New tax for shipping companies: millions for billionaires, medium-sized companies leave empty-handed

class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 iQNQmc”>

Millions for billionaires: The Economic Commission of the Council of States (WAK-S) negotiated the controversial tonnage tax on Monday. With a yes vote, the Commission would, following the Federal Council and the National Council, pave the way for Swiss shipping companies to no longer be taxed on the basis of their profits, but rather on their transport capacities. The Council of States will decide on this on March 14.

Thanks to this law, shipping companies save millions every year. As it became known this weekend, the world’s largest shipping company, the Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), was significantly involved in drafting the bill – with the help of then Finance Minister Ueli Maurer (73). . Coincidentally, the biggest beneficiary of the law is the MSC; he actually built his own Lex MSC.

According to ‘Bilanz’, the Aponte family, owner of MSC, is one of the five richest Swiss. Parliament gives millions to billionaires. This is grist to the mill of those in favor of a 13th AHV pension. Union boss Pierre-Yves Maillard (55) also tells Blick: “This shows that there are billions for the highest incomes, but that the middle class is left empty-handed.”

Companies and the wealthy are relieved

Because the fact is: inflation, the shock of health insurance premiums, high energy prices and rising rents are putting a lot of pressure on households. And the VAT increase of 0.4 percentage points at the beginning of 2024 will also hit your wallet. But politicians are doing nothing to compensate for the loss of purchasing power. But as Maillard suggests as president of the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions, it also eases the burden on companies and the wealthy. Dissatisfaction among the population is growing.

It is becoming clear that the civilian opponents could be subject to an additional AHV pension benefit on the voting Sunday of March 3. Politicians and representatives of business associations are now criticizing each other. There is talk of a ‘bloodless campaign’, as the ‘SonntagsZeitung’ reported.

And the fact that Stefan Mäder (60) attacked the 13th AHV pension in the Blick interview was again poorly received by readers. The president of the Swiss Insurance Association and the Mobiliar argued that enlarging the watering can in this way was a bad approach. Instead, he advocated improving access to additional services.

“Insurers want to expand the 2nd pillar instead of AHV”

But as the comments show, this statement is just as bad as the fact that old federal councilors spoke out against the 13th AHV pension. Blick readers accused the insurance companies of only wanting to make a lot of money from the second pillar. The Mäder insurance association has a business interest in expanding the 2nd pillar instead of the AHV.

Maillard can sit back in the meantime. As long as bourgeois politicians and business representatives oppose the public in the discussion about the 13th AHV pension, he does not need to conduct a major voting campaign.

How the discussion about the tonnage tax ended was unclear until the evening; the WAK-S did not want to announce its decision on Monday.

Source:Blick