ADMINISTRATIVE-LEGAL REGULATION OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY OF PRIVATE INDUSTRY, TRADE AND SERVICES IN PEOPLE'S POLAND (1944-1989)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62664/cpa.2024.02.02Keywords:
socialism, People's Poland, private sector enterprises, centrally planned economy.Abstract
People's Poland was not governed by the principle of economic freedom contained in the contemporary Polish constitution. After the communist takeover, large and medium-sized private enterprises were nationalized. Only small manufacturing, trade and service companies were allowed to operate. The private sector was supposed to play only a complementary role to the dominant state-owned enterprises. The establishment and running of such businesses was strictly regulated. There were also handicrafts operating according to traditional principles, which is not the subject of this study. In the 1940s, the authorities declared support for the private sector, but in practice hindered it in various ways. A requirement to obtain a business license was introduced. During the political thaw of the 1950s, the policy of crippling the private sector was criticized, but new laws passed during this period maintained strict regulation. The new regulations introduced in the 1970s did not bring a dramatic change. Improvements in the situation of private entrepreneurs were heralded by reforms in the 1980s, but they failed to save the communist system from collapse. «The Wilczek Law» of 1988 ended regulation and introduced the principle of economic freedom.
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