Internal: Archive

Clean money plan greeted with scepticism

This content was published on Feb 23, 2012 The government announced on Wednesday that it had mandated the finance ministry to prepare concrete measures by September in a bid to strengthen Switzerland’s financial centre, which is facing sustained pressure by several countries, including the United States. Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said the cabinet had agreed on three tenets, including upgrading due diligence rules…

Faster-than-light findings questioned

This content was published on Feb 23, 2012 Researchers at the Cern physics research centre just outside Geneva announced in September that they appeared to have discovered neutrinos travelling faster than light – an impossibility in Einstein’s theories which govern current understanding of the laws of physics. But a Cern spokesman said on Wednesday that a bad connection had been discovered between the…

Cabinet steps up fight against cartels

This content was published on Feb 22, 2012 The proposals include changing the federal competition commission into an independent body, as well as banning so-called horizontal and vertical cartels. The new watchdog will no longer have to prove the existence of a cartel, with the burden of proof now lying with companies to show their activities do not involve cartel activity. Sanctions would…

UBS raises $2 billion capital with novel bond

This content was published on Feb 22, 2012 The innovative notes would shift the burden of losses onto the holder by falling in value if the bank’s capital buffer drops below a threshold value. The notes, bearing a 7.25 per cent interest rate, have been placed with European and Asian investors. Both UBS and Credit Suisse have been forced to come up with…

Banking secrecy remains secure at home

This content was published on Feb 22, 2012 However, the only Swiss political party to consider this option is the centre-left Social Democratic Party – and even then half-heartedly. “Is it never going to end?” is the reaction of many Swiss to the continual attacks on their banking secrecy from abroad. Not only Germany, Switzerland’s most important trade partner, but also the United…

Swiss business jumps on social media wave

This content was published on Feb 22, 2012 With the expansion of interactive Web 2.0 social media sites, the internet user has become the “king”, enabled to create online content in his or her own way. “Social media encourages cooperation and participative democracy. It’s a new form of communication without hierarchy, that is informal, provocative, personal, spontaneous, transparent and proactive,” said David Schäfer,…

Schindler profits fall

This content was published on Feb 21, 2012 The company said on Tuesday that profits for last year reached SFr611 million ($670 million), for revenues of SFr7.845 billion, down 4.1 per cent. Orders received declined by six per cent to SFr8.25 billion from SFr8.78 billion in 2010. In local currencies, they actually increased though by six per cent. Earnings before interest and taxes…

Moonlighting wins converts in Switzerland

This content was published on Feb 21, 2012 That’s the finding of a study carried out in the French-speaking part of Switzerland by a team of sociologists. The survey came four years after parliament tightened legal provisions, and followed an information drive aimed at clamping down on undeclared work practices. Moonlighting is a legitimate means to get by if money is scarce, according…

Trade gets early boost in 2012

This content was published on Feb 21, 2012 The Swiss purchased SFr14.624 billion ($16.06 billion) of goods and services from abroad at the beginning of the year, while exports for the same period totaled SFr16.177 billion, up 5.4 per cent over January 2011, according to figures from the Federal Customs Administration. Pharmaceuticals were a major contributor, with exports increasing by SFr577 million and…

Party ends for easy corporate tax relief

This content was published on Feb 20, 2012 Granted for five years, these arrangements are set to be negotiated much more stringently in 2012. The issue caused consternation in French-speaking Switzerland earlier this month when media reports revealed, shortly before the audit office published its report into the matter, that SFr23 billion ($25 billion) in profit made by foreign companies was exempt from…

Internal: Archive

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

Internal: Archive

More

Clean money plan greeted with scepticism

More

Faster-than-light findings questioned

More

Cabinet steps up fight against cartels

More

UBS raises $2 billion capital with novel bond

More

Banking secrecy remains secure at home

More

Swiss business jumps on social media wave

More

Schindler profits fall

More

Moonlighting wins converts in Switzerland

More

Trade gets early boost in 2012

More

Party ends for easy corporate tax relief

Popular Stories

Most Discussed