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northOh, nothing is decided. But shortly before the new federal and state videoconference on Wednesday, there are two signs: that the closure of restaurants, cultural and leisure facilities will be extended, at least in those states and districts with a high number of corona cases. And that, the same as in November, the companies concerned should not only receive subsidies for their fixed costs, but also a lot of lost sales.
“Everything indicates that the current restrictions should continue for a time beyond November 30,” said Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) of “Bild am Sonntag.” For him it was “clear” that financial support would have to continue. Replace 75 percent of the turnover of the previous year in the sectors concerned in December “would be a financial challenge and complicated under European law,” he admitted Scholz. But ultimately, it’s about securing livelihoods.
Economist field: “That is too generous”
CSU chief Markus Söder expressed himself similarly: Aid must flow for the duration of the confinement. “So there must be 75 percent of sales in the same month last year in December,” said the Bavarian prime minister. According to his will, this should also apply to market traders and traders who otherwise have stalls at Christmas markets in December.
Criticisms of this approach come from Lars Feld, president of the Council of Experts on Macroeconomic Development. In his opinion, compensation for fixed costs would be the best option. “The refund of sales with the previous year’s sales indicator, however, is too generous,” Feld told the FAZ. “In some cases, those affected are paid significantly more than what they lost from official closings.” back. “Current aid is intended to prevent lawsuits.” However, in terms of content, Feld considers this type of aid policy to be incorrect. Anyone who is unable to earn income now would be absorbed by the social system, “like unemployment insurance or easier access for independent basic security”.
Where is the exit strategy?
The economic wing of the Union also has concerns. “We shouldn’t make any suggestions now that we can’t hold out for long,” said Carsten Linnemann, president of the SME Union, the FAZ. Taking sales as a benchmark leads to many difficulties and injustices of delineation. Large parts of retail currently only have a 50 percent customer frequency, but are not compensated for sales. “We should make bridging aid, which is based on fixed costs, more generous not only from January, but from December, while ensuring the cost of living,” Linnemann said. He considers Scholz’s proposal a “transparent campaign maneuver.”
The economic politician of the FDP Michael Theurer also criticizes: “It takes revenge that the federal government has not systematically regulated the question of the adequate compensation for the prohibitions of operation and activity”. An “exit strategy” and an exemption from taxes and activities are needed Bureaucracy “instead of discretionary state intervention for some”.
As reported in Berlin on Sunday, Scholz plans at least € 160 billion in new debt for next year, € 60 billion more than previously known. Consequently, plans additional expenses finance minister totaling around 70 billion euros compared to the draft budget in late September. At that time, Scholz had assumed a net debt of 96 billion euros. Additional spending would also result from measures to deal with the corona pandemic. The new debt of 218 billion euros approved for this year is expected to be far from being exhausted, said a representative of the coalition.
For the replacement of turnover in November for the companies affected by the partial blockade, the federal government had originally calculated up to 10 billion euros. Meanwhile, the anticipated costs total 14,000 million euros. December aid is likely to be of a similar magnitude. Only the association of hotels and restaurants Dehoga places the usual turnover in December at 8,000 million euros. “In vacation regions, two-thirds of this is generated in the last third of the month,” CEO Ingrid Hartges said, “in cities it’s more likely the other way around.”
