Aid package should be in December: Summit with municipalities

Created: 2022-11-08Updated: 2022-11-08 4:47 p.m

Daniel Keller, parliamentary director of the SPD parliamentary group in Brandenburg.

© Soeren Stache/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa/Archive image

The planned two billion rescue package in Brandenburg is intended to fill gaps in federal aid.

Some plans are already emerging.

The municipalities are discussing the situation with the state government.

Potsdam - According to the SPD in the state parliament, the citizens of Brandenburg should know at the beginning of December how the planned rescue package of two billion euros will relieve them as a supplement to the federal government.

The coalition and the state government want to ensure that municipal services and local transport tickets do not become more expensive, announced SPD parliamentary group leader Daniel Keller on Tuesday in Potsdam.

In addition, daycare parents and companies should be relieved.

The goal is to make the "Brandenburg Package" concrete by the beginning of December.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) wanted to discuss the effects of high energy prices with mayors and district administrators.

The red-black-green coalition is planning an aid package of two billion euros by the end of 2024 to fill gaps in federal aid such as gas and electricity price brakes.

The President of the Brandenburg Association of Towns and Municipalities, Wittenberg Mayor Oliver Hermann (independent), expects the biggest problems in the coming year in view of the energy crisis and high inflation.

In his opinion, the aim is to prevent an investment freeze in municipalities and to maintain the public offer with swimming pools, libraries and museums.

This supports the SPD parliamentary group.

"The aim must be that the fees in the swimming pool, for example, do not increase as a result of the federal aid and our Brandenburg package," said Keller.

“We want to take countermeasures here.” Funds should be made available for cultural and social institutions in municipalities.

In addition, the red-black-green coalition wants to ensure that there are no higher ticket prices for local public transport due to increased energy or petrol prices.

Aid for families and companies is planned.

The income limit for daycare parents for exemption from contributions should increase.

The proposal so far is an increase from 20,000 euros to 35,000 euros per household.

A hardship fund for companies is also being considered, said Keller.

For this purpose, it should be examined to what extent the relief of the federal government in gas and electricity prices also arrives at the companies.

One component should also be to maintain the so-called critical infrastructure such as the drinking water supply.

The Greens parliamentary group leader Benjamin Raschke said that unlike the Corona rescue package, the municipalities should not receive a lump sum for lost tax revenue, but concrete help.

"One part that we are particularly committed to are things that don't just help this winter," said Raschke.

It is about the municipalities getting away from climate-damaging fossil energy and thus not committing themselves to high prices in the long term.

dpa