The SME umbrella association has written to the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) to ask it to conduct an audit. It believes that state-owned Swiss Post’s acquisitions of companies in the advertising and software sectors “are dubious” and that the prices paid are “difficult to understand” in relation to the reality of the market.
“It is all the more shocking that Swiss Post is attacking more and more saturated markets, where it can only be a question of ousting private players,” said the SME association in its letter to the Audit Office, revealed on Saturday by the Le Temps paper.
The letter stated that Swiss Post should prove that it does not allocate financial resources to non-subsidised areas of activity. It called on the Audit Office to examine as to whether Swiss Post is violating the law on subsidies by pursuing such business models.
Swiss Post responded to the accusation by stating that since the market was opened up to competition in 1997, the company “was given safeguards” and it “sticks to them”. The acquisitions are not part of a “purchasing strategy”, but a “focus” strategy, according to the firm.
“In the end, it is a question of a small number of defined and strategically selected companies that the Post wishes to acquire,” the company said.
This content was published on
Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with a victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership
This content was published on
On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.