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Reforms needed to secure future of German family businesses

By Rashmi Kumar

The future of Germany’s family businesses could be affected by the government’s lack of reforms, according to a spokesman for Germany’s main family business pressure group.

The group, Die Stimme Der Familienunternehmer, told CampdenFB that they had expected a more business-oriented policy to be put in place by Chancellor Angela Merkel and the German government in the last 18 months. But with no reforms to the social security system, the lobby group said that this could affect the future of family businesses in Germany.

A spokesman said: “Health, elder care and unemployment insurances need to be reformed – 40% of an employee’s wage goes towards social security, and this will likely get more expensive and has to be stopped. Though the lack of reforms does not affect the growth of family businesses directly, it will affect its future over the next 10 years.”

The group wants the government to cut social security payments by business.

The lobby group’s president Patrick Adenauer, who is also the managing partner at construction group Bauwens Gmbh, is due to step down this week. As yet, the group hasn’t announced his replacement.

Germany is home to some of the biggest family-controlled businesses including automobile maker BMW, manufacturing firm Freudenberg and food and drinks company Oetker Group.

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