Consumer forum rejects "media tax"
The Consumer Forum (KF) opposes the amendment to the Radio and Television Act (RTVG), which will be put to a vote on June 14. The KF calls for a discussion to be held first regarding the mission and content of public service broadcasting.
The revision of the law would transfer the current Billag fee into a tax, writes the KF in a press release on Thursday. All consumers would have to pay this without any preconditions. This would be unfair to consumers who do not use reception devices. Such a media tax would also be socially unjust, as it would not be progressive. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular were right to object to the revision: only natural persons could listen to television or radio, not companies. As they are already taxed as private individuals, the media tax places a double burden on entrepreneurs. The KF consumer forum also warns against further cementing the power of the SRG monopoly. The money would be used to compete with offers from private media, which would make real competition more difficult. (SDA)
