At the government meeting

Social partners at the table: these were the topics discussed!

The social partners were invited to the government meeting.

(Bild: Rojsek-Wiedergut Uta)

The topics of cutting red tape and speeding up procedures as well as childcare and energy supply were on the agenda of today's government meeting, which was also attended by representatives of the social partners.

Günther Goach, President of the Chamber of Labor, and Otmar Petschnig, Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce, together with Governor Peter Kaiser and Martin Gruber, Vice-President of the Province of Carinthia, addressed the media after the government meeting on Tuesday.

"Carinthia's social partner organizations are working very intensively on various topics," Kaiser began the press conference with praise. Unsurprisingly, simplifying procedures and reducing bureaucracy played a major role: "A quarter of our entrepreneurs' working time is spent on bureaucracy - we are at the top end of the EU league table," said Petschnig, who represented WK President Jürgen Mandl.

The business community also proposed regular consultation days with the authorities in order to be able to exchange information with those responsible in advance and thus facilitate procedures: "Carinthia's economic policy advisory board will also finalize guidelines for Carinthia by December," says Petsching, who emphasizes the importance of the guidelines, especially due to the Koralm Tunnel.

A quarter of our entrepreneurs' working time is spent on bureaucracy - we are at the top of the EU league table

Wirtschaftskammervizepräsident Otmar Petschnig

Childcare atlas presented
For his part, Günther Goach presented the childcare atlas, which went online on Wednesday: "This ties in directly with the full-time/part-time issue," said the Chamber of Labor President. It lists the childcare options in 130 Carinthian municipalities: "In 40 percent of the 130 municipalities, parents can choose whether they want to work full-time or have to stay part-time due to a lack of childcare." Additional positive news: Unemployment figures in Carinthia have fallen compared to the previous year and the employment rate has risen.

The Industrial Association presented the results of a study at the government meeting: "The study states that energy demand in Carinthia will double by 2040," Kaiser summarizes. This also resulted in the IV's demand: a sustainable energy mix of renewable energies! "In addition, the most energy-intensive companies in Carinthia are also among the top 3 most energy-intensive in the whole of Austria," Kaiser reminds us, probably alluding to the upcoming referendum on the wind turbine issue.

De-bureaucratization and regional models
Martin Gruber primarily supported the demands for deregulation and less bureaucracy: "We were presented with 80 proposals on how to reduce bureaucracy and speed up procedures in Carinthia," said the ÖVP leader, who also promised to implement those points that relate to regional issues: "We will intensify our appeal for those points for which the federal government is responsible." He also spoke out against new hurdles for companies, citing several EU directives and regulations such as the Renaturation Act as examples.

In addition to the social partners, the state leadership also addressed other topics. For example, the go-ahead was given for the creation of regional development plans, which are intended to interlink local and regional development and spatial planning: "We are starting with three regions, which have priority primarily because of the Koralm Railway: Lower Carinthia with Wolfsberg and Völkermarkt, Klagenfurt and Klagenfurt-Land as well as Villach and Villach-Land." Specifically, there are to be participation processes in the form of workshops so that results can be presented by the end of 2025.

Savings package should bring efficiency
The savings package was also discussed. Around 1 billion euros are to be saved in the current legislative period: "Saving also means having the freedom to invest operationally and strategically," says Petschnig from an entrepreneurial perspective. He has never experienced such a savings package in such a short period of time "in Carinthia. But an austerity package also brings efficiency and effectiveness."