The Position and the Role of Consumption Policy in Shaping Consumption in Poland

The Polish economic literature adopts that a consumption policy should consist of an aggregate of principles, methods and means used by the State in order to increase the level and modernize the structure of consumption both in relation to the whole society and to its basic socio-professional groups and individuals. Therefore the main subject and task of the consumption policy is to delimit directions of the consumption development, define its current and target levels, material structures, indicate at priorities in consumption and propose methods and tools of implementation. As far as Poland is concerned, for the whole postwar period only a normative and active policy of consumption was encountered. It can be generally stated though, that in particular years of functioning of our economy and under certain conditions it has never become a compact system of goals and instruments of their implementation,, for the whole of the examined period. It was characterized by fragmentarity, ad hoc actions and the lack of coherence. Thus under the conditions of presently implemented economic reform, a clear definition of goals and tasks of the consumption policy becomes an utmost -necessity. The consumption policy, being an element of the superior goals of the economy is able to and should become an active element of the new economic system which is to be introduced in course of the implementation of the economic reform. The system has to contribute to more effective and rational relating production to the consumption. Yet, returning a general monetary-market equilibrium and partial equilibria, then preventing their drastic upsetting are the prerequisits to pursue the active consumption policy by the State. The previous practice indicates that only under conditions of market equilibrium the process of rationalizing consumption structure and optimizing a consumption effect can effectively take place. It is of a primary importance for the implementation of the active consumption policy.Digitalizacja i deponowanie archiwalnych zeszytów RPEiS sfinansowane przez MNiSW w ramach realizacji umowy nr 541/P-DUN/201