Archive – Banking & Fintech

Parliament rejects revised health insurance law

This content was published on Dec 17, 2003 The Left argued that the changes would cause chaos rather than cut costs and check spiralling health premiums. The revised law would have limited the number of doctors, eased imports of cheaper drugs and reduced the number of services covered by mandatory health insurance. The rejection comes two months after the government announced that health…

Health insurance law “partial failure” says Dreifuss

This content was published on Dec 17, 2003 Presenting a report on the law’s impact on Monday, Dreifuss said it had failed to rein in costs, but that it had guaranteed quality healthcare and a fairer distribution of the financial burden. Billions of francs The cost of healthcare jumped from SFr34 billion ($20.83 billion) to SFr41.6 billion between 1994 and 1999. “The law…

Government wants policy control over airports

This content was published on Dec 15, 2003 Publication comes a day after transport minister Moritz Leuenberger confirmed that fresh talks are being held with Germany to ease flight restrictions affecting Zurich airport. Presenting the report on Monday, Leuenberger stressed the “extraordinary economic importance” of civil aviation for Switzerland and the need for “good framework conditions” for international competition. The report, which is…

Swiss haunted by job fears

This content was published on Dec 15, 2003 Over two-thirds of those polled said they were concerned about job security, which replaced health care as their primary headache. Unemployment topped the list of the annual Credit Suisse “Worry Barometer” for the first time in four years. Almost 70 per cent of respondents said it was one of their five main concerns – up…

Clarity needed for charity’s sake

This content was published on Dec 15, 2003 Critics have also long called for tax laws to be changed to encourage people to donate more money to charities. The Swiss government is also looking at ways to bring more transparency to the workings of these organisations. Not much is known about this branch of the economy – what is known is that these…

Central bank holds interest rates steady

This content was published on Dec 12, 2003 The bank said it would keep borrowing costs low until it is sure a weak recovery in the Swiss economy has taken hold. The SNB had been widely tipped to maintain its target band for the three-month Swiss franc Libor rate at 0.0-0.75 per cent, where it has been since its seventh consecutive rate cut…

Electronic waste stores up trouble for the future

This content was published on Dec 12, 2003 The question of what to do with them was one subject discussed in Geneva this week at the World Summit on the Information Society. The fear is that careless disposal of these hazardous materials is endangering human health and the environment. Computers and other electronic equipment are made from hundreds of different materials. Some are…

Blocher to step down at EMS Chemie

This content was published on Dec 11, 2003 The populist figurehead of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party announced on Thursday that his 34-year-old daughter would take over as CEO. Magdalena Martullo-Blocher – a member of the board at EMS since 2001 – is already a familiar face at her father’s company. She had been widely expected to assume overall responsibility for the company…

EMS Chemie hit by strong Swiss franc

This content was published on Dec 11, 2003 The company, which is owned by right-wing politician Christoph Blocher, said net profits had decreased to SFr108 million ($72.8 million) compared with the corresponding period in 2001. The result came alongside a 3.7 per cent drop in sales for the first six months of 2002 to SFr620 million. Blocher said the profit fall was due…

Kyrgyzstan’s globetrotting dolls

This content was published on Dec 11, 2003 Their success was made possible by craftsmanship and creativity, a village-style factory and a plane ticket to Hungary. “Twenty years ago there was nothing in this area. I used to come here to shoot birds,” remembers Ura, our friendly driver, speaking in stilted French, which he probably hasn’t used since. We are in the dusty…

Archive – Banking & Fintech

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Archive – Banking & Fintech

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Parliament rejects revised health insurance law

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Health insurance law “partial failure” says Dreifuss

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Government wants policy control over airports

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Swiss haunted by job fears

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Clarity needed for charity’s sake

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Central bank holds interest rates steady

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Electronic waste stores up trouble for the future

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Blocher to step down at EMS Chemie

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EMS Chemie hit by strong Swiss franc

More

Kyrgyzstan’s globetrotting dolls

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