Commission of the Council of States wants to help only small editions
The Committee on Political Affairs (SPK) of the Council of States wants to continue allowing reduced postal rates for small-circulation regional and local publications. However, unlike the National Council, it wants to eliminate the 60 million Swiss franc subsidy for postal rates for all newspapers and magazines.
The State Policy Committee (SPK) of the Council of States wants to continue to allow reduced postal rates for small-circulation titles in the regional and local press. However, unlike the National Council, it wants to abolish the subsidization of postal taxes for all newspapers and magazines to the tune of CHF 60 million. The SPK of the National Council had previously drafted an amendment to the Postal Services Act
which enables a continuation of the postal tax reduction for the press. The current regulations expire at the end of the year. The National Council envisaged, on the one hand, that Swiss Post would be obliged to grant distance-independent preferential prices at the current level, for which it would be compensated by the Confederation to the tune of CHF 60 million. On the other hand, CHF 20 million per year is to be made available for the transportation of small-circulation items (see ). However, the corresponding committee of the Council of States is now of the opinion that the National Council's proposal is still based on a watering can system in which titles with a large circulation also benefit from the subsidies. It only wants to grant concessions for the promotion of small-circulation titles. The SPK has therefore instructed the administration to reformulate the text submitted by the National Council in such a way that an annual amount is made available to Swiss Post. This should ensure that the subscription costs for daily and weekly newspapers in the regional and local press do not have to be increased compared to the current level. The committee wants the bill to be dealt with in the summer session.
which enables a continuation of the postal tax reduction for the press. The current regulations expire at the end of the year. The National Council envisaged, on the one hand, that Swiss Post would be obliged to grant distance-independent preferential prices at the current level, for which it would be compensated by the Confederation to the tune of CHF 60 million. On the other hand, CHF 20 million per year is to be made available for the transportation of small-circulation items (see ). However, the corresponding committee of the Council of States is now of the opinion that the National Council's proposal is still based on a watering can system in which titles with a large circulation also benefit from the subsidies. It only wants to grant concessions for the promotion of small-circulation titles. The SPK has therefore instructed the administration to reformulate the text submitted by the National Council in such a way that an annual amount is made available to Swiss Post. This should ensure that the subscription costs for daily and weekly newspapers in the regional and local press do not have to be increased compared to the current level. The committee wants the bill to be dealt with in the summer session.
