Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – In view of the energy crisis, the SPD wants to present plans in the state parliament again for billions in relief from the state coffers for families and companies. “Anyone who doesn’t do anything now commits a failure to provide assistance,” said SPD parliamentary group leader Thomas Kutschaty on Tuesday in Düsseldorf. With a view to the state parliament sessions next week, he announced a number of amendments by the largest opposition faction to the government draft for a supplementary budget for the current year. He put the amount of financial aid in the SPD applications at 1.2 billion euros.
The SPD politician repeatedly accused the black-green state government of not launching any aid programs like other federal states and only referring to the federal government. “This state government is once again proving to be an NGO – a non-governmental organization: not governing in Düsseldorf, but lobbying in Berlin. That is clearly not enough,” said Kuchaty. The supplementary budget for 2022 offers a huge opportunity to relieve people and the economy in a targeted manner with 900 million to one billion additional tax revenues.
According to the SPD, an emergency fund of 300 million euros should be set up, especially for people with low and medium incomes and small and medium-sized businesses that cannot pay their electricity or gas bills. The SPD is planning an energy cost subsidy for associations and clubs and is applying for 100 million euros. Another application provides almost 275 million euros for free afternoon care (OGS) for school children from November 1st. For a 29-euro monthly ticket in NRW local transport in November and December, the SPD estimates 100 million euros.
The SPD parliamentary group had already presented plans for a state-specific relief package in parliament at the beginning of September, which did not find a majority. At the time, speakers from the coalition and the state government referred to a high level of financial participation by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in the federal relief packages and to its own projects.
