In view of rising energy prices, the call for lighting for companies is getting louder. Minister of Labor and Economy Martin Kocher (ÖVP) spoke in the ORF press hour on Sunday about the energy cost subsidy that has already been decided on – a measure that many do not go far enough. Criticism is expressed, for example, by the FPÖ and the Chamber of Labour.
In June, the Ministry of Economy announced a EUR 1 billion business aid package, and the Energy Cost Subsidy Act was finally passed in July. According to Economy and Labor Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP), the directive is nearing completion, but has yet to be approved by the EU. Companies should be able to apply for the subsidy “probably from mid-October”, he said in the ORF “press hour” on Sunday.
Subsidy for all forms of energy
Companies whose energy costs exceed three percent of their turnover are eligible. They must receive support for all forms of energy, be it electricity, gas or fuel. “This should cover about a third of the price increase compared to last year,” said the minister. In this regard, he mentioned that companies can also receive EU subsidies and pass on their higher costs to customers. The cost of the energy cost subsidy would be “more than a billion euros” for the Austrian state.
Kocher does not want a gas cap for companies, as it was recently decided for electricity for Austrian households. “With gas, there are companies that use no gas at all and there are companies that use a lot of gas. Putting a limit on this would not do justice to the heterogeneity of the sector at all,” he said.
Federation of Industry: Reform Needed
Despite this, for many, the energy cost subsidy already does not go far enough, at least not in its current form. The Federation of Austrian Industries (IV) demands that the government spend at least 2.5 billion euros and extend the subsidies until next year. In addition, a reform of the electricity market is needed, whereby the most expensive power plant no longer determines the gas price.
The FPÖ also advocates, among other things, a reform of the electricity market. According to this party, tax cuts, price caps and an end to sanctions against Russia are needed, among other things. “Anyone who, like Kocher, obscures the government’s ‘voucher policy’ and denies the fatal effects of the sanctions on social security and prosperity in our country, has no awareness of the concerns and needs of the population (…)” FPÖ social spokeswoman Dagmar Belakovich said in a broadcast.
Chamber of Labor: “do not narrow the scope”
Black-Green would “just fight symptoms”, that’s not a solution. The Chamber of Labor (AK) takes a similar stance, saying that Kocher should not belittle the government’s room for maneuver. “Of course the government can act. With a ready-made model for simultaneously taxing excess profits at energy companies, AK and ÖGB (Austrian Trade Union Federation, note) have also presented a plan on how to finance these and other measures,” said AK President Renate Anderl in a broadcast.
SPÖ: “Complete self-surrender”
The SPÖ advocates a gas ceiling. In concrete terms, the upper limit for gas should be 50 euros. Business spokesman Christoph Matznetter also criticized Kocher’s statements, speaking of “refusal to work” and that he “lost himself in complete surrender”.
Source: Krone
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