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Berlin (dpa) - Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier wants to support trade and municipalities with an aid program so that inner cities become more attractive in view of the online boom.
The CDU politician told the German Press Agency: “It must be about enabling attractive, contemporary retail in the city center.
This will also mean that businesses will participate more in digitization and that we will interlink culture and business even more.
It will mean that we will bring interesting offers beyond shopping into the city centers.
None of this will work without public support. "
Altmaier said one of the big problems of the second lockdown that troubled him was that downtown retail had been set back again.
“Many small and medium-sized retailers from shoe stores to fashion stores are under enormous pressure.
On the one hand there are the shopping centers on the greenfield, on the other hand digitization and the large Internet platforms, which now have the chance to expand their business model once again thanks to the lockdown.
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That is why he thinks it is all the more urgent to help city centers to get fit for the future.
“I am talking to those affected and organized a round table on this in October.
I advocate a noticeably effective aid program to modernize inner cities in the spring, when it becomes apparent that the danger of a new lockdown has been averted. "
Shortly before Christmas, CDU MPs had proposed a levy on packages that online retailers send to their customers.
After the Corona shutdown, an “inner city fund” should be financed, which should benefit stationary retail.
Altmaier did not want to comment on the proposal.
With regard to the state of the economy as a whole, the minister said: “We do not need any new economic stimulus programs, but instead targeted aid for areas in which there are deficits and no further burdens or tax hike debates so that the economy can grow out of the crisis.
We have to deal once more with the countries very intensively with regard to digital and distance teaching as well as with regard to the city centers. "
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Altmaier also spoke out in favor of tax relief for companies: “It is regrettable, but now a fact, that we have not yet reached an agreement in the federal government on an expansion of the tax loss carry-back.
However, this would be a measure that would really help small and large companies in a targeted manner.
Therefore, the subject will remain on the agenda as long as this crisis lasts. "
Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) is against expanding the tax loss carry-back.
Business associations, on the other hand, have long been calling for this.
Crisis-related losses are to be offset against profits from previous years for tax purposes more than was previously possible.
Altmaier praised the cooperation with the finance minister in the Corona crisis, a lot had been decided jointly: “That is much more than we have ever achieved in support for affected companies and employees in comparable crises.
Incidentally, it is not only unique in the history of the Federal Republic, it is also unique in a European and international comparison.
Because of these grants and loan programs, our companies are getting through the crisis much better than those of most of our other neighboring countries. "
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210102-99-872957 / 2