Archive – Banking & Fintech

Kyrgyzstan follows Swiss economic model

This content was published on Dec 28, 2003 Djoomart Otorbaev, a government minister and “special representative on foreign investments”, spoke to swissinfo about Kyrgyzstan’s often-troubled transition. Switzerland has helped Kyrgyzstan to adapt by representing the republic at the Bretton Woods institutions – the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). In 1991, Askar…

Switzerland has mixed record in Central Asia

This content was published on Dec 26, 2003 Swiss projects have chalked up some notable successes, but there have also been some white elephants. “What does Switzerland want in return?” is a common question in parts of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan which are benefiting from Swiss development aid. Switzerland has its own reasons for helping Central Asian countries to develop; chief among them is…

High-tech Swiss tool hits the half-century

This content was published on Dec 26, 2003 Tucked away in the small village of Wasen in the picturesque Emmental region, renowned for its cheese, is a pleasant surprise. This is the home of the PB 100, a screwdriver with a difference. At first sight, it has one obvious distinguishing feature – its red transparent ridged handle. The fact that it is comfortable…

Kyrgyzstan’s crumbling Soviet legacy

This content was published on Dec 25, 2003 Amidst the crumbling factories, silos and a disused railway line, the city’s 45,000 inhabitants struggle for survival. During the Soviet era, Balikchy thrived thanks to bustling shipbuilding and fishing industries. Goods from the city were sent to all parts of the Soviet Union. But after independence in 1991, Balikchy’s industries and factories were forgotten, sold…

Nescafé continues to roast coffee rivals

This content was published on Dec 24, 2003 Today some 3,900 cups of Nescafé are drunk every second, with the trend ever upwards. The soluble coffee from the house of Nestlé has spread its aroma to many parts of the globe since it was introduced on the market in 1938. But commercialisation of the product at the outset was not an “instant” hit.…

Chef recalls the White House years

This content was published on Dec 24, 2003 It was polenta for Richard Nixon, lobster thermidor for Lyndon Johnson, while Ronald Reagan had a soft spot for anything Italian. Haller, who hails from Altdorf in canton Uri, retired in 1986 after two decades of banquets and receptions for kings, presidents, delegations, senators, artists and business leaders. His White House career saw him serve…

Swiss economy poised for better year ahead

This content was published on Dec 22, 2003 However, growth will at best be very modest and there are a number of question marks still clouding the horizon. While 2003 was anything but spectacular on the economic growth front, there have recently been increasing signs that Switzerland has started to recover from a double-dip recession. The economic barometer of the KOF Institute for…

Success still eludes “Helvetistan” after 11 years

This content was published on Dec 22, 2003 The arrangement gave Switzerland more clout in those institutions while the countries concerned received Swiss help in adapting to a market economy. It was no accident that the Swiss became involved Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Poland. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Switzerland saw an opportunity to get on to…

Swiss-Russian start-up has brighter future

This content was published on Dec 22, 2003 Top tier European venture capital firm, Amadeus Capital, which manages funds of more than SFr500 million ($400 million), Apax Partners, currently investing a $4 billion fund, and Moscow-based Mint Capital are all providing financial backing. ACOL (which stands for “all colors of light”) is a spin-out from Moscow-based Corvette Light, founded in 1998 by two…

Watchmakers call time on slump

This content was published on Dec 22, 2003 The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said the slump in sales during the first half of 2003 had slowed down significantly. Jean-Daniel Pasche, president of the federation, said the drop in watch exports stabilised at around four per cent in September – a big improvement on the seven per cent figure at the end…

Archive – Banking & Fintech

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Archive – Banking & Fintech

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Kyrgyzstan follows Swiss economic model

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Switzerland has mixed record in Central Asia

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High-tech Swiss tool hits the half-century

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Kyrgyzstan’s crumbling Soviet legacy

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Nescafé continues to roast coffee rivals

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Chef recalls the White House years

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Swiss economy poised for better year ahead

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Success still eludes “Helvetistan” after 11 years

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Swiss-Russian start-up has brighter future

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Watchmakers call time on slump

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