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The finance minister tends to use comic-like language in the corona pandemic: When Olaf Scholz (SPD) promised the economy an aid program in March 2020, he chose the word “bazooka” for it.
In June he followed up with an economic stimulus package worth 170 billion euros, which he described onomatopoeically as follows: "We want to get out of the crisis with oomph."
Part of this package was the advancement of government contracts and investments.
The finance minister made ten billion euros available for this purpose, with the aim of boosting the economy ravaged by the pandemic in the short term.
However, the desired investments do not get off the ground as quickly as desired, but only very slowly, as can be seen from the response of the federal government to a request from FDP MP Torsten Herbst.
After that, it comes to a standstill, particularly in those areas where the need for investment is particularly high: in digitization projects in administration as well as in security and armaments projects.
Thirteen ministries and the Chancellery registered digitization projects with a volume of around 2.5 billion euros.
However, the year 2020 will only account for around 360 million euros;
around 700 million euros are earmarked for 2021.
The lion's share of 1.4 billion euros is not to be spent until 2022 to 2025.
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The desired rapid economic stimulus is also rather weak in the area of security and armaments projects.
Seven ministries have registered projects with a volume of around 2.1 billion euros.
The year 2020 will account for 330 million euros, with 860 million euros to be invested in 2021.
The remaining billion should not flow until 2025.
"The idea of helping the German economy by bringing forward public contracts and investments was a good one," says FDP man Herbst.
"However, the fact that the ministries are not able to bring forward larger planned expenditures in 2020 and 2021 is an indictment." Especially in view of the investment backlog in the areas of digitization and defense, it is incomprehensible why the ten billion package will not be fully spent until 2025 will.
"The point of a quick positive economic effect in the Corona crisis is completely missed," said Herbst.
Seven ministries have ensured that another three billion euros will flow out in 2020 and 2021.
The departments looked for all possible needs from their field of activity and applied for economic aid.
In the Ministry of Finance they run under the title “Other”.
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Source: WORLD / Isabell Finzel