Hauliers may sway Govt on Swiss tax
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by Alan Millar
THE GOVERNMENT looks likely to bow to British hauliers' pressure and impose a tax on Swiss lorries running into Britain if the punitive Swiss lorry taxes are not withdrawn.
The Road Haulage Association has been demanding this reprisal since the Swiss first gave notice of their plan to charge all commercial vehicles entering their territory a tax of around £5 per day.
They felt particularly sorely about the Swiss tax as it appeared to be imposed purely to raise additional tax revenue.
Transit taxes charged by the Austrian and Turkish authorities are justified on the basis of the wear international vehicles impose on roads there, and where they are not delivering or collecting goods in those countries.
Initially, the British Government preferred to convey its annoyance by an exchange of letters between Transport Minister Lynda Chalker and her Swiss counterpart, and to hope for European pressure at EEC and International Road Transport Union level changing the Swiss view.
But the chances of a collective Move have been unde nu in e d by individual European governments imposing their own anti-Swiss taxes in retaliation.
In Western Europe, West Germany, France, Sweden and Finland already charge tolls on Swiss vehicles entering their territory and Belgium and Italy have sought Parliamentary powers to do the same.
In Eastern Europe, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary and Yugoslavia are charging tax on Swiss vehicles.
Now, Transport Secretary Nicholas Ridley has written to the Road Haulage Association — which has never let up in its demand that taxes should be imposed on Swiss vehicles running here — saying the Government is to review the situation as a matter of urgency.
He told RI-IA director-general Freddie Plaskett that this would include the "possibility" of retaliatory action, but warned that there could be difficulties in imposing a tax.
The lack of standing legislation eculd be ont, of the obstacles, but the Government might: not have much ditlicoliy in gaining Parliamentary approval for the tax.
iii son,c respecis, an antiSwiss tax could turn out to be more symbolic than punitive, as Swiss vehicles account bar only about one per cent of the lorries Li 111 g ro/i o ferries from Biltan. to Europe.
Last y...ac, 5,400 Swiss vehicles ran to Britain, out of a total 426,400 from all count tie.,.
Nevertheless, As a point of principle, the Gov er ii m en t may appe.ar to be doing something about the problem.
and this confirmed by a Freight Ttariport Association spokesman who told CM that it hoped the Swiss would cease to clia..-ge their tax FTA, he added, supported the bi-eaking down of barr ct a to die free movement of goods aci.oss frontiers_ The Swiss tax was an utiwelcome obstacle, a,' would be a British ta.x. Swiss vehicles