Ovens, refrigerated shelves, industrial machines, radiant heaters – medium-sized businesses need a lot of energy. The extremely high prices are a burden. Calls for more support are getting louder.
From the point of view of the Greens, Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) should provide funds as quickly as possible to expand energy cost aid to small and medium-sized companies. “Small and medium-sized businesses and skilled trades are the core of our economy and employers for many people in this country,” said Green Party leader Katharina Dröge of the German Press Agency. Therefore, the Minister of Finance must now quickly promise sufficient funding.
The priority must now be to help companies with the expansion of economic aid through this autumn and winter, said Dröge. “The question of financing must not stand in the way.” When asked how high the financial requirement was estimated, a spokesman replied that the Greens parliamentary group in the Bundestag considered “an amount in the double-digit billions to be necessary so that the aid can develop the necessary strength”.
Clear criticism from the FDP
The FDP criticized the demand: “Robert Habeck and the Greens don’t yet know exactly what they need money for. But they don’t do it for less than two-digit billions. It’s apparently easy to do politics with someone else’s money Funds from taxpayers,” party circles said to the German Press Agency.
“Two weeks ago, the Greens and Ms. Dröge decided on a coalition paper that provides for the debt brake in 2023. That was obviously not meant to be taken seriously. The Greens are thus endangering confidence in coalition decisions.”
Bundestag Vice President and Dröge’s party colleague Katrin Göring-Eckardt emphasized the importance of medium-sized businesses: “Bakeries and other small businesses secure jobs in the regions. They need our support – in the short term to get through the winter and in the long term to switch to climate neutrality.”
That’s Habeck’s suggestion
Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) recently proposed opening up the energy cost containment program for trade and the service sector, which had previously been aimed at industry. The program supports companies that cannot pass on sharply increased energy costs to their customers due to international competition.
So far around 2500 companies have registered for it. The more a company is affected by the high energy costs, the higher the subsidy should be. The SPD agreed to Habeck’s plans, which would benefit bakeries, for example.
Source: Stern
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