Association with drastic warning of Lindner's tank discount - "death blow"

Created: 03/15/2022 13:33

By: Michelle Brey

How is the government reacting to the high fuel prices in Germany?

A proposal by Finance Minister Lindner has drawn enormous criticism.

Munich - Looking at the display boards of the gas stations hurts many drivers: As a result of the Ukraine war, fuel prices are higher than ever.

With the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, prices in Germany shot up.

Meanwhile, the governing coalition is struggling for relief.

Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) pushed ahead with the idea of ​​a tank discount.

But in the traffic light coalition, the advance met with resentment - including Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Now there is also criticism from other quarters.

Tank discount: Lindner pushes forward - "less than two euros per liter of diesel and petrol"

Lindner gave details of his plan

in the

For example, the state subsidy could be paid out for a limited period of three months.

That's how much Lindner's plan costs the state - and that's how much consumers would save.

However, the concrete form is still open in the government: “But you can calculate 550 million euros per ten cents and month.

For example, 40 cents for three months would be 6.6 billion euros," said the FDP leader.

Lindner rejected criticism from the Greens and from the mineral oil industry that the model would involve a huge amount of bureaucracy because each gas station had to submit each receipt individually.

“Not every fuel receipt should be managed individually.

That would be absurd.” For example, gas station chains should be able to apply for reimbursement from the state based on the total amount of fuel sold.

"If it's up to me, we'll end up with the tank discount at less than two euros per liter of diesel and petrol.

Of course, the whole thing only works for a limited time.”

Fuel prices: Lindner's tank discount a "death blow for petrol station companies"

Criticism comes, however, from the Federal Association of Independent Gas Stations (BfT).

CEO Duraid El Obeid said that relief for motorists with regard to the high fuel prices is to be welcomed in principle.

"However, the planned fuel discount would spell the death knell for many small and medium-sized service station companies," he warned.

The BfT chairman told the

that petrol station operators would have to make advance payments before they could be reimbursed .

With a discount of 20 cents for motorists, the advance service for petrol stations amounts to 40,000 euros per month - assuming average sales of 200,000 liters of fuel.

Short-term, expensive loans are the result - if gas station operators are granted them at all - and debt.

He could see "no legal basis" for Lindner's plans, said Thomas Eigenthaler, head of the German tax union.

report, he is critical

of a reimbursement system by the financial authorities .

He also alludes to bureaucracy.

In addition, setting up a reimbursement system would take several months and was “extremely open to abuse”.

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Lindner, on the other hand, stated in an interview with the newspaper that a fixed amount per liter was granted as a crisis discount directly at the checkout.

At the pump, the price remains as it is now.

Tank discount: Linder expects the traffic light to agree

Despite criticism from many sides, Lindern expects the traffic light coalition to approve his proposal for a tank subsidy.

In ZDF's "heute journal" on Monday evening, when asked how high he saw the chances, the politician said: "High".

In any case, there will still be a lot of need for discussion between the parties.

In addition to the Greens' proposal for energy money, the Union brought up a fuel price brake.

A "real price freeze against the price shock" is needed, said Alexander Dobrindt (CSU).

The price of petrol and diesel should be reduced by 20 percent with a fuel price brake.

To do this, the VAT for fuel must be reduced to the low rate for a limited period of time, the energy tax reduced by a third and a tax exemption for the admixture of biofuels implemented.