German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 19/219, pp. 27774-27775.
Right honorable ladies and gentlemen.
Actually, the draft law has a very loose text. As I read it for the first time, I had thought in regards the “cross border sale of organisms” [„grenzüberschreitendem Vertrieb von Organismen”] that it was perhaps about trade in animal organs or some such. Yet that is not at all the case.
The purchases of citizen resistance against the windmills are, so far, still not in the draft law, Frau State Secretary. That is a completely new viewpoint which, so far, is certainly still not on the agenda.
Right honorable ladies and gentlemen, it is actually about the opportunities for capital investment in Germany. This is an articled law with over 100 specific numerals; to be able to thoroughly discuss this in four minutes, this is certainly no problem.
It is asserted that the German venue, in European comparison, may remain behind and it would not lose its potential. Barriers should be built, everything should somehow be made better for the purpose of a sustainable increase of economic growth. Whether that thereby happens, we leave undecided; it is clearly better than conducting a debts policy which is quite clearly opposed to economic growth. Yet whether this goal is attained with what we have here on the table is questionable. We however being surprised, we before all things want to wait for the hearing. One naturally cannot hold aloof from the goal as such. Which we will face with benevolence.
An additional major theme is the taxation promotion of co-worker participation in small and mid-sized businesses. Politically, this is in fact an interesting point. The doubling of tax-privileged participation in assets – from 360 to 720 euros – is planned, as well as the introduction of downstream [nachgelagerten] taxation of these participations in the case of new businesses. Right honorable ladies and gentlemen, the tax-free amounts which are called for here are as ever still far less than the western European norm, before all in comparison with our neighbors in Europe where it is about one thousand euros. We could put before us a far higher co-worker participation in businesses. In regards this opportunity, we should go that way and not anticipate only so hesitant an increase as from 360 to 720 euros. Figure it out, figure it at an earnings lifetime of 30 years; look what you then have for capital and what you can thereby attain at your age. That is small time. More courage would be good.
The downstreaming of taxation is right, the tax payment will thereby be initially drawn out if the co-worker actually realizes a loss from the sale of his holdings. That should be done. Despite that, in regards the dovetailing of pay and capital assets, great care is always to be advised so as to prevent the carrying effects [Mitnahmeeffekte] and that the payment of wages as participations in assets is not concealed, sold, relabeled.
Whether innovative forms of participation will be promoted with this law, as it is stated in the draft law’s foundational text, we will first need to discover in the arena of the public hearing.
At the moment, we cannot ascertain that. This pertains also to other questions, as for example:
How can a co-worker participate in businesses, not only by corresponding contributions by the employer, but also with regards to his own money? A most interesting aspect, which needs be called to the occasion.
How can co-worker participations be promoted in businesses which are not joint stock companies? Even in most cases, this might be if the number of co-workers is looked at. Thus, there must somehow be found a solution which functions outside the world of the joint stock company.
Need the tax-privileged participations be offered to all co-workers in the same way or by that means is the flexibility of small business directly restricted? A very sensible and very ticklish question. Which needs to be neatly solved. At the moment, we do not see that.
Why does the downstreamed taxation pertain only to businesses which are not older than ten years? This is not at all accessible to us.
Exactly as we support asset accumulation in the area of housing real estate, so naturally also lies close to our hearts asset accumulation in the area of participation in businesses. With private engagement, to do something real for one’s own provision for old age is a lofty goal. We should do everything so that we may effectively achieve that. In this sense, we will continue to take part in the consultations.
Hearty thanks.
[trans: tem]
