Prime Minister Donald Tusk has officially appointed members of the new Economic Council, to be led by former PM Jan Krzysztof Bielecki.
The newly created body composed of economists, scientists and business people is to advise the head of the government on economic matters. The Council is to be chaired by Poland's former PM, a member of the ruling Civic Platform Jan Krzysztof Bielecki who represented Poland at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development from 1993 to 2003.
According to PM Tusk, among the main tasks of the Council are presenting the government with practical and non-routine solutions to economic problems. Tusk also stressed that the Council will work independently of government.
“We need independent minds without formal commitments. It is a well considered choice and we presupposed that it would a group which works and reacts fast,” Tusk said, Tuesday. “They also have the courage needed sometimes to take a critical look at the ideas of the government or the premier”.
The Chairman of the Economic Council, Jan Krzysztof Bielecki expressed his conviction that the newly created body is composed of competent yet independent experts. The former PM also stressed that each member will be able to express their own private opinions on a given economic issue.
“A number of them still works professionally in various companies. It is important, however, to distinguish between the opinion of a company and that of a private individual,” he said. “Everyone will express their own opinions here based on the best economic and social knowledge they have. This is how we want to be of service to the Prime Minister. “
Among the members of the Economic Council are the chairmen of the Polish State Insurance PZU and Bank Zachodni WBK SA, former chairperson of the Social Insurance Office (ZUS), chief economist of Reiffeisen Bank Polska, professor Witold Orłowski - an economic advisor to former president Aleksander Kwasniewsk - as well as a sociologist and a member of the Polish PEN Club Ireneusz Krzeminski.
After having been nominated the members of the Economic Council will convene for its first official session. (di/pg)