TV fees, multimillionaire Moret and the high dividend

Does a rich Vaud entrepreneur benefit from the budget fee for TV and radio? The high profits of the Serafe recently gave to speak. Co -owner Cédric Moret threatened with the lawyer – and can rely on prominent supporters from politics.

Hated Billag is replaced

As of the beginning of 2019, the radio and television delivery that had previously been paid depending on the device for private individuals whose lion’s share flows to finance the SRG offer was replaced. Since then, a fee of CHF 335 per year has been due for each household.

In March 2018 of Serafe AG, the federal government granted the mandate for the collection of budget levy for the years 2019 to 2025. It replaced the controversial Billag AG. But the new concessionaire also initially caused negative headlines: Insufficient data bases for the composition of private households provided numerous faulty invoices.

Rich IT entrepreneur takes over

In May 2022, the ELCA Group of the Vaud IT entrepreneur and multi -illionärs Cédric Moret indirectly took over a majority of 63.5 percent of the seraf. Specifically, Elca subsidiary Sumex AG completed a deal with the previous shareholders of Secon AG, which belonged to the Serafe at the time.

The 55-year-old Moret, ex-husband of the Vaud FDP councilor and former Federal Council candidate Isabelle Moret, is CEO and the majority owner of the ELCA Group. He controls one of the largest Swiss IT companies with numerous subsidiaries and over 2200 employees worldwide. In 2023, the ELCA achieved an annual turnover of CHF 328 million.

Give high dividends to talk

At the end of May that « NZZ on Sunday » Apparently that Serafe AG ​​spent 6 million francs to its parent company Secon AG last year. Under the title « Who will be a millionaire? » The newspaper described how the Serafe has continuously increased its profit since the beginning of the debt collection mandate to recently increased CHF 5.9 million.

The “NZZ am Sonntag” summed up: “With the survey and the debt collection of the state-prescribed radio and television levy, considerable profits will be made- which private investors benefit from.”

On the other hand, Elca CEO and serafe co-owner Cédric Moret fought back in two interviews a week later. Nobody receives a rap from the TV and radio fees, emphasized Moret « Le Temps » and « Sonntagsblick ».

The majority of the high dividend last year goes back to the dissolution of a provision. This was created if you had lost the federal government’s mandate. However, the federal government once again commissioned the seraf with the collection of media fees for the years 2025 to 2034.

The dividend of Serafe AG ​​at SECON AG will be fully reinvested into the company, emphasized Moret. This could further develop its technical platforms, from which all customers benefited, indirectly the federal government. Because, according to Moret, the costs for the collection of media tax are falling.

Moret accused the “NZZ on Sunday” that her reporting was personally injured and damaging to the reputation and announced the examination of legal steps. Meanwhile, a well -known media lawyer intervened at the editorial team. « In our view, the allegations in it were unfounded, » writes an NZZ spokeswoman. The Elca Group does not want to comment on whether it is planning further legal steps.

FDP prominence sits on the board of directors

Elca boss Moret is not only connected to the FDP because of his ex-wife. Two freedom-minded heavyweights are sitting on the board of directors of his Elca Group: still party president and Council of States Thierry Burkart (AG) as well as the long-time Vaud financial director and today’s Council of States Pascal Broulis. He was elected to the Board of Directors in September 2022, a few months after the ELCA group took over the majority at Serafe AG. Broulis does not want to comment on his mandate on the edge of Parliament’s ongoing summer session.

The Elca Group sounds similarly. The Board of Directors pursues the goal of combining the broadest possible spectrum of competence: « In addition to six specialists from the economy, two experts from the political environment are also represented on the board of directors. »

Both Burkart and the company are silent about the compensation for the two FDP members. As a private company, this information is not publicly shared.

The mandate to collect the television and radio fee was transparent and in accordance with the law within a public tender, the ELCA writes. Burkart adds: «Of course I would never try to influence a public tender. That contradicts every good governance. »

New million order waves

The ELCA group and its subsidiaries not only raise the radio and television tax. They also offer IT services for health insurers, pension funds and social insurance. For example, the federal government’s central compensation center for the 1st pillar (ZAS) has given the ELCA group since 2016.

Another major order could soon be wave: With a new law, the Federal Council wants to create the foundations for an electronic social security platform. In consultation, there was criticism of the too little consequences for the cantonal AHV positions. But the direction was generally greeted. After the summer holidays, the Federal Council is likely to adopt the message to the new law of parliament.

The mandate for the establishment of this social security platform would have to be advertised publicly. The ELCA group is likely to be in the starting blocks-and count on the expertise of the FDP heavyweights on their board of directors.