Archive – Banking & Fintech

Better than the Batmobile

This content was published on Feb 23, 2004 It flies at an altitude of 60cm above the water’s surface, thanks to an integrated hydrofoil system. The “Splash”, as the vehicle is called, costs more than $500,000 ($405,000). It is powered by an environmentally friendly turbocharged natural-gas engine. But preserving the environment does not mean sacrificing driving fun, says the company. A turbocharged two-cylinder…

Swiss deny being soft on nuclear exports

This content was published on Feb 20, 2004 Two companies and 15 individuals are under investigation by the Swiss authorities for their alleged role in the trade. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently handed over a list naming Swiss-based firms and individuals who allegedly supplied parts to Iran and Libya for their nuclear programmes. The names came to light following recent visits…

Swiss demand freeze on EU tax plans

This content was published on Feb 20, 2004 The government said a diplomatic note was on its way to the European Commission, following Brussels’ surprise decision to levy the tax from March 1. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) said the note would convey its “astonishment” that Brussels did not inform Bern officially that it intended to impose the new tariffs on…

Deiss urges moderation in escalating tax row

This content was published on Feb 19, 2004 In an interview with swissinfo, he said the move was further complicating already difficult bilateral negotiations. Brussels on Thursday said the new measure was simply a “clarification”. The measures apply to products and materials imported to Switzerland and subsequently exported back to the EU. The EU’s move, which became public on Wednesday, was met by…

Mountain resorts lose casino gamble

This content was published on Feb 19, 2004 swissinfo discovered during a tour of mountain casinos that only one of the five – Crans Montana – appears to have been dealt the right cards. A few players place their bets on a roulette table in Crans Montana’s casino. A couple more try their luck at blackjack, and only a handful of the 120…

Alpine Initiative still has mountain to climb

This content was published on Feb 19, 2004 At the time it was hailed as a huge step forward in environmental protection but critics say not all of its objectives have been fully implemented. The people and the cantons gave their backing to the initiative on February 20, 1994, after a long battle between the alpine lobby and government and the road lobby.…

ABB stays in the red, but expects upturn

This content was published on Feb 19, 2004 But the company says its expects more profitability and a growth in demand for 2004. Despite the weak bottom line, sales rose slightly to $18.80 billion, helped by the weak dollar and higher revenues from ABB’s core automation and power technologies units. The result was largely in line with market expectations, although some analysts had…

Faint applause for economic plan

This content was published on Feb 18, 2004 Swiss business leaders said it was a step in the right direction, but trade unions dismissed the plan as nothing more than a public relations exercise. The main political parties gave only a lukewarm response to the latest attempt to boost growth in Switzerland. Over the past decade the Swiss economy has grown more slowly…

EU hits Switzerland with new tax

This content was published on Feb 18, 2004 The Swiss government on Wednesday said it had been told of the new tax on re-exports by local firms before receiving confirmation from Brussels on the matter. “Switzerland has not yet officially been informed [about this],” said Stephan Schmid, a spokesman for the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) in Bern. Schmid said Switzerland would…

Shoppers urged to buy fair-trade rice

This content was published on Feb 18, 2004 Campaigners called on shoppers to buy fair-trade rice during a ceremony in Basel to launch the event in Switzerland. The Swiss eat a mere six kilograms of rice per person per year compared with between 150-200 kilograms in countries like Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Bangladesh. But if the population switched to fair-trade rice, campaigners say…

Archive – Banking & Fintech

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Archive – Banking & Fintech

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Better than the Batmobile

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Swiss deny being soft on nuclear exports

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Swiss demand freeze on EU tax plans

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Deiss urges moderation in escalating tax row

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Mountain resorts lose casino gamble

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Alpine Initiative still has mountain to climb

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ABB stays in the red, but expects upturn

More

Faint applause for economic plan

More

EU hits Switzerland with new tax

More

Shoppers urged to buy fair-trade rice

Popular Stories

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