Dresden (dpa / sn) - The Saxon Regional Development Minister Thomas Schmidt (CDU) sees the Free State on schedule when it comes to phasing out coal. "By the end of October of this year, 43 projects with a volume of 185 million euros had already been approved by the Saxon Development Bank. This puts us well ahead of the other three lignite countries, in some cases even significantly," he said in the state parliament on Wednesday.
Schmidt also went into the risks for development, including the lack of skilled workers in business and in the authorities. There are often unpredictable framework conditions, such as the end of funding programs. Promises regarding structural change are also not being kept. Last but not least, the high energy prices are a risk. "Some of our areas of responsibility are very acutely affected by the energy crisis." As an example, he cites increased construction costs with an impact on housing construction.
Overall, Schmidt drew a positive balance of the work in his house. As the second largest funding ministry in Saxony, 871 million euros in funding had to be approved this year alone. This is a feat of strength, but you can do it "without a bazooka and double boom," he said, referring to formulations by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD).
It is difficult that the ministry is still spread over three locations. "It's also difficult that the average age in the company is high and the workforce is low, which means that many employees have to work hard to fulfill their tasks." A third of employees will retire in the next ten years. They therefore want to recruit young, motivated and well-trained workers for the ministry and are planning new positions for the coming double budget.
