The Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior and Sport has once again awarded the city of Salzgitter a needs-based grant of € 5 million for 2019 to reduce the accumulated debt on the basis of the consolidation measures adopted by the council on December 19, 2018 in the double budget for 2020/2021. This is the highest possible allocation amount in the 2019 approval process.

Mayor Klingebiel sees the additional financial aid from the state of Lower Saxony as urgently needed, but also justified: "The fact that the state of Lower Saxony has granted our city a needs-based allocation of €5 million for the third time in a row is gratifying.The Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior and Sport has thus acknowledged the city's own ongoing consolidation efforts in the 2019 financial year. The state of Lower Saxony's needs-based grants now amount to a total of €15 million for the years 2017 to 2019. However, this debt relief for the city of Salzgitter with needs-based grants from the state is also urgently required in view of the city's indebtedness and is also justified in a municipal comparison. It also confirms the will of the state of Lower Saxony to help the city of Salzgitter with its special and complex problems in a consistent and sustainable manner."

As in the 2017 and 2018 approval procedures, in 2019 the applicant had to be certified by the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior and Sport as the approval authority as having an "exceptional budgetary situation", "particular financial weakness", "particular need" and a "special personal contribution to debt relief" as approval criteria for a needs-based allocation.

Klingebiel: "I was once again able to make it clear to the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior and Sport that the city of Salzgitter undoubtedly meets these criteria and I am delighted about this clear support from the state."