Verkehrsinfrastrukturfinanzierungsgesellschaft

The Verkehrsinfrastrukturfinanzierungsgesellschaft mbH (VIFG), headquartered in Berlin, was a federally owned company established in 2003 under the Verkehrsinfrastrukturfinanzierungsgesellschaftsgesetz (VIFGG). Its sole shareholder at founding was the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (BMVBS), later renamed the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. The company's political rationale derived from the findings of the Pällmann Commission on future transport infrastructure financing, although the enacted VIFGG departed from the Commission's proposal to create a separate financing company for each mode of transport. VIFG's statutory purpose was to ensure needs-based, effective and efficient provision of transport infrastructure. Under § 2 VIFGG, it distributed revenue from the truck toll (Lkw-Maut) under the Autobahnmautgesetz (ABMG, in force until 19 July 2011) and from German-controlled shipping charges to finance federal construction projects in the road, rail and waterway sectors. From 19 July 2011, § 11 of the Bundesfernstraßenmautgesetz provided that the funds VIFG required were drawn from the toll. Since 1 January 2011, all truck-toll revenues have been used for the road transport mode and road users, implementing the first step of the 'Finanzierungskreislauf Straße' (road financing cycle). Payment transactions with toll funds for federal trunk-road investments were handled through VIFG's financial management system, helping to ensure that toll funds were used for their designated purpose — an institutionalised earmarking that was also a necessary condition for securing user financing in the long term. Between 2004 and 2010, projects of the federal railways and federal waterways were partly financed from the truck toll; since 2011 those rail and waterway projects have again been funded entirely by the federal government through conventional budget funds. VIFG also supported the BMVBS in preparing, executing and settling public-private partnership (PPP/ÖPP) projects, helping to develop suitable operator models for the provision of transport routes and to shape and accompany their implementation. In this context, PPP models in the transport sector were further developed conceptually and systematically. VIFG acted as a PPP competence centre and part of the federal competence network for transport ('föderales Kompetenznetzwerk Verkehr'). As a 'Servicecenter Wirtschaftlichkeit' it developed solutions serving economic efficiency, considering both macroeconomic and project-level procurement economics. Its website offered downloads including laws, reports on infrastructure financing and PPP, models and projects, presentations and specialist publications. A planned amendment to the VIFGG would have extended VIFG's role to handling payment transactions for federal budget funds provided for the construction, expansion, maintenance, operation and upkeep of federal trunk roads, which until then were processed through the federal cash and accounting system (HKR procedure). On 1 August 2019, VIFG was merged into the Infrastrukturgesellschaft für Autobahnen und andere Bundesfernstraßen (IGA) by universal succession — its tasks and staff transferred to IGA, which has since been responsible for the financial management of federal trunk roads. On the same day, the VIFGG ceased to be in force under its § 4.

VIFG was founded in 2003 on the basis of the Verkehrsinfrastrukturfinanzierungsgesellschaftsgesetz (§ 1 VIFGG). Its sole shareholder at founding was the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (BMVBS), which by 2016 was called the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. The establishment was politically justified by the results of the Pällmann Commission on future transport infrastructure financing, although the VIFGG departed from the Commission's proposal to provide a separate financing company for each mode of transport. Under § 2 VIFGG, the company's task was to distribute revenue from the truck toll under the Autobahnmautgesetz (ABMG, no longer in force since 19 July 2011) and from German-controlled shipping charges to finance federal construction projects in the road, rail and waterway sectors. Under § 11 of the Bundesfernstraßenmautgesetz, in force since 19 July 2011, the funds VIFG needed were provided from the toll. Since 1 January 2011, all truck-toll revenues have been used for the road transport mode and road users, implementing the first step of the road financing cycle. Payment transactions with toll funds for federal trunk-road investments were handled through VIFG's financial management system, contributing to the earmarked use of toll funds; institutionalising this earmarking was also a necessary condition for securing user financing in the long term. In the years 2004 to 2010, projects of the federal railways and federal waterways were partly financed from the truck toll. Since 2011, those rail and waterway projects have again been realised entirely by the federal government with conventional budget funds. VIFG also supported the BMVBS in preparing, executing and settling private-sector projects and helped develop suitable operator models for the provision of transport routes, shaping and accompanying their implementation. In this connection, public-private partnership (PPP/ÖPP) models in the transport sector were further developed conceptually and systematically. VIFG acted as a PPP competence centre and part of the federal competence network for transport. As a Servicecenter Wirtschaftlichkeit, it developed solutions serving economic efficiency, with both macroeconomic considerations and project-level procurement economics being important. On its website, under Service Downloads, VIFG offered further information material such as laws, reports on infrastructure financing and PPP, models and projects, presentations and specialist publications. A planned amendment to the VIFGG was intended to have VIFG also take over payment transactions for funds provided through the federal budget for the new construction, expansion, maintenance, operation and upkeep of federal trunk roads; until then this was done through the federal cash and accounting system (HKR procedure). On 1 August 2019, VIFG was merged into the Infrastrukturgesellschaft für Autobahnen und andere Bundesfernstraßen (IGA) by universal succession, meaning its tasks and staff transferred to IGA. IGA has since been responsible — as VIFG had been — for the financial management of federal trunk roads. On the same day, the Verkehrsinfrastrukturfinanzierungsgesellschaftsgesetz ceased to be in force under its § 4.

• 2019

  On 1 August, VIFG merged into the Infrastrukturgesellschaft für Autobahnen und andere Bundesfernstraßen (IGA) by universal succession; the VIFGG ceased to be in force under its § 4.

• 2011

  From 1 January, all truck-toll revenues used for the road transport mode and road users; from 19 July, the Bundesfernstraßenmautgesetz replaces the ABMG and § 11 provides VIFG's funds from the toll.

• 2004

  Start of partial financing of federal railway and federal waterway projects from truck-toll revenue (through 2010).

• 2003

  VIFG founded on the basis of the Verkehrsinfrastrukturfinanzierungsgesellschaftsgesetz (§ 1 VIFGG); sole shareholder is the BMVBS.

Federally owned financing and PPP competence entity for German transport infrastructure, ensuring earmarked use of truck-toll revenues.

1. 1Verkehrsinfrastrukturfinanzierungsgesellschaft – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Verkehrsinfrastrukturfinanzierungsgesellschaft – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3VIFG historical official websitevifg.de