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Poland Structural Change
Until 1989 social policy making was centralized in the
Planning Commission of the Council of Ministers. The
postcommunist reforms placed social policy responsibility
in the
Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and the Ministry of
Health
and Welfare, with the aim of liberating social policy from
its
communist-era linkage with economic policy considerations.
The
social welfare policy of the postcommunist governments was
planned in two phases. The first stage included short-term
measures to offset the income losses of certain groups
resulting
from government antiinflation policy. These measures
varied from
the setting up of soup kitchens and partial payment of
heating
bills to reorganization of the social assistance system.
The
second, long-term policy aims at rebuilding the
institutions of
the system to conform with the future market economy
envisioned
by planners. Communal and regional agencies are to assume
previously centralized functions, and authority is to be
shared
with private social agencies and charities.
Data as of October 1992
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