Three leading electricity providers have reduced their prices. The Austrian Energy Alliance – the distribution agency of Vienna’s Wien Energie, Lower Austrian company EVN AG and Eisenstadt-based BEWAG – said yesterday (Weds) it reduced the price for one kilowatt hour (KWh) of electricity by 3.3 per cent at the beginning of this month. The decrease […]
An increase of taxes on assets will not help lower the state debt, according to a survey. Researchers of Salzburg University – who cooperated with a tax consultant office to conduct their investigation – said yesterday (Weds) raising Austria’s comparably low taxation rate on assets would not significantly support the government in its current attempt […]
Michael Ludwig has vowed to improve the quality of services to people living in social housing flats in Vienna. The Viennese Social Democratic (SPÖ) housing councillor told the Kurier newspaper today (Thurs) his department recently raised the number of advice and information checkpoints situated at community housing complexes to 100 in the past months. He […]
Parliament speaker Barbara Prammer has branded suggestions to restore the state budget without any tax increases as “illusory”. The Social Democrat (SPÖ) – who reportedly considers running for president in 2016 – told the Kurier that “the weak have to be protected”. Prammer stressed she did not want to give her point of view on […]
Social Democratic (SPÖ) General Secretary Laura Rudas has defended her party’s intention to increase taxes. The SPÖ wants to raise some taxation rates to restore the budget while its coalition partner, the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP), expressed the intention to concentrate on lowering investments. Rudas said today (Weds) “all experts” were of the opinion that […]
Young businesspeople expect a worsening of the economic climate – but they are also convinced of being able to weather the turmoil. The Association of Young Entrepreneurs said yesterday (Tues) it interviewed 2,200 self-employed Austrians in the past weeks. Around seven in 10 of them expect a new crisis but only two per cent fear […]
A sociologist has questioned the results of a disputed study on Austrian teens’ attitudes. Newspaper commentators, integration experts and radio talk show hosts engaged in a heated debate about the outcome of the latest examination by the Austrian Institute for Youth Culture Research. The organisation found that 43.6 per cent of Vienna-based teens agreed with […]
Defence Minister Norbert Darabos has hit back after a fellow Social Democrat (SPÖ) suggested to sell Austria’s Eurofighter jet fleet. SPÖ General Secretary Günther Kräuter said on Sunday Austria could get rid of its 15 fighter aircraft due to non-existent war concerns. Kräuter argued the alpine country was under higher financial and economic risk these […]
The latest labour statistic has dished up good and bad news for Austria’s lawmakers and employees. Around 360,500 people had no job last month, according to Statistik Austria. The agency said yesterday (Mon) this was a decline of 0.8 per cent compared to December 2010. It pointed out that the number of people sitting re-education […]
Vienna takes fifth place in a survey checking European city’s tourism competitiveness. German consulting group Roland Berger investigated the marketing efforts of 24 capital cities in Europe in their battle for vacationers. The firm’s study also considered economic aspects. Roland Berger ranked Vienna in fifth place, neck and neck with Berlin in Germany. Paris in […]