Social associations, consumer advocates and farmers’ representatives support the initiative by Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir (Greens) to abolish VAT on healthy food. “In view of the current inflation rate of 8.6 percent, the federal government should no longer hesitate and should take Spain as a model,” said Verena Bentele, President of the VdK social association, to the newspapers of the Essen-based Funke media group. A corresponding law is “overdue” in Germany. It would help “disproportionately to those with small pensions and low earners,” said Bentele.
“Healthy and sustainable nutrition shouldn’t be a question of money,” emphasized consumer advocate Christiane Seidel. The abolition of value added tax on fresh fruit and vegetables as well as legumes will contribute to the relief here. At the same time, there would be an incentive for a healthier and more sustainable diet, explained the food expert from the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (vzbv). She called the instrument “very effective and can be implemented in the short term”.
The German Farmers’ Association is even calling for VAT to be suspended for all food. “Suspending VAT on food can help to relieve consumers,” said the association’s deputy general secretary, Udo Hemmerling, to the Funke newspapers. “From our point of view, all food should then be reduced in Germany.”
In Spain, the government recently temporarily suspended VAT on staple foods such as fruit, vegetables, bread and milk. According to Minister of Agriculture Özdemir, Germany should follow suit. “Personally, I have great sympathy for setting VAT on fruit, vegetables and legumes to zero,” said the Green politician in a Funke interview, confirming a statement from last summer.
The Federal Ministry of Finance under Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) continues to reject Özdemir’s proposal. A spokesman told the Funke newspapers that there were no plans to change anything in the current system.
More and more people in Germany are dependent on the Tafel. On average, there are about 50 percent more people affected than in the previous year. The institutions were not prepared for this.
Source: WORLD
