Leuthard promotes lower levy for RTVA

The total amount of radio and television fees will be spread across more shoulders with the general levy, Media Minister Leuthard explained the reduction to the media in Bern. The new fee is to be introduced in mid-2018 or early 2019. In future, there will be 3.3 million contributors instead of the current 2.6 million. The levy will be charged per household and will no longer be linked to whether the household owns a receiver. A few thousand people would have to pay the new levy even though they do not own a receiver. However, the current system is also unfair, as those who do not watch or listen are financed by the honest payers. This is no longer possible. Registration should be automatic - based on the residents' register for households and the VAT register for companies. Anyone who does not have a receiver can be exempted from the tax for five years. This reduction is a "nice chunk", said the President of the Foundation for Consumer Protection, National Councillor Prisca Birrer-Heimo (SP/LU). She hopes for further reductions as the bureaucratic effort will decrease and the time-consuming checks will be eliminated. She also welcomed the fact that the hardship rule will be retained and that recipients of supplementary benefits, among others, will remain exempt from the tax.

No more money for the SRG

According to Leuthard, the change is necessary due to technological progress. The old system dates back to a time without the Internet. Today, 92 percent of households and 100 percent of companies have an internet connection. Radio and television can also be received on tablets and smartphones. It therefore "no longer makes sense to link the fee to a traditional receiver". The aim is not to collect more money for radio and television. After all, the Federal Council has only adjusted the fees in line with inflation over the last twelve years. Leuthard described the fear spread by opponents that fees would rise to CHF 1,000 per household as a false claim. In response to the Swiss Trade Association's (sgv) demand that the Swiss Federal Audit Office should examine the SRG's finances because the SRG could finance the Yes campaign via its supporting association, the Media Minister said: "We are already examining the SRG's finances, the audit office is welcome to take a look if it feels like it."

Zero tariff for three out of four companies

The SGV had launched a referendum against the RTVG revision. It fears that the economy will be burdened with an additional CHF 200 million with the levy. Leuthard said that only companies with a turnover of over CHF 500,000 per year would have to pay the levy. For three quarters of all companies, this means that they pay nothing. A further 9 percent paid only 400 francs. Today, the fee is between 612 and 1409 francs. The fee for companies, on the other hand, can rise to up to 39,000 francs. However, this only applies to companies with a turnover of over one billion francs. Leuthard emphasized that the new media levy is simple and fair. The Mayor of Lausanne and Vice-President of the Swiss Association of Cities, Daniel Brélaz (Greens), said that he "doubted that there was any company that did not watch television or listen to the radio from time to time". On the other hand, it is "absurd" that someone does not pay fees simply because they have the right technology. Leuthard warned that the discussion about the RTVA should not be confused with the discussion about the public service. The public service discussion must be conducted, which is why the Federal Council has a report to parliament in the works, but: "With the RTVA, we are only changing the collection." (SDA)

Image: Uvek