The gas levy is increasingly becoming the problem child of the federal government. Criticism is growing that the gas customers’ money is not only used to help companies in need – but everyone. Now the Economics Minister wants to improve things.
Robert Habeck is in need of an explanation. Since the federal government decided on the gas levy, criticism of the distribution of the financial compensation has increased. Because in the meantime it is becoming apparent that the billions will not only benefit companies that are on the verge of collapse – as intended – but that companies that are economically stable could also benefit.
A few companies “pushed in”, “which have now really earned a lot of money and do not need the levy of the population”, . For reasons of equality before the law, these companies have a legal claim, Habeck continued. “But it is certainly not morally right for companies that – let me put it in Low German – to earn a pig’s money, then also say: Yes, and for the few loss of income that we have, we ask the population for it Help, they should also give us money.”
Finally, he announced that he would look for a “legally safe way” to exclude healthy companies from the levy.
Most of the gas levy goes to Uniper and Gazprom Germania
The state gas surcharge has tangible reasons. The throttling of Russian gas supplies has caused the procurement costs of major importers such as Uniper to skyrocket. The levy is intended to offset these costs in order to protect companies from bankruptcy and the German energy system from collapsing. From October, gas customers – both private households and companies – will have to pay an additional 2.4 cents per kilowatt hour. About half of all apartments in Germany are heated with gas.
Importers of Russian natural gas who are directly affected by the loss of gas import contracts and the corresponding quantities are eligible to apply for cost compensation. In addition, the contracts would have to provide for direct, physical delivery to the German gas market area. According to Trading Hub Europe, a joint venture of the gas transmission system operators, twelve companies have now filed claims for compensation.
The President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, is certain that the surcharge is more targeted than its reputation. “I can understand the anger, but only a small part of the levy goes to companies that don’t really need it to avert bankruptcy,” he told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”. This is also confirmed by information from the German Press Agency: According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, more than 90 percent of the 34 billion euros that will be incurred for the gas levy should go to Uniper and the former Gazprom Germania. Uniper is the largest importer of Russian gas, and the federal government had already decided on a rescue package worth billions because of its financially tense situation.
In addition, companies such as RWE and Shell have already declared that they want to bear their losses themselves. Economics Minister Habeck also advised other companies to do without on Thursday. “It would also be sensible for companies that make good profits to do so,”
Critical voices within the traffic light coalition
Nevertheless, for many within the traffic light coalition, it is about the principle. “Of course, it also disturbs my sense of justice when companies that make big profits elsewhere now want to shift their costs to consumers at an early stage,” said Green Party co-chairman Ricarda Lang – and reiterated her call for an excess profit tax energy companies.
The FDP, in turn, asked Habeck to make improvements. “As Free Democrats, we are committed to ensuring that only companies that are in a market-threatening imbalance are supported with the gas levy,” emphasized the energy policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Michael Kruse. “But if there is a need to change something to make this tool more targeted so that consumers benefit, then we do not shy away from corrections”, .
The SPD also sees open questions. “When it comes to the payment, it has to be clarified: Is it necessary? Does the company need this support to continue to ensure the supply? That is the goal of the gas levy – and not to secure returns,” said SPD Chairwoman Saskia Esken Friday in the ARD morning magazine clear.
Meanwhile, the CDU wants to completely overturn the gas levy in the Bundestag. “This gas surcharge should be abolished,” criticized CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja. The Union faction will apply in the next week of the Bundestag to withdraw it. The Bundestag can decide this according to the Energy Security Act.
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Source: Stern
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