Swiss Economicblogs.org
When Geneva’s finances make the news it is typically bad. At the end of 2016, the canton had debts of CHF 12.5 billion, equal to 153% of its income. In January 2018, the rating agency Standard and Poors gave Geneva a negative outlook citing risks related to the canton’s poorly funded public pension scheme. © Sam74100 | Dreamstime.com - Click to enlarge This time the news is good. The CHF 80 million budget deficit...
Read More »Shell accuses former executive of hiding bribes in Switzerland
The logo at this Swiss petrol station is clean, but the Shell name is linked to two criminal investigations involving Swiss bank accounts. (Keystone) - Click to enlarge Royal Dutch Shell has filed a criminal complaint against a former employee it suspects of stashing kickbacks from the sale of a Nigerian oil field in Swiss bank accounts. The energy company is already being investigated over another deal...
Read More »Bankrupt Petroplus climate payments ‘non-refundable’
Petroplus went bankrupt after banks pulled the plug on financing (Keystone) - Click to enlarge Climate fund payments made to now-bankrupt Swiss oil refiner Petroplus cannot be reclaimed by creditors as they constituted a business arrangement that brought benefits to contributors as opposed to a gift. This ruling from Zurich’s highest court has stopped a CH15 million ($16 million) claim in its tracks, barring...
Read More »Credit Suisse boss earned less last year
Tidjane Thiam, CEO of Credit Suisse, as seen in February (Keystone) - Click to enlarge Credit Suisse Chief Executive Tidjane Thiam earned slightly less in 2017 during his third year on the job, the bank said on Friday. The news comes at a time of scrutiny over executive pay and bonuses. Thiam earned CHF9.7 million ($10.26 million) last year, a 5.3% drop on 2016, Switzerland’s second-biggest bank said. “The...
Read More »IMF forecasts 2.25 percent Swiss GDP growth in 2018 while pointing to risks
A boost to investment and net exports from the tailwind of strong external demand, together with faster expansion of household spending owing to rising employment, are forecast to lift GDP growth to around 2¼ percent in 2018, said the IMF in a statement referring to Switzerland issued on 26 March 2018. © Tibor Ritter | Dreamstime.com - Click to enlarge On the downside the IMF said: rising international trade tensions...
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