Transport Ministry Head Approves Establishment of New Mobile Communication Firm
**Berlin - Amidst significant concerns raised by the Federal Court of Auditors, Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer persists in advocating for the planned mobile infrastructure company. The Federal Ministry of Transport's response to a request for information by Green parliamentary budget expert Sven-Christian Kindler, as reported by the newspapers of the "Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland" (Saturday editions), highlights this determination.
The Federal Court of Auditors had previously criticized the establishment of this new authority, citing a lack of clarity regarding its purpose, given the existing structures for digital infrastructure expansion and mobile network development. The Court also warned of potential uncoordinated parallelism. Furthermore, it pointed out that it was unable to assess the cost-effectiveness of the five billion euros allocated for the project due to biased data presented in the economic feasibility study submitted by the ministry. The necessary "goals and criteria for a budget law-compliant success control" were found to be missing, implying that the ministry would struggle to exercise its oversight function over the new authority, as stated in a report to the Budget Committee of the Bundestag at the end of August.
Despite this clear criticism, the Federal Ministry of Transport maintains its stance, claiming it is working to clarify the necessary framework conditions for the use of the five billion euros provided within the context of the economic stimulus package to support the nationwide rollout of 5G. The ministry continues to assume that the economic feasibility study submitted earlier provides a sufficient basis for the approval of the establishment of the new authority.
Kindler, the Green MP, described the ministry's approach as "unbelievable." He asserted that, for Scheuer's new mega-authority, neither the specific tasks nor the goals are clear. He went on to say that building an authority of such magnitude without knowing what tasks it should perform resembles the 'Home' department in the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Kindler called for the project to be halted until the cost-effectiveness and goals of the authority are clear, stating, "No facts should be created now that nobody can go back on."**
Enrichment Data Relevance Evaluation:- The enrichment data provides context on the Federal Ministry of Transport's motivations for the establishment of the mobile infrastructure company, including the aim to advance autonomous and electric public transport, digital transformation, and innovation leadership. While this information is relevant, it is more suited for a dedicated background or explainer article, and integrating it directly into the main news text might detract from the article's clarity and readability.
- The contentious transport policy, with the proposed mobile infrastructure company, remains prominent in German politics, as the Federal Minister of Transport, Andreas Scheuer, continues to defend the plan despite criticism from the Federal Court of Auditors.
- Despite the Federal Court of Auditors' warnings about potential uncoordinated parallelism and questionable cost-effectiveness, the politics surrounding the new authority's establishment have, so far, not been influenced by these concerns, with the Federal Ministry of Transport maintaining its backing for the project.
