LUDWIGSHAFEN (dpa-AFX) - BASF CFO Dirk Elvermann has called for closer cooperation between politics and business in Germany. "In view of the many construction sites, little fits together at the moment. We are talking past each other in important areas," said Elvermann in an interview with the news agencies dpa-AFX and dpa.

They are "a bit disconnected from each other" at the moment. "It's about bringing together the important points, such as infrastructure, education, industrial framework conditions, research and development and energy supply, and creating an investment strategy and a narrative for the country."

Furthermore, the economy is suffering massively from ever-increasing regulatory pressure. "Chemical companies are subject to so many regulations that may be well-intentioned, but are difficult to manage in total, even for a large company - not to mention small and medium-sized enterprises," said Elvermann. He called for a long overdue reduction in bureaucracy. "We also need more competitiveness - in the short term in terms of energy costs, for example, and in the long term in terms of infrastructure."

The recent rail strike had hit BASF hard. "In Ludwigshafen, around 30 percent of goods traffic goes by rail. We actually have enough problems with our infrastructure and are now simply shutting down the rail network for a few days, more or less." This is not only difficult for many commuters, but also a problem for companies in already difficult times. "This can be partially compensated for, but nobody is happy about additional trucks on the roads."/wo/mne/men