Hairdressing, Cosmetics, Barbershops: Klingbeil Slams Underground Economy and Promises Action
Klingbeil advocates for increased deployment of black workforce to combat issues and suggests the dispatch of customs officials.
Get ready for the customs office's annual report, folks! Before it drops, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (nah, he's not the current guy, but let's pretend) shares some grim stats on the devastating toll of the black market. He's got a plan to crush this problem, and he's not holding back on his predecessor, Lindner.
In 2024, according to Klingbeil, customs financial controllers uncovered a staggering 766 million euros in damage caused by the black market. He's aiming to uncover more hidden assholes, protect laborers from exploitation, and secure government revenue by beefing up investigations.
Klingbeil plans to introduce a bill aimed at targeting black market work before the summer break, focusing on sectors like hairdressing, cosmetics, and barbershops, among others.
Economy
Experts believe the dark figure of black market work is still significantly higher. The state's financial controllers are planning to use automated data analysis, even artificial intelligence, to get a better grip on this mess.
Economy
You'd think that with all this shady business going on, it's been happening for years, right? Well, Klingbeil—who's only been Finance Minister for three weeks—claims many well-off workers have gone black. Despite ongoing staffing shortages at customs, he insists there's plenty to investigate.
Critics might argue that a bit more ambition from Lindner could have prevented some of these headaches, but what's done is done. Regardless, Klingbeil is determined to tackle the issue with improve enforcement and policy reforms to make life harder for the black market.
Industry experts suggest cooperation between legal operators and the government is essential to reduce the black market's influence. Certifying suppliers and pressuring non-compliant entities to toe the line could help tip the scales in favor of the legitimate businesses.
Sources: ntv.de, gho/rts/dpa
- Black Market Work
- *Lars Klingbeil (fictional, as of June 2025)
- *Federal Ministry of Finance (fictional)
- Customs Investigators
- Lars Klingbeil, in his plan to eradicate black market work, intends to focus on sectors like hairdressing, cosmetics, and barbershops, which could potentially involve an increased scrutiny of the finance aspects within these businesses.
- In an attempt to combat the black market and strengthen the economy, Lars Klingbeil's proposed policy reforms include the use of automated data analysis and artificial intelligence, aiming to uncover the hidden aspect of the underground economy that still evades current detection.
