Savings proposals: Cantons against premature shifting of burdens
Published: Thursday, Sep 5th 2024, 14:40
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The Conference of Cantonal Governments recognizes that the Confederation must do something to improve its financial budget. However, it calls for the burden not to be shifted prematurely from the Confederation to the cantons.
Such burden-shifting from the federal government to the cantons are not genuine cost-cutting measures and "are fundamentally rejected or critically questioned by the cantons", writes the Conference of Cantonal Governments in a statement on Thursday.
The "Unbundling 27" project launched by the Federal Council and the cantonal governments should not be jeopardized by unilateral federal cost-cutting measures in jointly financed areas of responsibility.
With this project, which was only launched in June, the cantons and federal government would increase the financial scope of action of both levels of government and strengthen federalism. Clear responsibilities would increase efficiency at federal and cantonal level.
It is also wrong to believe that the cantons, in contrast to the federal government, are much better off in terms of financial policy and should therefore take on the burden of the federal government. While certain cantons reported surpluses, others were struggling with deficits and were also planning relief measures.
The good cantonal results in some cases are also a deceptive snapshot: the cantons are bearing the main burden of demographic change. In particular, the costs borne by the cantons and municipalities in the health and care sector will rise massively in the future.
The Conference of Cantonal Governments intends to examine the proposals of the Gaillard group of experts in detail and comment on them as part of the regular consultation process.
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