„Earmarking tax on mineral oil would be better than an area toll“

Rural areas would be weakened – high system costs are contrary to revenues; Austrian Economic Chamber requires the use of existing means instead of creating an additional burden

„Rural areas would be severely weakened in the competition if they had to pay truck tolls also on state and local roads. Moreover, this even contradicts the efforts of politicians to strengthen peripheral areas“ Sebastian Kummer (Vienna University of Economics and Business – WU) comments the study on the nationwide truck toll, commissioned by the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO).

Apart from companies in rural areas, also those exposed to international competition would be significantly weakened in their competitiveness because a nationwide truck toll would affect domestic enterprises in the first place, unlike the existing system, which is exactly the opposite, said Kummer. „In Austria we have one of the most efficient toll systems in international comparison. Only seven per cent of the earnings are used for the maintenance of the system,“ says Kummer. „A nationwide truck toll on local and federal roads would be just the opposite. The system costs would be high, and the countries would retain little of the revenue.“

According to his calculations, the toll revenues would be only EUR 282 million net of the high system costs. The reason therefore: Introducing such a toll would be very expensive due to the technical requirements – a satellite system would have to be implemented.

„The carriers active in a relatively small effective radius, such as timber transportation and delivery services, would be particularly affected by the cost burden. There is also danger that the area transport is increasingly performed by vans that do not covered by the area toll,“ says Sebastian Kummer. „This would presumably lead to increased traffic volume and the idea of environmental protection would be put aside,“ adds Christoph Leitl, WKO president.

This could be felt by companies from the transport industry, trade and commerce, but ultimately, by consumers: According to the study every Austrian would have to pay additional costs of around EUR 63-77 per year. „These additional costs can eat up the positive effects of a tax reform. Why do we want to take the people’s money back?“ criticized Christoph Leitl. „A nationwide truck toll on the secondary road network would be the opposite of a relief, which is being discussed in the course of the tax reform. Nobody can really seriously want this.“ Leitl expresses his dislike of a system contradictory to the tax reform.

This additional burden is not even necessary regarding transport policy, says Alexander Klacska, Chairman of the Federal Transport Division. „We must not worry about income, but about expenses. The provinces argue that their call for a nationwide toll is due to a lack of financialmeans – but a look into the budget shows that the money is actually there.“The means of the petroleum tax revenue is still available to the federal states,even if they are no longer earmarked.

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Quelle: LogEastics
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