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For years Hamburg's economy rushed from growth number to growth number, but that has now changed radically.
According to their own statements, 30 percent of Hamburg's companies are in a poor economic situation.
That is the result of an economic survey by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, in which 714 companies from the Hanseatic city took part between December 17th and January 14th.
"The decision by the federal and state governments to extend and tighten the corona measures will have enormous consequences for the Hamburg economy in the coming months and will continue the unprecedented poor economic development," said Chamber of Commerce President Norbert Aust on Tuesday: "One sustainable economic recovery is not in sight. "
Looking ahead to 2021, 60 percent of the participating companies said they wanted to keep the current workforce, 28 percent want to reduce it.
“Companies urgently need a perspective,” demands Aust.
"For us, since the beginning of the pandemic, no previously healthy company is allowed to go bankrupt because of Corona.
Understandable and precisely put together aid packages as well as a plan with a step-by-step opening perspective are necessary for this. "
Protective shield is extended
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And that is exactly what it was all about on Tuesday with the balance sheet of the Hamburg corona shields by the state of Hamburg, Senators Andreas Dressel (finance, SPD), Carsten Brosda (culture, SPD) and Michael Westhagemann (economy, independent) also gave an outlook and in some cases did not spare criticism of the policy of the federal government, especially the Federal Minister of Economics.
The sluggish payment of the November and December aid caused there, Dressel had already criticized several times for having been accused of "lacking Hanseatic understatement" from the capital, says the financial politician, but then immediately added: "The payment of the aid was the opposite from quick and unbureaucratic. ”The November aid should now be paid out by the end of February, according to Dressel.
Westhagemann also said: "I understand the discontent of entrepreneurs all too well."
Things went better in the Hanseatic city itself.
Corona aid amounting to more than 5.5 billion euros has been provided in Hamburg in 2020.
After ten months of the Hamburg protective umbrella, the volume is 5.532 billion euros, said Dressel and said: "That is very, very remarkable." For further aid, 1.5 billion euros in state funds are available.
Westhagemann added that the Senate had also topped up the Corona Recovery Fund for innovative start-ups and growth-oriented medium-sized companies and extended the registration period.
"We have increased the available funding volume from 50 million euros to 100 million (...) and we have now extended the term to June 30, 21." The goal is still to get Hamburg companies through the severe crisis.
In the cultural sector alone, Hamburg provided around 90 million euros in additional aid in 2020, most recently a good 14 million euros with the restart bonus for self-employed artists and creatives.
Now the federal aid programs are also to take effect in the cultural sector.
“But we will continue to work closely with the cultural institutions and associations to clarify where we need to supplement federal aid - and then do so.
Our goal remains to get Hamburg's diverse cultural and media scene through the crisis as well as possible.
We will provide additional funds for this in 2021 and 2022, ”said Senator for Culture Brosda.
Nobody can reliably say when the cultural offerings aimed at the public could start again, but one can now work on how they start again when the time comes.