The reform of the pension provision 2020 is adjusted and ready for the final vote on 17 March 2017. The increase in VAT was particularly controversial(see our contribution of 3 March 2017).
At their meeting on 16 March 2017, the Council of States and the National Council approved the motion of the Unification Conference on the reform of pensions 2020 ( business number14.008) (see minutes of the Council of States; Minutes of the National Council).
A key difference was, among other things, in the increase in VAT. The Council of States wanted to increase VAT by 1.0%, while the National Council only wanted to increase it by 0.6%(see our contribution of 12 March 2017).
With regard to the increase in VAT, the National Council was able to prevail. Vat is to be increased by 0.6% in two stages to finance the AHV (0.3% as of 1 January 2018 in the sense of continuing the additional IV financing in favour of the AHV and 0.3% as of 1 January 2021). In combination with the already decided 0.1% increase in the VAT rate in favour of financing the development of the railway infrastructure (FABI), the standard rate of VAT would continue to be 8.0% from 1 January 2018(see our contribution of 23 February 2017from 1 January 2018 on the development of VAT rates from 1 January 2018 ) and from 1 January 2021 to 8.3%.
The bill is therefore ready for the final parliamentary vote on 17 March 2017. According to media reports, it is generally expected that the proposal will be adopted in the final vote. Although the vote was close in the National Council, no qualified more will be needed in the final vote(see NZZ of 16 March 2017)
All documents relating to the Application for the Unification Conference are available here. All information, documents and media releases on pension provision 2020 and parliamentary deliberation scan are available here.
