National Council can decide on constitutional provisions on cash
Published: Tuesday, Oct 8th 2024, 17:40
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The National Council can decide on constitutional provisions on cash in Switzerland. Its responsible committee agrees with the Federal Council's proposal to submit a direct counter-proposal to the "Cash is freedom" initiative.
The Committee for Economic Affairs and Taxation (WAK-N) decided by 22 votes to 3 to reject the "Yes to an independent, free Swiss currency with coins or banknotes (cash is freedom)" initiative of the Swiss Freedom Movement. At the same time, it adopted constitutional provisions as a direct counter-proposal to the initiative.
This was announced by the parliamentary services on Tuesday. Accordingly, the counter-proposal aims to enshrine existing legal provisions in the constitution largely unchanged. The WAK-N's support for the proposals was undisputed.
However, the committee made some changes to the Federal Council's proposals. It wants to write the term "Swiss franc" instead of "franc" into the constitution, thereby incorporating an important concern of the initiative.
The motion to enshrine in the constitution that cash should "as a rule" be accepted as a means of payment was defeated. In the eyes of the majority, this legal obligation does not require an additional constitutional provision.
The majority of the WAK-N also said no to the proposal to guarantee access to cash for people receiving social or emergency aid. The majority felt that this would interfere with the sovereignty of the cantons, which often provide emergency aid in the form of benefits in kind. The National Council is expected to discuss the bill in the winter.
©Keystone/SDA
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