Chamber of Commerce raises the alarm: Rekommunalization could be expensive!

Chamber of Commerce raises the alarm: Rekommunalization could be expensive!

Bremen, Deutschland - in Bremen it is bubbling at the moment, because the discussion about the recommunication of wastewater and waste disposal is absorbed. What many citizens may not know is that the Chamber of Commerce warns of the expensive consequences of this step. A topic that could go straight to the money for many.

The Chamber of Commerce has examined a 47-page report by Berliner Prognos AG, which critically examines the resolutions of the Senate. As stated from the report, Bremen would have to take over the tasks of wastewater and waste disposal as well as street cleaning itself from 2028. This would require investments of a whopping 123 million euros, not to forget the annual interest burden of over 3 million euros if you get money on the capital market. The hoped -for savings due to the loss of VAT in the amount of 2.1 million euros would be reunited these costs straight away, according to the Chamber of Commerce. "There is something," says in Bremen, and that applies with certainty.

The Senate and the shadow games of transparency

The concerns and doubts of the Chamber of Commerce are no accident. After all, the decisive reports of the state government are treated as a matter of the closure and are therefore difficult to see for the public. An application for insight was rejected by economic senator Kristina Vogt, which caused the chamber to object. This lack of transparency causes uncertainty among the Bremen companies.

In contrast to the perspective of the Chamber of Commerce, the wider political landscape is. The Senate apparently sees things differently: According to a current evaluation of the city of Bremen, there are economic advantages through recommunication. The report, which analyzed 22 different forms of organization of city drainage and drinking water supply, shows possible savings in the millions. This could be particularly interesting for the city, especially in times of scarce coffers.

the practice and its challenges

But reality speaks a different language. Examples from other cities show that recommunication does not always bring the hoped -for relief. In Dresden, for example, the number of employees rose from 350 to 450 after the exit from a public-private partnership, while the profits dropped and the fees rose. In Essen, too, the costs of recommunication are estimated at least 38 million euros, which emphatically underlines the skepticism of some decision -makers.

Another central point is the fee stability that the Bremen citizens of Hansewasser are offered. According to those responsible, there are currently no changes to the operational activity. Hanse water ensures a stable fee position, while the political actors advise on future changes and the tax law framework are still being examined. Citizens could benefit from lower wastewater and water fees, but it remains to be seen whether this will really become a reality.

It is clear: The discussion about recommunication in Bremen is anything but clarified. On the one hand, the concerns of the Chamber of Commerce, which warn of possible financial losses, on the other hand, the hopes of the Senate for savings. Whether and how the situation develops remains exciting. And while politics will continue to advise, we can look forward to what the coming years will bring for Bremen.

For further information, see also the examinations of the Chamber of Commerce, which indicates many uncertainties in its statement, as well as the view of the city of Bremen, which emphasizes the economic advantages of recommunication: [Weser-Kurier] (https://www.weser-kurier.de/bremen/handelskammer-bremen-warnt-vor- der Recommunalization-Doc8126l2udi5t1HVBKE1N7) and [ZFK] (https://www.zfk.de/wasser-abwasser/bremen-rekommunalisieried--die-abasserentschaft-und-erwartet-million savings).