German Finance Minister sets out sweeping reform plans to boost growth

BERLIN, March 25 (Reuters) - Germany needs a new growth model for its sluggish economy, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said on Wednesday, outlining a range of proposals including income tax reform and capping excess profits of energy companies.

"Whether Germany remains a strong country is up to us alone. We alone will decide that," Klingbeil said, adding Europe's biggest economy needed innovation, higher productivity, and technological leadership.

"We need technological leadership in key areas, competitive conditions for investment, a modern industrial base, secure supply chains, and functioning capital markets," he said.