Smaller companies in BW did not accept the cheap loans during the energy crisis as well as expected. Handwerkstag and SPD see further need for support.
Many bakers, butchers and other smaller businesses in Baden-Württemberg have so far made use of state aid to deal with the energy crisis. The state government has so far paid out 88 million euros in low-interest loans to medium-sized companies that are particularly hard hit by the energy crisis. Since the start of the funding program at the beginning of December, 199 applications have been submitted and 190 have been approved, the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs told SWR. Originally, the ministry assumed a loan volume of around 280 million euros and 800 to 1,000 applicant companies.
The Baden-Württemberg Economics Minister Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut (CDU) told SWR that the loans with an interest rate of 2.1 percent proved to be an “ideal and successful bridging instrument”. The program runs until the end of March. Companies can apply for a loan between 10,000 euros and five million euros. The green-black state government had decided on the aid, although it was already clear that the federal gas and electricity price brake would apply from January.
Craft day hopes for hardship aid
The Handwerkstag takes a much less positive view of the loan program: “In some sectors there seems to be a need for liquidity loans. However, direct grants are often more suitable for small craft businesses in particular, in order to secure their continued existence and the existing jobs. They cannot also apply the repayment of loans,” said the managing director of the craft day, Peter Haas, the SWR.
“It is therefore important that the hardship case aids are finally coming. Unfortunately, the back and forth about taking oil and pellet customers into account again cost time,” says Haas. These new hardship aids, financed by the federal and state governments, are also intended to go to small and medium-sized companies – as grants that do not have to be repaid. Another 130 million euros should then be available for Baden-Württemberg.
SPD faction leader Stoch: “No help for concrete emergencies”
SPD faction leader Andreas Stoch also considers the mid-term balance of the loan program to be modest. “At first glance, 90 million sounds like a lot. However, the fact that around 400,000 companies in the country have received just 200 applications suggests that this instrument will not help many companies,” said the SPD politician to SWR. “Especially the much-discussed bakery on the corner or the small handicraft business has not received any help from the state government for the specific emergency, as is also shown by the average loan amount of 500,000 euros,” says Stoch.
