Ministries of Poland

An honour guard representing the Polish Armed Forces in front of the Ministry of National Defence.

The ministries of Poland are the various departments performing functions for the Polish government. Each ministry is headed by a government minister selected by the Prime Minister, who sits in the collective executive Council of Ministers. The powers and rules of the ministries were established under reforms carried out by prime ministers Józef Oleksy and Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz between 1996 and 1997. The cabinet can create, combine, or dissolve ministries, with the Prime Minister determining the scope and responsibilities of ministers. The number and titles of ministries varies.

At the end of 1991, after the first free legislative election was held, these were the ministries and offices with the rights of ministries in Poland:

• Ministry of National Education
• Ministry of Finance
• Ministry of Spatial Planning and Construction
• Ministry of Culture and Art
• Ministry of Communication
• Ministry of National Defense
• Ministry of Environment Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry
• Ministry of Labor and Social Policy
• Ministry of Ownership Transformation
• Ministry of Industry and Trade
• Ministry of Agriculture and Food Economy
• Ministry of the Interior
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Ministry of Justice
• Ministry of Transport and Marine Economy
• Ministry of Economic Cooperation Abroad
• Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
• Central Planning Office
• Office of the Committee of Scientific Research
• Office of the Council of Ministers

There are also independent government institutions outside of the cabinet's responsibilities.

• Central Statistical Office
• National Bank of Poland
• National Broadcasting Council
• Office of Public Procurement
• Ombudsman for Citizen Rights
• Supreme Audit Office
• Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency