German Greens want petrol tax "developed further"
Date: 26-Mar-02
Country: GERMANY
Green party co-chairman Fritz Kuhn avoided giving details about the politically explosive question of whether controversial fuel taxes would be increased again.
The "eco-tax" was raised four times since the Greens joined the government in 1998.
The Greens will also call in their campaign programme for a tax on profits earned from speculation, something which has been rejected by Finance Minister Hans Eichel and the Social Democrats. Kuhn said the Greens also want to reform inheritance taxation.
"New steps for the ecological tax will be determined after the elections," Kuhn told journalists. He said a "further development" of the petrol tax would be included in the Greens campaign programme ahead of the September 22 election.
He said changes should be made to the exemptions granted to some sectors of industry.
Kuhn predicted the Greens would win at least eight percent of the vote in the election. The party won 6.7 percent in 1998.
SPD Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has said he would prefer to maintain his coalition with the Greens after the election, but might be forced to link up with the resurgent Free Democrats if support for his party falls significantly.
Kuhn also said the Greens wanted to see bank secrecy laws relaxed to help authorities in their fight against organised crime.
The Greens party programme is scheduled to be presented to party members at a party congress in Wiesbaden on April 4-5.