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The SBB’s finances are in bad shape: at the end of 2022, the state-owned company’s debts amounted to 11.4 billion francs. This is also related to the corona pandemic, but not only. Between 1999 and 2019, the SBB’s debt tripled from three to nine billion francs.
Now the Federal Council wants to help the SBB out of trouble. A one-off capital injection of 1.15 billion francs will be made to reduce the debt burden. This should enable the federal railways to make investments – and the need is great.
Parliament should discuss loans in the future
However, in the future, SBB’s financing will be slightly adjusted. To date, the federal government has provided SBB with repayable government loans to cover its investment needs. These loans are not subject to the debt brake.
This should change: the SBB should no longer be able to claim government loans above a certain debt level. Instead, the Federal Council should apply to the Federal Assembly for loans within the framework of the federal budget.
In addition, the reserves of the Railway Infrastructure Fund (BIF) must be increased: a maximum of two-thirds of the net revenues from the performance-related tax on heavy vehicles (LSVA) must flow to the BIF. (sf/SDA)
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
