Ministers for the interior and finance, Alain Berset and Ueli Maurer, presented their case at a news conference on Monday, urging citizens to vote ‘yes’ on May 19.
Berset and Maurer warned that rejecting the two-headed package in May would lead to legal uncertainty and taxation pressure from the international community, which could harm the Swiss economy.
The joint reform proposal, which follows the failure of two separate projects in 2017 (see here and here) aims to simultaneously bring corporate tax law into line with international standards while bolstering the pension system as it struggles with high expenses and an ageing population.
The government faces opposition both from the left (some of whom claim that the project is too generous towards business) and from part of the right (who are unhappy about the haphazard combination of corporation tax and pension).
The bill passed through parliament successfully last September but the 50,000 signatures needed to force a referendum on the issue were handed in by a left-wing group in January.
The major linkage between the two issues is that for each franc that the Swiss state or cantons lose due to the reform of corporate tax, a concessionary franc will be paid them by way of the basic state old-age and survivors’ insurance scheme.
The government foresees a CHF2-billion ($1.9 billion) injection into the old age pension scheme over the next few years as an outcome of the reform.
Popular Stories
More
Aging society
Is Switzerland repeating England’s housing mistakes?
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Zurich arbitration authority rules in favour of tenants of ‘Sugus Houses’
This content was published on
A conciliation authority says the terminations of 105 flat leases in the so-called "Sugus Houses" in the centre of Zurich were abusive. The tenants therefore do not have to move out - at least for the time being.
This content was published on
Visitors to Switzerland spent CHF19.6 billion ($23.9 billion) last year, a 2.2% rise compared to the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Monday.
This content was published on
Despite the current tense economic situation, Swiss consumer sentiment remains positive. The Swiss spent more money in May than the previous year, particularly on restaurant visits and leisure activities, as shown by the latest figures released by PostFinance.
This content was published on
A bear killed four sheep in the Lower Engadine region near Scuol, canton Graubünden, last week. This was the first bear attack on local livestock in four years.
This content was published on
Experts believe that economic development in Switzerland will be weaker in 2026 than the forecasts made three months ago. They have also lowered their predictions for the current year.
This content was published on
Fewer people in Switzerland have a religious affiliation and the proportion who practice their religion regularly is steadily declining, a survey finds.
Study: trees have major cooling effect even in extreme heat
This content was published on
Plane trees in cities have an important cooling effect even in extreme heat, according to a new study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL).
EPFL launches digitised version of Battle of Murten panorama
This content was published on
To mark the anniversary of the Battle of Murten on 22 June 1476, the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) has launched a website that offers the public an immersive experience of the huge panorama painting of the historic battle.
77th Swiss Gymnastics Festival praised for ‘positive energy’
This content was published on
The 77th Federal Gymnastics Festival drew to a close on Sunday in Lausanne, after eleven days of popular celebration and sporting performances.
Swiss cantons forced to fish for multinationals with non-tax lures
This content was published on
Little has changed in the ranking of cantons by economic competitiveness since UBS conducted its last study in 2016. Zurich and Zug are still judged the best places for multinationals to set up shop while more rural cantons, such as Jura and Graubünden, bring up the rear. But a radical overhaul of Switzerland’s corporate tax…
Parliament approves combined corporate tax and pensions bill
This content was published on
The Swiss parliament has approved an ambitious government bill combining the contentious issue of corporate tax reform with changes to the pension system.
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.