ruth901
Rising fuel prices are putting companies under pressure. A new IHK survey shows: Many measures are perceived as inadequate.
Schlüchtern – Rising energy prices, high inflation, uncertain supply chains and growing cost pressure are pushing many companies to their limits. Political attempts at relief are being followed with corresponding attention – and increasingly critically. Against this background, five Chambers of Commerce and Industry (IHK) between Aschaffenburg and Limburg, including the one in Kinzigtal, started a survey.
According to the Hanau-Gelnhausen-Schlüchtern Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the aim was to obtain an atmosphere that was as unadulterated as possible. Participation was anonymous. The response was remarkable: “160 companies took part within just one week,” reported Dr. Gunther Quidde, the general manager of the IHK Hanau-Gelnhausen-Schlüchtern.
Companies under pressure: fuel prices and inflation are a burden
“A speed and participation that makes it clear how great the pressure to act is and how urgently companies feel the need to make their situation visible,” concluded Dr. Gunther Quidde. The participants mainly come from retail (34 companies), other services (32) and industry (31). Small and medium-sized companies are particularly well represented.
According to the IHK in the Main-Kinzig district, around a third employ 10 to 49 employees (49 companies), and around a quarter employ 50 to 249 employees (43 companies). The survey thus accurately reflects the core of the German economy – the medium-sized businesses, which are particularly under pressure, according to the general manager of the IHK Hanau-Gelnhausen-Schlüchtern.
The additional monthly costs due to the increased fuel prices vary greatly. While individual, mostly very small companies no longer have any additional costs due to the switch to e-mobility, many others are struggling with significant additional costs, up to 400,000 euros more per month.
Survey: Mineral oil tax reduction not really helpful
26 companies reported up to 1,000 euros more per month. According to the IHK survey, 25 companies calculate additional costs of 1,000 to 5,000 euros, 31 companies calculate 5,000 to 100,000 euros and three companies calculate more than 100,000 euros.
The federal government's planned reduction in mineral oil tax by 17 cents is not perceived as a significant help by the majority of companies: 28 companies expect no relief at all, 47 see only a very small effect (0 to 10 percent), 19 companies expect a medium relief (10 to 20 percent) and 26 companies expect a higher relief (20 to 50 percent).
According to the Chambers of Commerce, many management doubt that the relief will even reach their companies. The assessment of the tax-free one-off payment of up to 1000 euros is particularly critical. Two thirds of companies (67.3 percent) state that they cannot or do not want to pay these. Only 9.4 percent plan to pay out.
According to the IHK, the companies' overall assessment is clear: the measures known so far are mostly described as short-term, unbalanced and not effective. It is particularly often criticized that relief measures are being organized “in fact at the expense of companies”.
