ÖGB President Wolfgang Katzian sees an urgent need for federal government action in the inflation crisis. Just observing and analyzing is simply toothless. At the latest, if there were no more gas from Russia, the consequences would be fatal, he also fears that the people can no longer support the sanctions.
High electricity and gas prices, food that is getting more and more expensive – hardly an area where Austrians currently have to dig deeper. Although the federal government has had an expert group to monitor and analyze inflation (EBAI) since March, this is not enough for the Austrian trade union federation.
He can only formulate proposals, but the government is in no way obliged to act on them. Instead, the current situation requires a price commission that not only carries out price controls, but also intervenes in unwarranted price increases.
“Everybody knows what’s coming”
The price increases for groceries and daily goods are also enormous. If such a price commission is not used, at least the VAT should be waived or at least halved, Katzian said in the Ö1 “Tomorrow Journal” on Monday.
The existing workgroup is a “toothless tiger, best suited as a nightgown,” he muttered. There has been speculation for weeks that the gas tap will no longer open – one should now “don’t sit around waiting like a rabbit for a line” and only then act on it: “Everyone knows that and you can do that in the house”, warns him for a better solution. emergency preparedness.
Price ceiling electricity “without alternative”
Katzian also believes there is “no alternative” to capping electricity prices. The crisis is not only affecting the poorest of the poor, but has also reached the heart of society. Such a ceiling could be financed through the crisis-induced excess profits of the energy companies: “There is also a recommendation from the European Union to do that”.
While the European Energy Agency protects, the crisis washes some 200 billion euros into the coffers of energy suppliers, Katzian sees a sensible redistribution here.
Is understanding of sanctions correct?
Katzian is sure that people still have a lot of understanding for the sanctions – after all, Russia “cannot let this war of aggression get away with it.” What was missed, however, was honest communication, which of course also had to have consequences for itself.
One has to get rid of the feeling that “the shot is going backwards”: “If people have the feeling, then it becomes difficult to maintain solidarity among the population. The longer it takes, the harder it becomes.” Therefore, it is now urgent to “intercept” the negative consequences.
Badelt: Support those who are badly affected
Fiscal Council President Christoph Badelt was a bit more skeptical about the price ceiling. Fighting inflation with price caps is simply not effective – this is not only too expensive, but also ineffective. On the contrary, all those people who are so affected by inflation “that they can no longer afford daily life” should be supported.
Badelt, however, does not want to rule out such a price commission completely: if Russia completely turns off the gas tap and products become scarce, this would immediately result in a “war economy”. From the liter of premium petrol to the liter of milk, the prices of the most relevant products would then have to be regulated. In any case, the government needs a plan in the drawer for this.
Source: Krone
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