Following the failure of the relief bonus planned by the federal government in the Bundesrat, the Greens are pushing for a reduction in electricity tax for everyone as an alternative. “A reduction in the electricity tax would provide relief to both private consumers and businesses,” said party leader Felix Banaszak on Monday in Berlin. There is “no reason why this cannot be implemented now.”
As further options for relief in light of high energy prices, Banaszak cited a taxable one-off payment of 100 euros for all citizens or a price reduction for the Deutschlandticket. Banaszak advised against any attempts to push through—after all—the tax- and levy-free relief bonus of 1,000 euros originally envisaged by the government, which employers were expected to pay to their employees.
“The relief bonus has failed,” he said. The Green Party leader emphasized that it had, in fact, never been his proposal. However, its failure was also due to the ineptitude of those responsible within the Union and the SPD. They had evidently not even consulted beforehand with those who were expected to implement and fund the bonus—specifically, the federal states and employers.
With regard to the current energy crisis, Banaszak further accused the government of providing “the wrong answers at the wrong time.” Instead of prioritizing greater and faster electrification—as the EU Commission and other European nations have done—Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche (CDU) is working “in favor of new gas and oil heating systems, as well as internal combustion cars.”
Katharina Dröge, parliamentary group leader for the Greens, also demanded that the reduction in electricity tax “finally be implemented” now. “This would help families as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, while simultaneously serving as a smart incentive to switch to climate-friendly technologies,” she told newspapers belonging to the Funke Media Group (Tuesday editions).
Instead of the proposed relief bonus, Dröge called for a “sensible crisis policy that provides targeted and equitable relief to individuals and businesses.” As part of the planned tax reform, the basic tax-free allowance should be increased by 500 euros, and the employee lump-sum allowance raised to 1,500 euros. At the same time, “very high incomes must contribute more significantly to funding the public good.”
AFP translated by Blackout News