Economic development - BSW proposes "Förderscout" for Saxon companies
The Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) aims to make funding programs for Saxon companies more transparent and accessible. To achieve this, the BSW proposes a "Funding Scout." He could provide online information or also personally assist companies in finding the right funding programs and guiding them through the application process, says the Saxon BSW chair Sabine Zimmermann to the German Press Agency in Dresden.
Funding programs too complicated
Funding is an established instrument for boosting the economy in Saxony. "The problem is that there is an excessive growth of various funding sources and programs, and the applications are becoming increasingly complicated," argues Zimmermann. It cannot be that smaller companies do not reach the funding taps merely because they are hidden or the application paths are too burdensome.
Reducing bureaucratic hurdles is a key demand in the economic policy of the BSW, as Zimmermann further explains. "With every supposed bureaucracy relief law from the previous governments, bureaucracy did not become less, but more. Therefore, the Saxon Norms Control Council should again receive more competencies to effectively ensure bureaucracy reduction during legislation."
Complaint about too much bureaucracy is widespread
The Norms Control Council - an independent body that supports the Saxon government in implementing measures for bureaucracy reduction and better legislation - recently identified an increase in government bureaucracy and resulting additional costs. The government had already expressed its intention to restructure funding policy in the previous year and sought advice from an expert commission. The commission concluded that there are approximately 200 funding programs in the Free State, which is too many. The experts recommended reducing it to a maximum of 80. In addition to economic promotion in Saxony, the Chambers of Industry and Commerce and the Chambers of Crafts also offer consultations on funding.
BSW opposes coal exit before 2038
In energy supply issues, the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht also has its own ideas, which resemble those of the CDU. "We reject an exit from the use of Saxon lignite before 2038," says Zimmermann. A withdrawal from fossil energy sources can only take place in dependence on the availability of renewable energy sources. "Our energy policy in Saxony will again be based on the needs of businesses and the population – with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions. In doing so, we will promote the expansion of electricity generation from renewable energy sources - also as a basis for green hydrogen." Coal and natural gas are still necessary for a secure energy supply for Saxon businesses, however.
The Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), based in Saxony, advocates for simplifying access to funding programs for local companies. This is a key element of their proposed economic policy, as expressed by the BSW's chair, Sabine Zimmermann.
In her criticism, Sabine Zimmermann highlights the complexity of funding applications, suggesting that smaller companies are often unable to secure funding due to hideous application paths or overly burdensome processes.
Echoing Zimmermann's sentiments, the BSW stresses the importance of reducing bureaucratic hurdles as a cornerstone of their economic policy. They argue that despite previous attempts at bureaucracy relief, the situation has worsened, and the Saxon Norms Control Council needs to regain more authority to effectively reduce bureaucracy during legislation.
Interestingly, the complaint about excessive bureaucracy is not unique to the BSW; an independent body, the Norms Control Council, recently identified an increase in government bureaucracy and associated costs in Saxony.
