The 65 billion euro package is intended to relieve the burden on citizens in Germany.
(Photo: IMAGO/Michael Gstettenbauer)
Berlin The economy is taking the federal government’s relief package to court. It contains the right measures, but is “disappointing overall from the point of view of German employers,” said the President of the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA), Rainer Dulger. One of the main causes of inflation – energy policy – is not being tackled consistently.
“This traffic light government obviously doesn’t have the courage for a new energy policy,” criticized Dulger. “The expansion of the welfare state cannot be an answer to rising energy prices on the world market.”
Industry recognizes the efforts of the federal government to help citizens quickly and in a targeted manner, emphasized Siegfried Russwurm, President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI). Nevertheless, there are “significant deficiencies and gaps in the coalition’s relief package”.
So be given strongly increasing gas and electricity prices iMore and more companies are threatened existentially. The industry therefore expects the federal government to include the concerns and practical requirements of companies more closely in its ongoing crisis management and to protect the industrial location with all its might.
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The most affected companies would need very fast-acting measures and uncomplicated access to assistance. “State co-financing of the electricity transmission network fees would be a targeted starting point,” suggested the BDI President.
>> Read here: Coalition decides comprehensive relief package of 65 billion euros
The trade unions, on the other hand, praised the relief measures announced by the SPD, Greens and FDP on Sunday after the meeting of the coalition committee. “The federal government has presented a very extensive, systematic and balanced relief package that contains the main demands of the unions,” praised IG-BCE boss Michael Vassiliadis.
Verdi boss Frank Werneke said it was gratifying that Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) had suddenly discovered new leeway in the federal budget worth billions. “Nevertheless, sticking to the fetish of the debt brake is completely incomprehensible.”
Economists draw a mixed conclusion
Economists see a sensible approach in the relief package. “It’s good that the relief is largely targeted at groups that are particularly burdened, and that they also include pensioners and students,” says Veronika Grimm.
Ifo President Clemens Fuest also advocates that no direct price reductions should be implemented, but that the burden should be relieved directly. “A positive aspect of the relief package is the recognizable effort to let price signals take effect, even if this was not sustained with gas,” he said. With the latter, Fuest alludes to the already decided reduction in VAT for gas.
Nevertheless, the Ifo President does not consider the measures to be particularly accurate: “They probably didn’t want to be accused of forgetting someone.”
The economist is bothered by the fact that the package for gas consumers should not include any specific relief beyond the reduction in VAT.
(Photo: dpa)
Grimm also agrees with regard to the planned measures on the energy markets. The economist is particularly bothered by the plan to finance an electricity price brake for consumers by skimming off random profits from energy producers. “This should mean that too little attention is paid to power consumption and the problems just drag on,” explained Grimm. One-off payments to households with lower and middle incomes are much more effective.
>> Read here: The excess profit tax is symbolic politics with underestimated side effects
Grimm also criticizes the fact that the package for gas consumers should not include any specific relief beyond the reduction in VAT. “With the current procedure, it is actually foreseeable that further extensive relief for gas customers will be necessary due to the gas bills that are incurred,” says Grimm.
Philippa Sigl-Glöckner, director of the “Future Department” think tank, also speaks of a “really big hole” in the relief package on this issue. The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) had campaigned for a gas price cap before the meeting of the coalition committee. With this solution, the price would be fixed up to a certain consumption level.
More: Beware of the savior state: Nobody says who should pay – the comment on the relief package