Opposition motions for annual inflation reports and packages of measures for established retailers and the construction industry have been postponed
Vienna (PK) – The Act on Higher Vocational Education (HBB Act), which is now unanimously passed, provides new opportunities for formal educational qualifications in apprenticeships Economic Committee happened. The improved further training is intended to bring more social recognition to skilled workers and is aimed at around 1.6 million Austrians between 25 and 64 who have completed an apprenticeship as their highest educational qualification and at around 870,000 people who have acquired several years of professional experience after completing compulsory schooling have. The aim is to create a consistent further training perspective on a practical basis in many professional fields and to make the decision to pursue an apprenticeship or vocational training more attractive. According to Economics Minister Martin Kocher, the framework law that has now been passed is intended to implement an important innovation in the education system in the next few years.
In addition, several opposition motions from the ÖVP and the Greens were postponed in the committee. The FPÖ is calling for a package of measures to stimulate the construction industry in particular and the preparation of a study on the economic effects of the “climate adhesive campaigns”. Motions to postpone the NEOS initiatives were also accepted. The NEOS are pushing for a relief package for established retailers and are demanding that the WKO should collect its “compulsory contributions” itself. Finally, the coalition also postponed the SPÖ’s request for an annual report on measures to combat inflation.
Regulations for new “higher vocational education”
The aim of the HBB Act is to create a new legal framework for systematic and high-quality further training for specialists, following on from their initial vocational training or from professional experience they have already acquired. The further training offers should be based on transparent criteria, evidence-based and activity-related and the qualifications acquired should also be internationally comparable (2312 d.B.).
According to the explanations to the law, HBB qualifications are intended to support the preparation of working people for management tasks and specialized professional activities in companies. Learning locations should be the place of work and educational institutions for vocational adult education. According to the law, statutory interest groups or the federal government are designated as qualification providers. New qualifications should also offer the opportunity to make the qualification obtained, the corresponding level of qualification and the skills acquired in a specific subject area visible. A higher professional qualification (HBQ), a specialist diploma (FD) and a higher specialist diploma (HFD) are planned. The qualification titles should have an addition relating to the subject area of the qualification and may be used both in full and in abbreviated form in private and business transactions and in connection with the name. In the Economic Committee, the ÖVP and the Greens submitted an amendment, which, according to MP Eva Blimlinger (Greens), contains editorial clarifications and corrections of editorial oversights.
Representative Blimlinger said in the committee that she was pleased that, following the upgrading of further education in the higher education sector, the formalization and quality assurance of further education in the area of upper secondary education could now also take place. The further training offers would thus be brought into an interdisciplinary system and the existing opportunities for formal further training would be improved. Non-formal further training will now also be systematized and supported by quality standards. It is also important that appropriate qualifications, i.e. titles, can be acquired.
ÖVP MP Martina Kaufmann added that the law would particularly close a gap in apprenticeships in which there is no qualification or master’s examination. After extensive negotiations with the stakeholders, a very good result has now been achieved.
Economics Minister Martin Kocher also saw closing the gap in formal further training offerings as an important innovation. From his point of view, this is the biggest innovation in the education system since the introduction of technical colleges. Kocher emphasized that since this is a framework law, full implementation will take several years. In response to questions from NEOS MP Gerald Loacker, who feared an incomprehensible equation of legal interest groups as education providers with the federal government and thus a disadvantage to private institutes, Kocher emphasized that all educational offerings, regardless of the institution, would be subject to external quality assurance. This prevents any unequal treatment from occurring. The Labor Minister assured FPÖ MP Axel Kassegger that there would be no additional costs for educational qualifications for graduates.
FPÖ calls for a package of measures for the economy and the construction industry
According to a motion for a resolution by the FPÖ, economic researchers expect a collapse in construction investments in 2023 and the coming year, especially in building construction (3716/A(E)). The Freedom Party is therefore calling for a package of measures to stimulate the local economy and industry, especially the construction industry, as well as to strengthen the regions and improve competitiveness.
In addition to the provision of public budget funds for infrastructure investments, measures also require a relaxation of the restrictive credit institution real estate financing measures regulation issued by the FMA as well as an immediate and final cancellation of the CO2 tax, explained Axel Kassegger (FPÖ). It is also necessary to lift all sanctions against Russia, which would have negative financial effects on Austrians. The FPÖ’s other concerns include a timely extension of the threshold regulation for 2024 and a “new investment bonus” with unbureaucratic and simple processing via the tax offices.
The package of measures did not convince members of the other parliamentary groups. In particular, the creation of a connection between the construction industry and the Russia sanctions was rejected by Andreas Ottenschläger (ÖVP), Christoph Matznetter (SPÖ), Elisabeth Götze (Greens) and Michael Bernhard. Götze submitted a motion to postpone, which was accepted with the votes of the ÖVP and the Greens.
NEOS: Relief package for established retailers
The established trade in Austria is under pressure from several sides, the NEOS raise in a motion for a resolution (3695/A(E)). The highest inflation rates in Western Europe would cause wage demands to rise, online retail would gain market share, “excessive lockdowns” would damage customer loyalty and the regulation of opening hours would be the strictest in Europe. The NEOS are therefore demanding a relief package for established retailers from the Minister of Economics and Finance. According to the application, this should at least include a significant reduction in additional wage costs, more flexible opening times and a removal of the requirement to provide proof of less than €30.
The motion met with little response from the other groups. Christoph Matznetter (SPÖ) and Elisabeth Götze (Greens) said that some of the demands would amount to lowering social standards, a view that Loacker vehemently disagreed with. A reduction in non-wage labor costs does not automatically mean lowering social standards or reducing pensions. Laurenz Pöttinger (ÖVP) said that some of the demands were understandable, others were counterproductive, and recommended a “thorough revision” of the application. Until then, he supports the postponement.
FPÖ wants a study on the economic effects of the “climate glue campaigns” in Austria
The FPÖ calls for the preparation of a study on the economic effects of the “climate glue actions” in Austria in a motion for a resolution that has been resumed and postponed again (3457/A(E)). For months there have been massive disruptions and protests in Austria, for example through traffic blockages, threats and damage to property. In May of this year alone, there were 432 complaints and 166 arrests against climate adhesives in this context, according to the FPÖ. It is evident that as a result of these massive and consciously caused disruptions to social life and the equally consciously accepted risk to the health and life of the population, there are also enormous negative economic effects, according to the application.
SPÖ for annual report on measures to combat inflation
The Austrian federal government has been refusing to lower prices through market intervention for two years, criticizes the SPÖ. It is now calling for an annual report on measures to combat inflation in housing, energy and food (3740/A(E)). From the SPÖ’s perspective, this report must contain the development of CPI inflation and sector inflation for housing, energy and food for the last five years as well as a current forecast for the next five years. The measures for the last twelve months and for the next twelve months that have been taken or are planned to reduce sector inflation should also be listed. In addition, a forecast is needed to show how much the government’s planned measures will reduce sector inflation and CPI inflation in the next five years, according to the SPÖ.
In the committee, Jakob Schwarz from the Greens emphasized the importance of evidence-based policy, particularly when dealing with inflation.
However, numerous existing reports, such as those from the IHS, the WIFO of Statistics Austria or the EBAI (group of experts for the observation and analysis of inflation developments), would already provide what the SPÖ is demanding, as Schwarz and Andrea Holzner (ÖVP) justified the postponement.
SPÖ mandater Christoph Matznetter was dissatisfied with this justification, as the application was aimed at a statement from the federal government itself and not at reports from external institutions.
NEOS: WKO should collect “compulsory contributions” itself
Calculations by Agenda Austria would show that chamber levies are growing even faster than inflation, criticize NEOS (3571/A(E)). However, while there is almost “unlimited freedom of fools” within the Chambers of Commerce when it comes to spending the “compulsory members’ money”, the Chamber prefers to leave the “tedious task of collecting money” to others. According to the Chamber of Commerce Act, the tax administration must collect the money and then forward it to the chamber. The NEOS are therefore calling for a draft law that would implement the self-administration of the chambers of commerce for the collection of chamber levies. Chamber surcharges 1 and 2 should therefore no longer be collected by the tax office, but by the chamber itself. Similar to the broadcasting fees, this should also make it clear to entrepreneurs what they pay in chamber levies, as applicant Gerald Loacker explained to the committee.
On behalf of the SPÖ, Christoph Matznetter signaled his rejection of the application, as its implementation would increase the bureaucratic effort for entrepreneurs. Maximilian Linder (FPÖ) also did not agree with the NEOS initiative, as his group generally called for the abolition of “compulsory membership”.
Elisabeth Götze (Greens) found the NEOS application “interesting” given the independence of the WKO, but pointed out that the tax office also takes 4% of the levy for the collection. This is precisely what shows the legal “error,” replied Michael Bernhard (NEOS). The role of the state and that of the chambers must be “unbundled” because the former is necessary and the latter is not. (Continuation of the Economic Committee) sox/wit
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