Do not matter.In this TL he is one of many KGB colonels - and considered that KGB send to East Germany their less intelligient people,he would be not used.
Remember,in OTL he was made leader by KGB mafia to care about their interests.Becouse there were no more soviet party.
With soviet party...
In theory,they could copy-cat China,become capitalists and rich - but in practice,it would be very hard,if possible at all,to made such chance.Especially,that none of those putchist knew anything about economy.