Magdeburg (dpa/sa) - The Magdeburg Chamber of Crafts has criticized the proposals for implementing the gas price brake. The recommended steps went in the right direction, said President Hagen Mauer on Monday. The big shortcoming, however, is "that the relief comes much too late". The one-off payment in December is just a drop in the ocean for many energy-intensive craft businesses and will by no means be enough to secure their existence.
Gas and district heating customers should be relieved according to the ideas of a commission of experts in December with a one-off payment. This should serve as a bridge until the start of the regular gas price brake in March, suggested the committee set up by the federal government on Monday. From January, large industrial companies are to have their own gas price brake.
The SME and Economic Union in Saxony-Anhalt described the proposals as "completely unrealistic". Half a year was lost due to the inability of the federal government to act. "Many companies will no longer experience a gas price brake in the spring because they are being wound up or are insolvent," said state chairman Detlef Gürth.
Critical voices were also raised in politics on Monday. "Some of the recommendations completely ignore reality," said the economic policy spokesman for the CDU parliamentary group, Ulrich Thomas. There is nothing for business and industry in the first stage. It is completely unclear to what extent the second stage will apply to companies.
The Left faction explained that people would be left alone. "Monthly relief payments from November 2022 for people with low and middle incomes would be the fastest help," said parliamentary group leader Eva von Angern.
