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FDP brings BZB privatization into play again

2021-03-05T18:07:29.145Z


The FDP is currently working on one of its favorite topics: the Bavarian Zugspitzbahn. The liberals are warning of the consequences of the ski lockdown and are again bringing a partial privatization of the stock corporation into play, which is in the hands of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen municipal works. There they think these mind games are wrong - and pure alarmism.


The FDP is currently working on one of its favorite topics: the Bavarian Zugspitzbahn.

The liberals are warning of the consequences of the ski lockdown and are again bringing a partial privatization of the stock corporation into play, which is in the hands of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen municipal works.

There they think these mind games are wrong - and pure alarmism.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

- Persistence is a quality that Garmisch-Partenkirchen's FDP frontman Martin Sielmann has in abundance.

A sample is currently available in the political committees of the district town: The subject of the Bavarian Zugspitzbahn (BZB) is a concern of local politicians.

He brought it up in the main and finance committee as well as in the local council, sent a request for a special meeting to the town hall and, together with party friends, held a press conference.

The next round should be on Tuesday, March 9, when the 2021 budget is due to be adopted.

What is it about?

Sielmann and his colleagues are concerned that the BZB's compulsory Corona break could one day cost taxpayers dearly.

The reasoning behind this: If no income is generated in the long term and state financial aid is not provided in whole or in part, this can seriously ruin the balance sheet.

The Free Democrats therefore warn of a worst-case scenario: In their opinion, the Garmisch-Partenkirchen market would have to bear the minus at the end of the evening - should the BZB and the municipal works, to which the mountain railway company belongs, not (anymore) in the To be able to do.

“How long will the reserves last?

Nobody knows ", criticizes Sielmann - and demands:" That has to be disclosed. "

Spread risk across multiple shoulders

Behind the move is an old demand, namely the partial privatization of the BZB - a classic on the FDP agenda that has so far not met with much approval.

Again and again in the past, the Liberals campaigned for a large part of the BZB shares - we are talking of up to 74.9 percent, in order to guarantee a blocking minority of the municipal utilities with the rest.

He can understand it, says the Grainau FDP leader Udo Weisenburger, that the basic supply, such as electricity, gas and water, remains with one municipality.

But a “leisure company”, as the former SCR shareholder describes BZB, is not one of them in his opinion.

“That doesn't make sense in municipal hands,” he says.

In the opinion of the FDP, privatization offers many advantages and has proven itself in other countries such as France or Italy: The risk of incurring losses is shared among several shoulders.

And it is said that fresh money is flowing into the coffers for investments.

Arguments that Wodan Lichtmeß, director of the municipal works, do not convince.

The opposite is the case: cable car companies with private shareholders are doing much worse, especially in times of crisis like this, he reports.

Because: “They have more pressure.” In this context, the head of the independent, municipal company of the market community refers to the privatized Karwendelbahn as a negative example, because it has become a permanent problem and annoyance for Mittenwald.

50 million euros in reserves

Lichtmeß defends the BZB model.

The manager emphasizes that it is a successful company that is investing heavily and operating profitably.

In the past three years, a profit has even been distributed to the municipal utilities.

Lichtmeß considers the Sielmann position to be an exaggerated problematic backdrop.

BZB and municipal works are closely interwoven, he explains, and have a thick cushion of 50 million euros.

“These reserves are certainly sufficient to compensate for a possible deficit,” he says.

The fear that the market community would have to step in is therefore unfounded.

Despite the first lockdown, the BZB was in the black last year thanks to the summer boom.

And how will 2021 be?

Lichtmeß is hoping for a start at Easter - and remains optimistic: "If we are overrun like last year, we will not have a deficit."

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-03-05

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