The Ministry of State Assets in Poland has announced the launch of the project “Polish Digital Logistic Operator”.
The idea is going to be implemented within the scope of the synergy program, which consists of developing a platform for sharing information within structures of public administration. Venture mission is to achieve synergy among entities on the polish market in all possible areas of business activity, especially establishing business relations or exchanging experience and good practices.
The Polish Digital Logistics Operator is expected to set out its activity and become fully operational this year. Ministry believes in it as a beginning of a revolution in the Polish transport industry. The project’s aim is to face the influence of foreign digital operators on transport and logistics industry, which has been recently visible on the market.
Regarded to the statement of the Ministry, the transport market is of great importance for the Polish economy, which puts the country in a leading position in the European market.
As the initiators postulate, the platform’s aim is to improve and simplify logistic processes and to guarantee the security of the Polish transport market. In this way, the servicing of certain transports will become cheaper for the carriers, which will generate savings while maintaining the margin. Insurance, financial, factoring, leasing, fuel and catering services will also be trading on the Platform.
Warsaw Stock Exchange has been appointed as a coordinator of Polish Digital Logistic Operator, responsible for the execution of transactions and their reckoning. The platform will ally both state-owned companies, as well as interested private entities, which will sign letters of intent. The main benefits for the private sector include easy access to state orders, the reliability of on-time payments and increased possibility of expansion. The so-called intermodal transport, i.e., merged road, rail, sea, and air transport services, is going to be promoted within Polish Digital Logistic Operator.
Ministry also predicts advantages of the operation for public administration. Thereof PCOL is expected to ensure data security, tightening of the VAT system through the usage of a digital shipping list, counteracting of the illegal fuel market, and control over the transport of trash market. Other public entities have got already involved in the project: Ministry of Infrastructure, National Tax Administration, Ministry of Climate and Environment.
So far, the work on the implementation of the project has been in progress. Therefore, the shape of the platform and its implementation has not been known yet. We do not know whether the announced goals will be achieved. However, the broad involvement of the largest state-owned companies, as well as the interest of the private sector and international entities, confirm the existing need on the transport services market.
Bartosz Majerski – attorney at law
Iuridica Law Office, Kraków – Poland
