These are the priorities of the Council of States in the first budget round
Published: Tuesday, Dec 5th 2023, 14:20
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On Tuesday, the Council of States was the first chamber to discuss the federal budget for the coming year and the task and finance plan for 2025 to 2027. It made several changes compared to the Federal Council. The debt brake is currently only complied with through a credit freeze.
FEDERAL ASSEMBLY: The Council of States is budgeting around CHF 2.2 million less than the Federal Council for the Federal Assembly's current expenditure. Expenditure growth compared to 2023 will be slowed from 4.5 to 2.7 percent. The decision also affects the financial plan for 2025 to 2027.
COURTS: Current expenditure for the Federal Supreme Court and the Federal Administrative Court is also set to increase less than budgeted by the Federal Council compared to 2023. Overall, the Council of States wants to spend around CHF 3 million less than the government. The decision also affects the financial plan for 2025 to 2027.
PROTECTION OF MINORITIES: The Council of States wants to provide CHF 2.5 million more for the protection of religious minorities in the coming year than originally planned in the Federal Council's budget. At the same time, the Federal Council included the corresponding funds in the financial plan for the years 2025 to 2027. The money is to benefit Jewish and Muslim communities.
ASYLUM SOCIAL ASSISTANCE: The Council of States wants to cut social assistance for asylum seekers, temporarily admitted persons and refugees by CHF 30 million compared to the Federal Council's proposal. According to the proposal, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) will have just under CHF 1.1 billion available for social assistance in the asylum system in the coming year. Compared to 2023, expenditure is likely to grow less strongly.
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: According to the Council of States, investment expenditure by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) for loans and investments in developing countries should remain at the same level next year. The Federal Council has earmarked an additional CHF 10 million to increase the equity capital of the development finance company Sifem.
AGRICULTURE: Direct payments for farmers are to be left at the 2023 level of around CHF 2.8 billion. The Federal Council wanted to save just under CHF 55 million here. The global budget of the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) - specifically for pest control -, the promotion of Swiss wine and contributions to sugar beet producers are also to be reduced to a lesser extent. The Council of States wants to spend the same amount of money as in the current year on the breeding and preservation of Swiss animal breeds and on herd protection measures. These measures will result in additional expenditure of CHF 17.2 million compared to the Federal Council's proposal. The decisions also affect the financial plan for 2025 to 2027.
REGIONAL PASSENGER TRANSPORT: The Council of States wants to increase the federal funding for regional passenger transport by CHF 55 million compared to today - and not cut it by CHF 5 million, as proposed by the Federal Council. In future, transport companies will have around CHF 1.134 billion at their disposal for the planned uncovered costs. The increase of CHF 55 million compared to today also affects the financial planning years 2025 to 2027.
EQUALIZATION: The Council of States wants to increase the global budget of the Federal Office for Gender Equality (FOGE) by CHF 1.5 million in each of the financial planning years 2025 to 2027 compared to the Federal Council's proposal. Compared to today, this would be an increase of around CHF 0.8 million. The additional funds are to be used to finance the campaign to prevent violence.
ARMY: The Council of States wants to increase the army's budget faster than the Federal Council. Switzerland is to spend one percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on national defense as early as 2030 and not just in 2035. The Council of States has not decided how the additional expenditure is to be financed. A faster increase in the army budget is "not sensible" given the Confederation's current financial situation, said Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter.
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Next up is the National Council. It will begin discussing the budget on Thursday.
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