Germany to postpone nuclear tax decision:

In our opinion the polluter must always pay and if that means more taxes and lower profit margins for these global power companies who are only too keen to exploit our earths wonders.

Our concern on a local level is that this decision will mean the German and Swedish companies concerned will be putting more pressure on the UK government to get soft and compliant deals for there investments in this country.



Germany to postpone nuclear tax decision:


Credit: Reuters/Tobias Schwarz

DUESSELDORF
Wed Aug 18, 2010 3:26pm EDT

DUESSELDORF Germany (Reuters) - German Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said on Wednesday that he believes the government will postpone a decision on a contentious nuclear power tax until the end of September.

"That is also my understanding," said Roettgen, also charged with the energy portfolio, in response to a Reuters report that the government would delay the decision until the end of September when it presented its energy policy for coming decades.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's government had initially planned to present the decision at the start of the month together with other details of Germany's austerity drive.

Postponing the tax decision would give Berlin more time to resolve the stand-off with utility companies E.ON, RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall Europe, infuriated by the proposed new tax. (Reporting by Tom Kaeckenhoff, Writing by Sarah Marsh)