Economic summit in Grafenau: Minister Aiwanger urgently calls for changes!

Economic summit in Grafenau: Minister Aiwanger urgently calls for changes!

At the beginning of December, the 28th Grafenau Economic Summit took place under the motto “Economy meets politics and science”. This year again, high-ranking representatives from politics, science and business flocked to the region. The guests included District President Rainer Haselbeck, Member of the State Parliament Dr. Stefan Ebner and IHK general manager Alexander Schreiner. A special accent was placed by Deputy Prime Minister and Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger, who appeared as the keynote speaker.

Aiwanger spoke about the current economic situation in Bavaria and the challenges that particularly affect medium-sized businesses in Lower Bavaria. In his speech, he expressed concerns about Germany's competitiveness in international comparison. Wage costs and the risk of relocating production abroad are points that urgently need to be addressed. In order to improve competitiveness, Aiwanger called for a reduction in taxes and duties, which was very well received in the subsequent discussion.

Discussion about challenges

In the subsequent discussion, the participants discussed central topics such as pension and social policy, bureaucracy, infrastructure projects and energy policy. Jürgen Greipl, who moderated the event, emphasized that an increase in working hours and a reduction in the tax burden were necessary to improve the economic situation. The central question of whether a new federal government can introduce the necessary changes was also raised. Both Aiwanger and Greipl emphasized the importance of dialogue between politics, science and business and noted that the economic summit represents an important platform for this type of exchange.

As is well known, the economy in Germany is facing major challenges, and this also applies to the Bavarian Forest. Aiwanger particularly criticized the high level of bureaucracy and the burden of expensive energy costs as well as the high tax burden on companies. In order to remove these obstacles, he called for a reduction in electricity taxes, a simplification of approval procedures and the dismantling of EU regulations in order to promote investment.

Shortage of skilled workers and regional initiatives

Another major issue was the shortage of skilled workers, which is particularly noticeable in the Freyung-Grafenau district. The focus of regional funding here is on recruiting new skilled workers. Projects like the “Excellent Block Internship” are part of efforts to promote medical care in rural areas. In addition, the district image campaign “MADE in FRG” strengthens regional identity, which in the long term also benefits the competitiveness of local companies.

The importance of medium-sized businesses in Germany is undisputed. According to information from the Federal Ministry of Economics, 99% of companies in Germany are small and medium-sized companies that employ over 50% of the workforce and train around 70% of skilled workers. But these companies face massive challenges: in addition to the shortage of skilled workers, high tax burdens, increased energy prices and bureaucracy are major obstacles that need to be overcome. In order to improve the location conditions, Federal Minister Katherina Reiche offered support and started the “Competitiveness for medium-sized businesses” initiative with a dialogue format. This is intended to better incorporate the concerns of medium-sized associations into political decisions.

The Grafenau Economic Summit not only highlights the current challenges, but also offers an opportunity for open exchange and idea generation. The dialogue between the actors is more important than ever in order to sustainably strengthen the economic framework in the region and beyond. wu news reports that... Those present agreed: medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our economy and we must work together to ensure that they remain strong.