The President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) has issued 12 decisions against businesses responsible for creating payment backlogs, imposing fines totalling over PLN 3.2 million. At the same time, 10 new proceedings have been launched against companies delaying payments to their contractors, while an additional 28 businesses have received formal warnings over unacceptable payment discipline.
“Payment Delays Are a Serious Threat to SME Liquidity”
“Payment backlogs are one of the biggest issues facing the Polish economy. They present a serious barrier to business operations — increasing supplier costs, limiting employment and curbing investment. Timely payments and the financial liquidity they enable are fundamental for the survival of smaller firms. That is why the fight against payment delays is so important,” said UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny.
10 Major Companies Under Investigation
In September 2025, UOKiK initiated further ex officio proceedings against businesses suspected of repeated late payments exceeding the statutory threshold of PLN 2 million over a three-month period. The investigations target companies from the logistics, automotive, industrial and technology sectors, including: Cedo, Erontrans, Kalmar Poland, Nokia Solutions and Networks, Wielton, Pesa Bydgoszcz, Ozas-Esab, Remak-Energomontaż, Vesuvius Poland and Samasz.
UOKiK initiates such cases exclusively on its own initiative — based on financial reporting data and market signals, including information from companies that suspect they may be victims of payment gridlock.
12 Decisions, PLN 3.2 Million in Penalties
The most significant development is the announcement of 12 final decisions. UOKiK fined companies that systematically delayed payments owed to their suppliers. The sanctioned entities include:
Padma, Bridgestone Poznań, PB Granit, Track Tec Koltram, Mahle Behr Ostrów Wlkp., Insell, Eurogate Logistics, Suder & Suder, Kampol Fruit, DOZ SA Direct, GKN Driveline Polska, ArcelorMittal Warszawa.
The total amount of fines exceeded PLN 3.2 million. Since the beginning of 2025, UOKiK has issued 29 decisions — 25 of which resulted in financial penalties, totalling over PLN 6.5 million.
Importantly, the majority of companies did not challenge the authority’s findings and chose to pay their fines voluntarily — which granted them an automatic 20% reduction. Only three businesses filed motions for reconsideration.
How Are Penalties Calculated?
The amount of the fine does not depend solely on the value and duration of delayed payments. UOKiK also considers:
- the scale of the infringement and its impact on contractors,
- actions taken by the company to reduce or eliminate delays,
- whether the violations ceased before the decision was issued,
- the degree of cooperation with the Authority.
