Rehlinger: Agreement on industrial electricity "good signal"
Saarland Minister President Anke Rehlinger (SPD) has described the agreement on a package to reduce electricity prices for companies as a "good signal", especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. "However, relief for our industry is still urgently needed to make transformation possible," said Rehlinger on Thursday in Saarbrücken. "It is good that an initial solution is on the way - it must now also be tailored to industry."
The German government had previously agreed that the electricity tax should fall to the European minimum rate of 0.05 cents per kilowatt hour. It currently stands at around two cents per kilowatt hour. However, manufacturing companies have already been able to claim a reduced rate of 1.537 cents per kilowatt hour. The reduction will benefit not only large industrial groups, but also SMEs.
The federal government's decision to lower the electricity tax to the European minimum rate is expected to positively impact manufacturing prices. However, further actions are required from the federal government to provide substantial energy price relief for various sectors within the industry.
Source: www.dpa.com
