GBC starts petition: Strengthening SMEs for a better Germany!

GBC starts petition: Strengthening SMEs for a better Germany!

The GBC has announced its support for the petition of the association of capital market-oriented small and medium-sized companies, which is committed to targeted support for SMEs in Germany. The aim of this initiative is to improve the conditions for listed companies in the Federal Republic. According to the Bond guide There are several key demands at stake, including the promotion of investments in capital market-oriented SMEs and the introduction of share-based pension provision. There are also calls for regulatory hurdles to be reduced in order to strengthen Germany as a location for IPOs.

Manuel Hölzle, CEO of GBC, emphasizes the importance of capital market-oriented medium-sized companies for innovative strength, employment and regional value creation. Ingo Wegenich, President of the interest group, however, criticizes the new coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD. In his opinion, there is insufficient focus on the concerns of capital market-oriented companies. In the contract, the term “stock exchange” is mentioned only once, in connection with animal welfare, while the capital market is mainly dealt with under the term “capital market regulation”.

Growth approaches for Germany

In a broader context, the Bundestag Bank looked at economic policy measures for more growth in Germany. A recent speech puts potential growth in Germany at just 0.4 percent per year, which represents a decline of one percentage point compared to the last decade. This can also be seen in comparison to other EU countries, where Germany shows this trend without taking this into account. The Bundesbank had also cut key interest rates by 25 basis points at its last meeting, which was intended to signal progress in price stability.

The Bundesbank's focus is on developing proposals to increase economic growth and not just on discussing debt leeway. A reform of the debt brake and increasing investments are at the center of their considerations. A package of measures should be put together to remedy the weak growth instead of just relying on higher debt.

Strategies for improvement

The speech covers three central thematic blocks: work, energy and corporate dynamics. In the area of ​​**job offers** it is stated that demographic change is leading to a shortage of workers. Starting points include increasing the working hours of part-time workers, especially women, and promoting labor market-oriented migration.

In the **energy sector**, the aim is to achieve a climate-neutral transformation by 2045. High investments are necessary here, with uniform CO₂ pricing and planning of the energy infrastructure being key aspects. Furthermore, climate-damaging subsidies are to be abolished and the European energy markets are to be more closely integrated.

Finally, it is emphasized how important it is to strengthen **company dynamics** in Germany. Negative trends such as weak business investment and declining productivity growth must be addressed. This is to be achieved by reducing bureaucracy, making it easier to start a business and reducing tax burdens.

The Bundesbank's conclusions reinforce the need to implement the proposed measures to promote economic growth. Germany's strengths, such as stable institutions and innovative companies, are highlighted. Finally, a call for closer cooperation in Europe is desired, particularly on economic and security policy issues.