A total of 49 per cent of Swiss people are apparently against the sale of further shares in the state-owned telecom giant, Swisscom.

According surveys carried out by Swiss television and the Sunday newspaper, SonntagsZeitung, the Swiss are also not very enthusiastic about the creation of a postal bank.

The opinion polls show that only 35 per cent of the 100 people surveyed are in favour of the government losing its majority stake in Swisscom. Reacting to the results, however, the company's director, Jens Adler, said he remained convinced privatisation was necessary if Swisscom was to make the kind of international alliances that are driving the industry nowadays.

Sixty five per cent of Swisscom is currently state-owned. Earlier this month the government adopted plans to use revenue from stock sales to create a postal bank. The Swiss will be called to vote on the project in two year's time.

But, those plans do not seem to be widely approved by the people. Nearly two-thirds of those interviewed said they did not think the move was a good idea.

Ulrich Gygi, head of the Post Office, reacted with disappointment to the findings, but said an information campaign was still to be implemented. The Post Office maintains the plan is the only way for it to provide a non-subsidised public service.

swissinfo with agencies

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