Exploding energy, transport and heating costs hit the economy in Berlin and Brandenburg. Production stops and short-time work threaten. But politics doesn’t help.
By Stefan Peter and Michael Sauerbier
“We can’t handle that,” said Brandenburg’s Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach (65, SPD), “with the Corona aid we had criteria as to who was affected by the lockdown. We distributed 1.5 billion euros there. But the Ukraine crisis is affecting the entire economy. The threat is x times greater than Corona.”
Businesses such as glassworks and paper mills, which require a lot of energy, suffer particularly badly.
Steinbach: “There will be raw material bottlenecks, production stops and short-time work.” What annoys the minister: “The fuel prices are completely driven by speculation. We don’t have shortages!”
In the event of a Russian delivery stop, Germany’s oil reserve will last 90 days, and hard coal until mid-May. Steinbach: “We don’t have to worry about electricity. The gas supply is the biggest problem.”
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He rejects an embargo because of the dramatic consequences for the economy and private households. A call for help comes from the Association of Business Associations Berlin-Brandenburg (UVB). According to an internal survey, 65 percent of companies in the metal and electrical industry fear rising costs, and almost 50 percent expect a drop in profits
UVB boss Christian Amsinck (63) on the BZ: “The longer the crisis lasts, the more likely price increases are across the board!” reduce. By eliminating the CO2 tax and reducing the energy tax, diesel could be 33 cents cheaper per liter.