BLS has for many years charged too much

the Federal government and the seven cantons of Bern, Lucerne, Freiburg, Solothurn, Valais, Vaud and neuchâtel have paid to the railway company, BLS since 2004, more than 45 million Swiss francs too much. The reason is that The BLS receives from the public a compensation for the loans, you must accommodate for the procurement of rolling stock, with interest. The high interest rates and too much capital.

The Federal office for transport (BAV) looked at it for years, not sure if the paid corresponded to the true cost of interest. Yesterday, the office had burst due to an internal audit report, the bomb. This holds, there is no continued existence of points that the relevant sections in the BAV "ever" studied the invoices in this respect. This happened even as the internal audit Department pointed out at the end of 2012.

Now everything has come to light. Responsible for more Pascal Stirnimann, chief auditor of the Federal office. He had already brought the post car scandal to light – after the since 2010 by Peter Füglistaler-run the office was, for years, remained inactive.

auditors warned in 2012 – without consequences

In the case of the BLS seems to repeat the action. For years the Federal loss in his eyes – until Stirnimann 2015 took office.

The prehistory: the beginning of the 2000s, procured the BLS new regional trains called "Nina" regional Express "for tags Berger". This procurement was approved by the Federal government and the seven cantons, in which the BLS operates the regional traffic. The interest cost for this procurement in accordance with the law apply to the purchaser. Thus, the costs for them vary, but from year to year, agreed to a calculation model, with the interest costs, "" smoothed. The BLS on the basis of this model, however, incorrect assumptions, which is why the purchaser paid for years to a lot of.

The BLS points out in an opinion to the fact that the model and the calculation had always been by the Federal Agency approved. In particular, the used interest rate of 2.5 per cent was, at the latest, after the financial crisis. Instead of him to the worldwide decline in interest rates adjust, it was the BLS, but even to increase it in 2008, from 2.5 to 2.84 percent. President of BLS since 2009, Rudolf Stämpfli, the former President of the Swiss employers ' Association.

Rudolf Stämpfli, President of the BLS. Photo: PD

released yesterday, The audit report notes that the Federal office should have recognized the difference between the actually paid and charged to interest expense in the financial statements. However, the office does not have this looked at.

As the internal audit spoke to this in an examination in the autumn of 2012, gave the performance of duties with the assurance from the BLS pleased to have pre-financed on the contrary, the interest costs even. This statement, as the report notes, "was wrong and has not been checked, also, apparently, unfortunately, by the BAV".

as of 2014, it was agreed for the new regional trains "Mutz" a new interest-cost-model. But instead of the promised "cost-truth" was, according to the yesterday presented a report the opposite is the case: The difference between actual interest costs and the Federal government and the seven cantons charged interest cost-even bigger than the old calculation model. The BAV approved the annual accounts anyway.

In April 2018, the internal audit function of the BAV took again the thing. Already in the planning phase for the audit, noted Pascal Stirnimann and the auditor in charge Bruno Jost, a lot more was paid for the interest rates than justified. They began immediately to an extraordinary test.

office implements the recommendations of the auditors are only partly to

In the yesterday published report by the auditors, concrete improvements, which are taken suggest, however, the Federal office only in part. So you are of the opinion that too much paid in interest costs would have to be refunded. The FOT assumes, however, the position of the BLS, that this applies only for the to much paid costs for 2014.

Still more: While the auditors are of the opinion that the current incorrect calculation model had to be annulled because it contained too many risks for more failed payments, it wants to lead the FOT "modified". And although the auditors require, to dispense with such models in the future, don't want to shoot the FOT you only. At least eight other models of computation, including one with the SBB to be taken this year under the magnifying glass.

Peter Füglistaler, Director of the Federal office for transport. Photo: Keystone

politicians react in consternation at the recent scandal of subsidies in public transport. The Aargauer FDP national councillor Thierry Burkart, the Parliament must take the subsidy system, the principle of the magnifying glass. The BLS case should be investigated, as the scandal of the audit Commission. "It must be clear where the responsibility for the year-long failures."

For the President of the national Council's traffic Commission, the Thurgauer SP-representative Edith Graf-Litscher, is the lesson to develop in the future, no special solutions for every company. Jürg Grossen, Bernese national councillor and President of the green liberal party, criticised the fact that as the post-car scandal, the government issues operation orders to a state and then the control is not so exactly look, like he should. "We need to change fundamentally," says Large. "We need more private enterprise. The state should focus on classic monopoly areas in the public Service and the role as arbitrator." The Bernese SVP-Nationalrat Adrian Amstutz will find that there is always more laws, less and less personal responsibility and decency. "The labour-intensive ulcer of organized irresponsibility spreads in the state as in the private sector."

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 15.03.2019, 22:26 PM