"It's crucial to tackle underlying challenges promptly"
In the wake of the federal government's fall economic projections, BDI CEO Tanja Gönner voiced concerns over categorizing the anticipated economic growth dip as a temporary issue. She points out that Germany's economy has been treading water for years and argues that an imminent rebound won't eradicate the growth challenges. Speaking to ntv's Early Start, she stated, "We're losing market share... and that's why we urgently need to tackle structural problems." She contends that it's not enough to focus solely on cyclical matters.
Gönner presses the traffic light coalition to step up its effort. She deems the announced growth strategy inadequate. "It's more of a cyclical than a growth program," she notes. Although it's beneficial in the short term, "what we really need are structural changes." This, she claims, involves a comprehensive industrial policy, with government assistance to industries through improved regulatory conditions. "I'm saying this directly and deliberately: 'through setting regulatory conditions,'" she noted.
Regulatory conditions encompass taxes, fees, and bureaucratic encumbrances. Gönner advocates for a radical transformation of bureaucracy reduction methods. The BDI supports a radically different approach, aiming for a more streamlined system. "We advocate for a fundamentally different relationship, so that we trust politics, the economy, and... the people in this country to abide by the laws," she said. "Then I don't need to micromanage, but I set the framework and trust that people will simply follow it." The resulting liberties serve as a powerful message.
Goñner urges the traffic light coalition to enhance their growth strategy beyond a cyclical approach, suggesting it needs to be more growth-focused. She strongly advocates for a comprehensive industrial policy, highlighting the need for improved regulatory conditions as a key component.
