"A bike path that ends at a traffic island, plastic chairs costing more than €200,000, cost explosions in opera house construction: once again, the Taxpayers' Association has denounced instances of tax waste in Germany in its black book. Germany's Taxpayers' Association called for "a consistent rethinking of how public investments are planned, implemented, and sustainably financed" in its Black Book, published on Tuesday. The 2024 Black Book lists public projects whose costs have spiralled out of control or whose benefits are called into question by the Taxpayers' Association."
"In Fuldabrück, Hesse, for example, the association highlights €7,000 of public money "wasted" on a bike lane which ends in front of a traffic island in such a way that cyclists inevitably end up riding into oncoming traffic. Also in Hesse, the town of Eschwege wanted to create a meeting place with plastic seating: "A specially convened interdisciplinary working group decided against modular systems that were already available," according to the Taxpayers' Association. "Instead, the city commissioned a prototype tailored to the diverse requirements and needs of Eschwege." The project is alleged to have cost €223,000."
Germany's Taxpayers' Association highlights numerous public projects with spiralling costs and doubtful benefits. Specific examples include a €7,000 bike lane in Fuldabrück that ends at a traffic island, forcing cyclists into oncoming traffic, and a bespoke plastic seating prototype in Eschwege that allegedly cost €223,000. The report criticises major cultural infrastructure spending on opera house renovation and construction. The dossier also raises concerns about a €600 million loan to Swedish battery maker Northvolt and stresses that parliamentary costs remain extremely high despite a reduced number of members. The association calls for consistent reform of investment planning and financing.
Read at The Local Germany
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