German cabinet decides details of economic support package.

Text of report by independent German news agency ddp on 27 January

Berlin: The cabinet decided on the second economic stimuli package on Tuesday [27 January]. The package contains measures amounting to approximately 50bn euros. Government circles reported that a supplementary budget and a reform of the road tax were also under way. On the latter item, the coalition reached an agreement only on Monday night.

Central components of the economic package are investments in the billions in road and rail construction, as well as in education. In addition, citizens are to be given relief. The basic tax-free allowance is to rise and the lowest tax rate is to drop from …