© dpa
The Berlin government factions of the SPD, the Green Party and the Left have added another 400 million euros to the supplementary budget for the capital city.
With now three billion euros of funds "Berliners will be experience targeted relief in this crisis winter," the three groups announced on Saturday. The Berlin House of Representatives is to vote on the financial resources on Monday.
The state parliament had discussed the supplementary budget in its first reading on Thursday, when it still amounted to 2.6 billion euros. The money is intended in particular to relieve citizens in view of the high energy prices. For example, subsidies for Berlin businesses are to be financed, the continuation of the 29-euro ticket and the lowering of the cost of the social ticket to 9 euros, the expansion of advisory services on energy saving and the hardship fund for people who can no longer pay their electricity and gas bills.
300 million euros have also been earmarked for the school construction campaign. According to SPD parliamentary group leader Raed Saleh, the reserve for construction cost increases will be increased by 150 million euros to 600 million euros. "We have put together an eco-social relief package for Berliners that will prepare them for future crises," Green Party parliamentary group leaders Silke Gebel and Werner Graf announced. "We are closing the gaps in the aid package of the federal government of the traffic light, especially for people who are still dependent on heating with oil, coal and wood," said the leaders of the parliamentary group of the Left, Anne Helm and Carsten Schatz.