Radio and TV fees: Federal Council does not rule out system change
The Federal Council is not ruling out a change to the collection system for radio and television fees. This is stated in the answer given on Thursday to an interpellation by SVP National Councillor Natalie Rickli.
The Federal Council is not ruling out a change to the collection system for radio and television fees. This is stated in the answer given on Thursday to an interpellation by SVP National Councillor Natalie Rickli.
The Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) carried out an invitation procedure for the award of the collection mandate until 2014. Three providers were invited to submit bids in this procedure, which is required by procurement law, but their names may not be disclosed. Today, the fees are collected by the Swisscom subsidiary Billag, which receives CHF 55 million annually from the federal government. Price watchdog Stefan Meierhans had called for Billag to be abolished because it only increased the cost of radio and TV fees. These would be better collected with the direct federal tax. The National Council's Telecommunications Commission (KVF) also wants to know more about the collection system for radio and television fees. Following a parliamentary initiative by Rickli, it has requested a report from the Federal Council by the end of the year by means of a postulate.
Rickli's initiative aims to reverse the decision of the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom) to charge fees for radio and television reception via cell phone and Internet from September 1, 2009. The KVF postulate requires the Federal Council to present the collection system and alternatives.
The Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) carried out an invitation procedure for the award of the collection mandate until 2014. Three providers were invited to submit bids in this procedure, which is required by procurement law, but their names may not be disclosed. Today, the fees are collected by the Swisscom subsidiary Billag, which receives CHF 55 million annually from the federal government. Price watchdog Stefan Meierhans had called for Billag to be abolished because it only increased the cost of radio and TV fees. These would be better collected with the direct federal tax. The National Council's Telecommunications Commission (KVF) also wants to know more about the collection system for radio and television fees. Following a parliamentary initiative by Rickli, it has requested a report from the Federal Council by the end of the year by means of a postulate.
Rickli's initiative aims to reverse the decision of the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom) to charge fees for radio and television reception via cell phone and Internet from September 1, 2009. The KVF postulate requires the Federal Council to present the collection system and alternatives.
