Tag Archives: 3.) Swiss Info

Numerous EasyJet planes have been parked on the tarmac at Geneva Airport as a result of the the coronavirus pandemic. Around 40% of the airport’s traffic comes via Easyjet. (Keystone / Salvatore Di Nolfi) Airlines around the world are battling to survive the coronavirus pandemic. After grounding its fleet of planes on Monday, EasyJet Switzerland has confirmed that it is hoping to receive Swiss state aid. EasyJet said on Monday that it had grounded its fleet of 344...

The Covoid-19 epidemic has an impact on Switzerland’s real estate market.  (Keystone/Ennio Leanza) The Covid-19 crisis could spell an end to the previously rosy situation for Switzerland’s real estate investors. Investors in residential property look back on a successful 2019 both in terms of value increase and of returns. Forecasts for the current year were optimistic until recently, for both property owners and renters. The Swiss National Bank’s negative interest...

High street shops have been closed and some production facilities have been ordered to shut down. (© Keystone / Gaetan Bally) A third of a CHF20 billion ($21 billion) fund offering state guaranteed loans to small and medium sized Swiss companies has been used up just four days after being introduced. The loan facility has already promised CHF6.6 billion in funding of up to CHF500,000 to nearly 32,000 firms – an average of CHF207,000 per company. The speed at which...

Swiss consumers also appear to be rediscovering their love of chocolate. (© Keystone / Gaetan Bally) The value of Swiss chocolate exports topped CHF1 billion ($1.05 billion) for the first time last year, led by increased demand from Canada, the United States, China, the Middle East and Singapore. Domestic consumption of the delicacy also grew slightly following declining demand in previous years. Sales for Swiss chocolate makers rose 2.2% in 2019 to reach almost...

Doing it properly: instructions for wearing a FFP2 face mask. (Keystone / Christian Beutler) After Germany, France has lifted restrictions on the delivery of hygienic face masks to Switzerland. Some two million masks are needed each day, according to the Federal Office for Public Health. The French embassy to Switzerland made the announcementexternal link on Saturday, paving the way for two shipments of FFP2 hygienic masks to go ahead from France to Switzerland....

Companies are feeling the effects of dislocated supply chains and invoices not being paid. (Keystone / Alessandro Crinari) Swiss companies are reporting slumping sales, cashflow problems and bottlenecks in the supply of crucial materials as the coronavirus crisis hits the economy. However, a survey also found that three out of four firms are satisfied with a CHF42 billion ($43 billion) state bailout package. The 84 respondents to the Swiss Business Federation...

Medical ventilators constructed at the OES medical supply company in Britain, 23 March 2020. The British government has also asked top engineering companies to retool their production to make ventilators. (Keystone / Neil Hall) Around 50 countries have introduced curbs on exports of medical supplies, including ventilators. This poses a major risk for poor countries, a Swiss study has revealed. The past fortnight has seen nations around the world scrambling for...

Switzerland has imposed major restrictions on public life in a bid to contain the coronavirus pandemic.  (Keystone) Switzerland is headed towards a severe recession this year due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus, experts warn. If the pandemic is brought under control, the Swiss economy should rebound strongly in 2021. The BAK Economics Institute, a Basel-based think tank, says the collapse of private spending will trigger a global recession. For...

A Zurich-bound train in St Gallen on Monday morning. (Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller) Swiss public transport has been widely reduced as of Monday, with the Federal Railways cutting back on services as part of nationwide anti-coronavirus measures. The scaling back of Europe’s most-used rail network in an effort to combat the spread of Covid-19 was announced last week as part of wider measures to reduce social contact and slow down the pace of life in the country. As of...

A number of projects around the world aim to create digital versions of money. (© Keystone / Gaetan Bally) Sygnum bank has launched a digital version of the Swiss franc (DCHF) to allow faster payments when trading a new breed of securities. The DCHF digital tokens will be backed by the corresponding amount of Swiss francs that Sygnum will hold at the Swiss National Bank (SNB). Sygnum is part of a consortium of companies taking part in the SDX digital assets trading...