Updated October 27, 2020, 11:38 a.m.
Kiel (dpa / lno) – The taxpayers’ association in Schleswig-Holstein has criticized the billions in additional emergency loans planned to cope with the Corona crisis.
By no means everything serves the actual pandemic fight, said President Aloys Altmann on Tuesday in Kiel. Projects would also be financed with debt under the pretext of Corona aid. It is irresponsible if the state parliament resolves new debts in reserve this week in the amount of 4.5 billion euros – for tasks that have not yet been specifically planned. “That is wasted with announcement,” said Altmann.
The taxpayers’ association accuses the federal, state and local governments of numerous cases of wasting public funds over the past few months. Of the 100 nationwide cases mentioned in the current “Black Book” published on Tuesday, 12 relate to Schleswig-Holstein. There is also a positive case among them. Examples from this year’s “Black Book”:
MARINE: The Mürwik naval school is receiving seven new, comfortable sailing yachts for around 1.8 million euros this year, on which prospective officers can learn to sail. This increases the inventory to 23 units. Frigates, corvettes and submarines, on the other hand, are often not operational.
KITA: In Seth (Segeberg district), an apartment on the upper floor of a daycare building was to be converted into an additional kindergarten room for 300,000 euros. After completion it turned out that the use could not be approved. With the renovation, the remaining rooms would also have lost their status. Now a new building is being examined.
NEW BENCHES: In Lübeck-Travemünde, backrests were initially mounted on benches in such a way that those seated did not look at the Trave, but at unattractive houses. In response to criticism, the backrests were first removed and then reassembled – the other way around. On a new promenade, in turn, 580,000 euros net were spent on 29 benches. So one per bank cost 20,000 euros. The aim was to create a unique selling point with the ship-shaped benches and their lighting.
STATE OFFICE: The focus here is on considerations for moving the government headquarters to another state-owned building. The state’s building management estimated the cost of its renovation at 21.85 million euros. This significantly exceeds the assumptions made to date. A tender for the conversion of the former headquarters of the military administration was quickly removed from the Internet after it became public. “The representation of the state government has to take a back seat to other tasks,” says the taxpayers’ association. “First the working conditions in the offices of the country have to be improved.”
READING: In the “Black Book” 2015, the taxpayers’ association criticized the Kiel council meeting’s plans to create an artificial water surface in the city center for 12.5 million euros. One year later than planned and at 18.7 million euros, the “Kleine Kiel Canal” was almost 50 percent more expensive.
POSITIVE “OUTLAW”: The railway line between Tornesch and Uetersen will not be reactivated for passenger traffic because, according to an expert opinion, this would be uneconomical. Instead, bus traffic will be expanded. That saves around seven million euros.
© dpa
