Mac Raczkiewicz, chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, talks to Ewa Hancock.

You have been chair of AmCham for many years. How has it changed over the years?
Since 1991 we've grown into a leading business organization in Poland; we've strengthened our membership base and we've developed our lobbying capacity. What initially started as an organization of American expat adventurers has turned into a leading chamber of commerce and a strong voice in the Polish business community. Our strength comes from the engagement of our members who are active in AmCham committees that deal with the environment, EU affairs, health, human capital management, infrastructure, intellectual property rights, a political discussion forum, pharmaceuticals and taxation. We have also developed close cooperation with other leading business organizations in Poland and have co-founded the Enterprise Council (Rada Przedsiębiorczości). This has turned into the most successful and collective voice of the business community in Poland.

How does AmCham help American investors?
AmCham is a resource for investors. We eagerly share our knowledge and contacts with existing or potential investors. Our many events provide members with a forum for networking, education on a variety of topics and the opportunity to make a name for themselves and their companies. It is important for us to represent the interests of American investors whenever they face a barrier to business development in Poland.

Does the chamber conduct any lobbying activities in the Polish government on behalf of American companies?
Lobbying is perhaps the most important thing we do, however, we do not lobby on behalf of individual companies, but rather on collective interests. In fact, these usually coincide with the interests of the entire business community in Poland, foreign or domestic. Taking the best of the American experience in advocacy and promoting free enterprise is a real advantage that we have. We work closely with the American Embassy to this end as well.

What are the biggest barriers that American companies face when doing business in Poland?
Rules and regulations are gladly followed when they are clear; and eagerly followed when they are easy. The situation in Poland is that businesses often are not clear about the rules and what is required to get things done. If it is clear, however, then often it is cumbersome and costly to follow. The necessity of bureaucracy is often questioned and we have long been advocating for its decrease. One of the milestones of the proposed Act for Economic Freedom is a provision to allow for binding ministerial interpretations. It is crucial for businesses to be able to get an official and binding interpretation from the Ministry of Finance to be secure on their tax treatment in individual situations. This has been a tremendous problem for businesses and is still a hotly debated issue, however, we believe that the work put into this Act is a giant step in the right direction.