In Switzerland the fuel used by piste groomers to prepare ski slopes is cheaper than that used by most other vehicles. The reason is a refund of the mineral oil tax—a levy that, in practice, does not apply to machines that operate off public roads. The arrangement has drawn the ire of the Green Liberal Party (GLP), which wants it scrapped, according to RTS.
The same tax relief applies to agricultural and forestry vehicles. Much of the roughly 80 centimes a litre fuel tax is earmarked for building and maintaining roads—an infrastructure that piste groomers and farm machinery rarely use. When the system was devised, the logic was administrative fairness rather than climate policy. That rationale now looks dated, which helps explain the growing political unease.
Figures from the Federal Council suggest that ski resorts save between CHF 8m and CHF 10m a year thanks to the refund. For the GLP, that sum is hard to justify at a time when the federal government is seeking to plug multibillion-franc budget gaps by trimming spending across a wide range of programmes.
The party plans to file a motion during the March parliamentary session to abolish the tax break. With turnover of CHF 1.8bn last year, the cable-car and lift sector can afford to do without such support, argues Céline Weber, a National Councillor from Vaud and the author of the proposal. Cutting a subsidy of 8m to 10m francs would not double lift-ticket prices, she says, adding that proposed cuts to areas such as adult education raise questions about the government’s priorities.
Support for mountain tourism
Opponents are unconvinced. Syndey Kamerzin, a centrist MP from Valais, argues that the tax break remains vital for mountain tourism. Lift companies, especially in the Prealps, can be pushed into difficulty after a bad winter, he says. In that context, the refund is a modest but important cushion—and negligible for federal finances.
The GLP’s proposal faces long odds. In debates over the government’s austerity plans, parliament’s right-wing and centre-right majority has repeatedly rebuffed ideas that would raise additional revenue.
Aligning incentives
In theory, pollution taxes can change behaviour and spur technological change. In practice, the options are often limited. Electric snow groomers exist, but they are produced in small numbers, cost more upfront and can operate for only a few hours before needing to recharge. The question is whether removing the fuel-tax refund would accelerate a shift to cleaner technology—or simply force ski resorts to effectively pay for road infrastructure for machines that do not use it.
More on this:
RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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