- Wegner is working towards advancing administrative overhaul and financial adjustments.
BERLIN'S MAYOR, KAI W EgNER, EMBRACES ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM AND FINANCIAL CUTS AS HIS MAIN POST-BREAK PRIORITIES. The mayor of Berlin, Kai W Egner, has set his sights on administrative reform and budget cuts as his primary objectives following the parliamentary recess. According to W Egner, these two issues will be his main focus. In addition, he highlighted the importance of digitalizing city services, such as citizen's offices, as a key secondary focus.
ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM: W Egner stated, "We need to make a significant breakthrough on this front." His goal is to establish a lasting administrative reform that will benefit future generations. He aims to clearly define the responsibilities of the state and districts, ensuring accountability and increased city-wide control. However, this will require a two-thirds majority in parliament, which W Egner's coalition does not currently possess. He expressed gratitude to the Greens and the Left for their "constructive cooperation" on this project.
BUDGET: W Egner deemed budget cuts a necessity, citing the need to save at least three billion euros by 2025. He criticized previous administrations for overspending, with the annual budget expanding from 25 to around 40 billion euros between 2016 and 2024. While certain expenses during the Coronavirus pandemic were justified, W Egner now aims to return to pre-pandemic levels.
POSSIBILITIES FOR SAVINGS: When asked about potential areas for savings, W Egner suggested a no-limits approach. He pointed out that there are around 3000 advisory services funded in the social sector. He proposed a thorough examination of these services to determine which ones are essential, effective, and necessary, and which ones might be dispensable without causing significant harm to Berlin's residents.
TRANSPORT CONTRACTS: W Egner sees potential for savings in transport contracts, suggesting that the subsidies for public passenger transport carriers (ÖPNV) offer opportunities for cost reduction without compromising on quality.
EXEMPTIONS: W Egner prioritizes spending in areas like internal security, education, and research. He also emphasizes the need for further investment in school and kindergarten construction, as well as housing construction. However, he acknowledged that cost-cutting measures will be needed to achieve this.
PRIVATIZATIONS: W Egner dismissed the idea of privatizations to boost the state's revenue, stating, "There will be no privatizations of public interest projects during my tenure as mayor." This includes the state's housing stock, which W Egner proposed expanding to gain more influence over the rental market.
DIGITALIZATION: W Egner saw the forthcoming online residence registration, set to launch in mid-October, as a significant step in digitalizing citizen's offices. He expected it to revolutionize appointment scheduling, as the procedure for registering and changing apartment addresses is one of the most frequently used services in Berlin. He also mentioned the digital registration certificate, introduced in 2023, and its 130,000 submissions.
These digital initiatives can significantly reduce the workload on municipal offices and simplify the process of securing appointments for other services. W Egner lamented that the situation in municipal offices remains unsatisfactory, with longer waiting times sometimes being an issue.
He announced that the Senate is working on measures to expedite appointment scheduling, hiring over 100 additional staff and opening a new municipal office in Spandau on September 4th. W Egner also suggested an experiment to provide services to those without appointments in municipal offices on certain days, although he did not specify when this would occur.
KNIFE BAN ZONES: W Egner reiterated the Senate's commitment to combating knife crime by establishing knife ban zones and intensifying police controls. He suggested that these zones could be established in areas with high crime rates, in addition to S and U-Bahn stations. W Egner emphasized the importance of effective enforcement by the police.
"We need to clearly communicate that knives, regardless of their size or sharpness, are not tolerated in Berlin," said W Egner. "The majority of Berlin residents who carry knives do so not for peeling apples but for other purposes."
W Egner, during a discussion, was asked, "- What areas do you believe offer the most potential for saving money in Berlin's budget?" He responded by mentioning various services for examination.
Noting the importance of financial management based on effectiveness and necessity, W Egner said, "- What if we critically examine the need for around 3000 advisory services in the social sector?"
