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Suggestion from consumer advice centers: fruit and vegetables with a lower tax surcharge
Photo: Jens Büttner / dpa
The life of Germans is rapidly becoming more expensive. The reason for this is the price increases, especially for many everyday goods and for energy. That is why the consumer centers are campaigning for targeted tax cuts: "We are calling for a tax cut on fruit, vegetables and legumes," said the board of directors of the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv), Klaus Müller, to the newspapers of the Funke media group. This is »a good and healthy compensation« for inflation, which also »facilitates the switch to climate-friendly products«.
In addition to expensive food, Müller also considers rising energy prices to be an urgent problem: "A relevant part of the population is so hard hit by it that help is needed - immediate energy aid," said the vzbv boss.
“We expect the new government to increase the heating subsidy for those entitled to housing benefits in the first 100 days.” However, Müller spoke out against a flat-rate energy subsidy for all citizens: “A general subsidy for energy cannot be financed and creates false incentives . "
The inflation rate in Germany in November was 5.2 percent above the same month last year.
The main price drivers are heating oil and fuels, but also food.
In connection with inflation, Müller warned against investing in cryptocurrencies to protect assets.
"The claim that cryptocurrencies are a means against inflation is complete bullshit - and economically wrong," said the consumer advocate for the Funke newspapers.
99 percent of investors do not understand how cryptocurrencies are mined.
“It's a finite system.
The higher the demand, the higher the price. ”Inflation is“ part of this system ”.
Whoever buys cryptocurrencies "can also play the lottery or roulette right away," warned the vzbv boss.
mamk / dpa