Dennis Radtke, the head of the CDU’s employee wing, has publicly supported removing value-added tax (VAT) on nutritious food items. This position was in response to a similar proposal made by the SPD parliamentary group. Speaking to the “Handelsblatt” (Monday edition), Radtke stated, “I believe that lowering VAT on basic foodstuffs is a conceivable form of relief”. The CDA chairman emphasized the need for immediate action, noting, “It is important that we adopt measures that provide help right away”. Concerning the current debate about mitigating the fallout from the Iran crisis, Radtke urged haste, criticizing the federal government for what he viewed as a hesitant approach. “The government needs to move past discussion mode and take action now” he commented. Earlier, Esra Limbacher, the deputy head of the SPD parliamentary group, had called for the elimination of VAT on items such as fruit, vegetables, dairy products, meat, bread, noodles, rice, eggs, and water, specifically excluding sweets or soft drinks. However, Till Steffen, the Green parliamentary group’s spokesperson for consumer policy, criticized this suggestion. Steffen told the “Handelsblatt”, “As always, the SPD never thinks this through to the end”. While acknowledging that a discussion about a reduction was possible, he argued that it could hardly apply to items like “apples from South Africa and meat from Argentina, or factory farming”. Steffen also pointed out that such reductions have proven unreliable as short-term measures. “They are not passed on” he said. Instead, he advocated for stronger regulation of pricing. “Effective market supervision brings more”.
CDA Leader Backs VAT Cut on Staple Foods
