Parliament passes bill to aid unpaid road subcontractors
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
28.06.2012 15:15
The lower house of Poland's parliament has passed a bill that allows for unpaid subcontractors on motorway-building projects to be paid by the state, if the chief contractor fails to do so.
A2 motorway: photo - wikipedia
Some 282 MPs voted in favour of the new law, 152 abstained and there were no votes against the motion.
The bill came about after the DDS construction company, the main contractor on a section of Poland's A2 motorway between Warsaw and Lodz, went bankrupt before paying subcontractors for work.
Under the new law, subcontractors will be able to apply directly to the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA), in cases where back payments are outstanding.
If the circumstances are justifiable, the GDDKiA will then be entitled to withdraw money from the National Road Fund (KFD), and pay the subcontractor directly.
Transport Minister Slawomir Nowak clarified prior to the vote that once a payment has been made, the state would then seek reimbursement from the main contractor, via the law courts. (nh)