Companies that actually earn good money from energy prices will also benefit from the planned gas levy. Although they could benefit from the compensation pot, Economics Minister Robert Habeck wants to “look for a way to fend off these claims”.
Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) has announced a review of the controversial gas levy. The group of authorized companies should be reduced as much as possible, said Habeck, according to a report by “Welt” at the Westphalian Entrepreneurs’ Day in Münster.
“Finding a way to ward off claims”
In principle, the claim also exists for companies that are not in existential need, said Habeck. “Nevertheless, of course, we have a political problem, which has spoiled my day quite a bit for the last 48 hours,” admitted the minister. He will therefore “take a close look again now to see whether there is a way to ward off this legitimate claim”.
Gas customers are to pay the gas surcharge of a good 2.4 cents per kilowatt hour from October. The money is intended to relieve companies that have to buy expensive gas elsewhere to fulfill their contracts because of the reduced deliveries from Russia. The resulting additional costs are to be reimbursed to 90 percent of the companies from October. This is intended to prevent company bankruptcies and ultimately delivery failures.
Claims filed for 34 billion euros
Twelve companies have registered a claim to money from the levy. The claims total around 34 billion euros – a large part of which is attributable to the ailing gas importers Uniper and Sefe (formerly Gazprom Germania). However, there are also companies on the list that are not currently in economic difficulties. This had also caused considerable resentment within the traffic light coalition.
In principle, the gas levy was the right decision, Habeck said, according to “Welt” in Münster. However, some companies “pushed in”, “who have now really earned a lot of money and do not need the levy of the population.” It is “certainly not morally right that companies that – let me put it in Low German – have earned a pig’s money, then also say: Yes, and for the few loss of income that we have, we ask the population for help , they should also give us money,” said Habeck.
According to the minister, a revision of the surcharge is not without risk: “If we start to cheat and it is prone to lawsuits and there will definitely be lawsuits in one direction or another and the surcharge disappears, then we will fall back on the problem again that we have: that some of the companies and the citizens are experiencing a collapse in the gas supply,” said Habeck.
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
