Polish Politician Calls for Control of Shale Resources
The leading opposition party in Poland has re-iterated calls for the need to secure control of Poland's shale gas deposits for the benefit of all its citizens.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the Law and Justice said "Poland faces the matter of a national dimension - how to organize shale gas extraction from Polish deposits so that it serves Poland and Poles."
In April, Kaczynski warned of the country losing control of its shale gas fields to those who have “completely different interests than Poland.”
With prospective shale acreage mostly allocated, part of Kaczynski concern lies in the view of many that Polish authorities granted shale concessions, mostly to foreign companies, too cheaply
A poll conducted by OBOP indicated eighty two percent of Poles think that Poland should develop its own technologies to extract shale gas deposits, and keep the profits.
Kaczyński ’s party is proposing the introduction a minimum 40 percent tax on shale gas sales to be allocated a special, segregated fund. Currently, the companies pay a levy 2.07 zł per extracted a thousand cubic meters.
Kaczyński said the "future generations fund", could be modeled on arrangements similar to the Government Pension Fund in Norway (more commonly referred to as 'The Oil Fund').
Revenues generated from shale gas activities would not available to the government in the course of normal budgetary expenditures, but would be allocated only by agreement of two-thirds of legislators.
Law and Justice plans to introduce legislation reflecting its position into with the Sejm lower house. after the autumn parliamentary election.
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