Greens and Left want to retain the repair bonus

The Greens and the Left in the Saxon state parliament want to keep the repair bonus project alive. Green politician Wolfram Günther, during whose term of office as Energy and Environment Minister the project fell, spoke of an "absolute success". "Thousands of people in Saxony have had their old appliances repaired instead of throwing them in the bin. This is good for people's wallets and for our environment."

Project generated additional orders for the skilled trades

According to Günther, the skilled trades have also benefited from the increase in orders. More than 600 businesses in the state took part in the campaign. "The repair bonus brought them additional orders of more than 4.6 million euros." He called on the minority government of the CDU and SPD to commit to this project. The end of the repair bonus would be a decision against the people and trades businesses in Saxony.

Left-wing parties want to vote in favour of extending the project

The left-wing parties, who originally came up with the idea, also emphasized the positive effects of the project. "The bonus has a positive effect on the Saxon economy, especially for the enormously important skilled trades, and helps to protect the environment. That is why we are open to talks with the CDU and SPD and, like the Green parliamentary group, would be prepared to use our votes to pave the way for an extension of the repair bonus," they said.

Ministry of Economic Affairs currently examining continuation of the bonus

The Ministry of Economic Affairs is currently examining whether the repair bonus should be continued this year. The ministry has not yet decided whether to continue the repair bonus, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. "The situation in the Saxon budget is well known and we will have to painfully turn many screws." The new budget will show whether and in what form the bonus can be paid in the future.

Funding for sustainable repairs

The repair bonus was used to subsidize the costs of repairing defective electrical appliances. 50 percent of the eligible costs - between 75 and 400 euros - could be reimbursed, up to a maximum of 200 euros. Up to two repairs per person and year could be supported, but only in certified workshops. The aim was to promote sustainable behavior and reduce electronic waste.

The Saxony Craftsmen's Association had also spoken out in favor of continuing the program. The Sächsische Aufbaubank (SAB), which is responsible for processing the funding applications, has since announced on its website that the funding will have to be discontinued as the available budget funds have almost been exhausted.