Polish businesses face rising liquidity risks and record payment arrears

Polish businesses are facing significant challenges regarding financial liquidity and payment arrears. Data from BIG InfoMonitor indicates that total corporate arrears reached a record 47 billion PLN by the end of June. A study by Kaczmarski Inkasso reveals that 83% of SMEs experienced payment delays within the last 18 months, with 85% of those cases involving recurring issues with the same debtors.

Many companies manage these crises by prioritizing payments based on the size and strategic importance of the partner rather than the due date. This creates a domino effect where smaller or newer contractors are forced to wait longer, further destabilizing the economy. Common excuses for non-payment include waiting for incoming transfers from other clients.

In the industrial and agricultural sectors, liquidity management is critical. For manufacturers, unplanned downtime can lead to losses ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands of PLN due to lost production and logistics issues. In agriculture, farmers are increasingly cautious about investments, often opting for renting or services rather than purchasing expensive machinery to ensure economic viability. Experts suggest that maintaining liquidity requires rigorous monitoring of cash flow, inventory rotation, and the aging structure of receivables.