Enlarge image
Robert Habeck (in January 2022)
Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa
At first he had hoped that flourishing companies would voluntarily renounce.
But now, according to a media report, Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) has announced that the gas levy will be reviewed.
The group of authorized companies should be reduced as much as possible, he said according to information from "Welt" at the Westphalian Entrepreneurs' Day in Münster.
In principle, the claim also exists for companies that are not in existential need.
"Nevertheless, of course, we have a political problem," Habeck was quoted as saying.
There might be a legitimate claim.
One would now examine again exactly whether there is not a way to fend off this legitimate claim.
In view of the criticism of the gas levy, Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner has also shown himself open to possible improvements.
"A measure of solidarity cannot serve to ensure that individual companies maintain their returns and make profits on them," said the FDP leader on Thursday evening on the ZDF program "Maybrit Illner".
You have to take a close look at that - he doesn't know the facts, the Federal Minister of Economics knows that much better.
»But if there is a need to change something to make this tool more targeted so that consumers benefit, then we are not afraid to make corrections.«
Habeck speaks of “free riders”
The surcharge is intended to compensate for the sharply increased procurement costs of large importers such as Uniper due to the throttling of Russian gas supplies in order to protect them from bankruptcy and the German energy system from collapsing.
All gas customers are to pay an additional 2.4 cents per kilowatt hour from October, private households as well as companies.
About half of all apartments in Germany are heated with gas.
However, there is criticism of the levy – because companies that are doing well economically could also benefit.
Demands for improvements have also recently become louder in the traffic light coalition.
On Thursday, Habeck advised companies “that make good profits” to refrain from reimbursement from the levy.
»But of course we also see how many free riders there are now.
Of course it wasn't meant that way,' he said.
jok/Reuters
