Billag: Bakom Director Dumermuth criticizes price watchdog
In an interview with the Sonntagszeitung, Bakom Director Martin Dumermuth criticized Price Ombudsman Stefan Meierhans' campaign against Billag, the agency responsible for collecting TV license fees. He said Meierhans’ proposal to collect the fees through federal taxes was ill-conceived.
In an interview with the Sonntagszeitung newspaper, Bakom Director Martin Dumermuth criticized the offensive launched by price watchdog Stefan Meierhans against the TV fee collection agency Billag. Bakom also wants to organize the collection of fees more efficiently, if this is possible, said Dumermuth. But Meierhans' proposal is ill-conceived.
Meierhans had proposed collecting the fees together with the direct federal tax and thus saving the CHF 54 million per year that the Billag system costs. According to Dumermuth, this was not thought through to the end. Alternative solutions would also cost something; the cantons, for example, collect 17 percent of the tax revenue for the collection of federal tax. "The proposal is misleading for consumers".
Alternative system hardly feasible before 2014
Dumermuth went on to criticize Meierhans' rash approach to the matter. "I was in very close contact with the price watchdog on this matter." They had agreed not to go public before the commission meeting two weeks ago. One day before the meeting, however, Meierhans appeared before the press. According to Dumermuth, Meierhans had switched on the media wind machine to stir up as much dust as possible.
Dumermuth is aiming for a fee reform because in future, virtually all communication devices will be able to receive radio and television. "The current concept of device-dependent fees will therefore soon no longer be applicable." However, the planned reform is so politically, legally and technically complex that an alternative system will hardly be functional before 2014.
(In the photo: Martin Dumermuth / Photo: Keystone)
Meierhans had proposed collecting the fees together with the direct federal tax and thus saving the CHF 54 million per year that the Billag system costs. According to Dumermuth, this was not thought through to the end. Alternative solutions would also cost something; the cantons, for example, collect 17 percent of the tax revenue for the collection of federal tax. "The proposal is misleading for consumers".
Alternative system hardly feasible before 2014
Dumermuth went on to criticize Meierhans' rash approach to the matter. "I was in very close contact with the price watchdog on this matter." They had agreed not to go public before the commission meeting two weeks ago. One day before the meeting, however, Meierhans appeared before the press. According to Dumermuth, Meierhans had switched on the media wind machine to stir up as much dust as possible.
Dumermuth is aiming for a fee reform because in future, virtually all communication devices will be able to receive radio and television. "The current concept of device-dependent fees will therefore soon no longer be applicable." However, the planned reform is so politically, legally and technically complex that an alternative system will hardly be functional before 2014.
(In the photo: Martin Dumermuth / Photo: Keystone)
