Swiss companies currently pay CHF 180 million a year to the SRG. The industry criticizes this levy as an unfair and unlawful double burden. Abolishing it would free up funds for investment in real values: In apprenticeships, employee training or cybersecurity. This would benefit the whole of Switzerland, writes the trade association in a press release.

According to the trade association, Swiss companies are subject to disproportionate double taxation when financing SRG: employees pay the Serafe fee privately via their household, while companies must also pay a turnover-based media levy to SRG - regardless of whether SRG services are used in the company. The fee is effectively a tax and violates the principle of economic performance and the prohibition of arbitrariness.

Particularly affected: SMEs with high turnover and low margins

SMEs with high turnover and low margins are particularly affected. Pierre Daniel Senn, garage owner and Vice President of the Swiss Trade Association (sgv), says: "This unfair tax must go now. We are paying many times more today than we did ten years ago." Daniela Schneeberger, Vice President of the sgv and trustee, also criticizes the tax: "This is an unfair tax - especially as the Federal Supreme Court has clearly ruled that it is unlawful."

President Regazzi: "Why do we entrepreneurs pay 180 million a year to SRG?"

Fabio Regazzi, President of the Swiss Trade Association and owner of a metal construction company with apprentices, emphasizes the scale of the burden: "Someone should explain to me why we entrepreneurs should pay 180 million francs a year to the SRG when we don't consume SRG. I, for example, would prefer to invest the several thousand francs that our company pays in SRG tax each year in apprentice support or employee training. That would be a valuable investment and that's why it's absolutely clear to me: paying twice as much for the same thing is too much, paying once is enough!"

Taxation is "unconstitutional"

Back in 2019, the Federal Administrative Court ruled that the SRG's degressive tariff structure for companies was unconstitutional. The "CHF 200 is enough!" initiative eliminates the unconstitutional situation, completely relieves companies and reduces the Serafe fee for households from CHF 335 to CHF 200. This will reduce what is currently the highest TV and radio fee in the world. Neither the SRG nor the public service will be abolished. SRG would still have almost one billion francs at its disposal even after the initiative is accepted.

During the Corona pandemic, an enthusiasm for local shopping emerged, the SGV wrote in a statement. Several studies showed that since then, people have become more conscious of buying locally and that quality, sustainability, availability and time savings have become more important.

A real run on farm stores was recorded during the lockdown, said Agro-Marketing Suisse President Urs Schneider. Retailers had achieved record sales of food products. And shopping tourism, which accounts for between nine and eleven billion Swiss francs, has also declined, he said.

The Corona crisis thus demonstrated from one day to the next the importance of the Swiss retail trade with its local supply chain, said the director of the retail trade association, Dagmar Jenni. With around 310,000 jobs and 23,000 apprentices, it also contributes to prosperity in Switzerland.

The three associations now wanted to seize the momentum. They therefore launched a joint national campaign to motivate the population to buy in Switzerland. This is also a sign of solidarity with SMEs, which have worked their way out of the pandemic with a great deal of innovative strength and perseverance, said SGV President Hans-Ulrich Bigler.