Tag Archives: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The creation of a global repository in Switzerland to store, analyse and quickly share viruses and pathogens among laboratories around the world will better prepare us for the next pandemic, says a biologist working at the future BioHub site.

“Customs”: a border crossing at Geneva. Keystone / Salvatore Di Nolfi The number of cross-border workers plying their trade in Switzerland has more than doubled since the mid-1990s. The rising trend continues, increasing by over 4% between 2019 and 2020. At the end of 2020, some 343,000 cross-border workers were employed in Switzerland, up from 329,000 in December 2019, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Thursday. This amounts to 6.7% of the active...

The use of debit cards continues to increase but cash remains the most popular payment method in Switzerland. Many respondents say they have adapted their payment behaviour as a result of the pandemic and plan to make increased use of card payments in the future. © Keystone/Gaetan Bally A survey by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) found that 97% of respondents keep cash in their wallets or at home to cover day-to-day expenses, while 92% own a debit card and 78% hold a...

The Swiss consumed almost 11% less energy last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and warmer weather, according to the Federal Office of Energy. Electricity pylons near Schaenis in canton St Gallen. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally In total, Swiss residents used up 747,400 terajoules (TJ) of energy in 2020 – a fall of 10.6% compared to 2019 – the office said in a statementExternal link on Monday. The two Covid-related lockdowns in spring and autumn, as well as warm weather,...

The proposed 15% minimum corporate tax rate is an opportunity for Switzerland to unite its tax code for the better, says an organization representing Swiss cities. Cities like Zurich rely on company tax revenues to provide services and infrastructure. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally City finance directors have criticized cantons for trying to plug expected tax gaps unilaterally, rather than find a common approach nationwide. The United States is currently leading efforts...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Switzerland’s economy will be back to its pre-pandemic level as early as this year and does not need a stimulus package, says Sabine D'Amelio-Favez, director of the Federal Finance Administration. The Confederation has incurred debts of CHF30 billion ($33 billion) to stem the economic consequences of Covid-19, she said in an interview published on Saturday by newspapers of the CH Media group.

Credit Suisse chairman, António Horta-Osório, is warning of a “tough period” ahead for the bank. Keystone / Andy Rain Credit Suisse’s disastrous Greensill and Archegos investments have highlighted the destructive side of banking. Regulators and politicians are asking what the Swiss bank did wrong and what can be done to protect investors from future risk-assessment failures. Experts point to shortcomings in risk management and say corporate culture has to change. The...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]This year Switzerland will provide more than CHF12 million ($13 million) in humanitarian aid to Venezuela and the region, it said at the Donors’ Conference in Solidarity with Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Switzerland is lagging behind most European countries when it comes to solar and wind power. In terms of per capita production, it ranks second to last in comparison with surrounding countries, according to the Swiss Energy Foundation (SES).

Swiss-based multinationals such as commodities trader Glencore will receive subsidies and other incentives under plans Switzerland is drawing up to maintain its competitive tax rates, even as the country prepares to sign-up to the G7’s new plan for a global minimum tax on big businesses. A blooming economy: canton Zug © Keystone / Alexandra Wey Bern is consulting its cantonal governments – which set their own corporate tax rates – to examine how measures such as...