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From Nora Miethke
Many people still remember the displeasure that spread at receptions and in discussion groups of Saxon business associations after the announcement of TSMC's relocation to Dresden a year ago. The amount of the subsidy and the appointment of a special representative for large-scale relocations led to accusations that the state government was only looking after the interests of the "big players" and where was the representative for SMEs, which make up 90 percent of Saxony's economy? Is he really needed? Or what do SMEs really expect from the future state government? Sächsische.de asked the chambers of commerce and business associations.
In response to the question: "Does Saxony need a new post of SME representative in the new state government?" all respondents gave a more or less clear answer: No. "We don't always need new posts for things that should be a matter of course," says the Saxon Business Association (VSW). It would be more urgent to ensure that the administration becomes more efficient and does not grow year on year, while the working population has been shrinking for years and will continue to do so in the coming years, explains the employers' association.
The tenor of the Saxony Business Association is similar. "There is no need for a caretaker position to which everyone shifts communication with small and medium-sized companies, everyone without exception must take responsibility," demands association president Dietrich Enk, referring to administrative staff, civil servants and politicians.
"Promoting SMEs - in the sense of creating optimal framework conditions for the independent development and strengthening of SMEs - is a core task of the SMWA, but unfortunately not currently its core competence," says Dirk Schröter, Chairman of the Saxony Economic Council. But that is not why a new commissioner is needed. A citizen-oriented administration and a state that is limited to what is necessary could contribute much more to economic dynamism, according to Schröter. The Managing Director of Mibrag GmbH comes from a medium-sized family of entrepreneurs who have been active in the electrical trade for over 70 years.
The Dresden Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), on the other hand, has a different view and a different self-image. "As an IHK, we don't agree with this chorus," says Lars Fiehler, Managing Director for Location Policy and Communication. It is "simply not true" that the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Saxony Economic Development Corporation or the Saxon Development Bank do not have the interests of SMEs on their list of priorities, "on the contrary", says Fiehler. And the chambers of industry and commerce and chambers of skilled trades actually see themselves as "SME representatives" for their member companies. "And I think I can also speak on behalf of our partner chambers in Chemnitz and Leipzig, we're not doing such a bad job," says Fiehler.
What can state policy do for SMEs?
However, opinions and interests differ when it comes to the question of what state policy can explicitly do to strengthen SMEs in Saxony. Dietrich Enk from the Saxony Business Association calls for "subsidy commitments must be spread across more shoulders", namely those of district councils, local authorities and existing businesses. Enk, who runs several restaurants in Leipzig and is dubbed the "big restaurateur" or "gastro king" by the media, also considers it necessary "to reduce VAT as quickly as possible for the shaky restaurant and hotel industry in Saxony". Although this is a federal issue, the new state governments in the east must exert pressure and make their voices heard, says Enk.
For the VSW, two points have priority - reducing bureaucracy and expanding the transport infrastructure. State policy could do little to combat the excessive bureaucracy at federal and EU level, but it should do without laws that already exist at a higher level - i.e. the Saxon Public Procurement Act. Instead of "burning through" tens of millions every year in Saxony's airports, the Free State should take state money into its own hands and expand the Chemnitz-Leipzig railroad line to two tracks. "While Leipzig/Halle Airport may still be important as an international freight hub, there are no economic arguments for the continued operation of Dresden Airport," says VSW.
The business representatives agree on the issues of energy, education and public services. The energy supply should be expanded and the expansion of energy networks (electricity, gas, district heating and hydrogen) should be accelerated in a coordinated manner so that prices can finally fall. Weaknesses in the education system, such as the shortage of teachers and teaching absenteeism, should be addressed further. And the future state government should really tackle the digitalization of the administration to avoid creating more and more new jobs in ministries, offices and publicly funded institutions for new tasks. After all, it is the small and medium-sized enterprises that will ultimately miss out on them.
