hand over the Presidency to the Polish - Spanish Chamber of Commerce. Good luck!
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