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Government ends 2009 in the black

This content was published on Feb 16, 2010 The figures came despite the recession, the finance ministry said in a statement. It had expected to end the year with a SFr1.8 billion surplus. Switzerland’s fiscal health stands in contrast to that of the United States and other European countries, many of whom were forced to borrow massively to finance bank bailouts and government…

Profit at Givaudan comes with a fine fragrance

This content was published on Feb 16, 2010 Givaudan, which is based near Geneva, said this was helped by returning consumer confidence. The result was broadly in line with analysts’ forecasts. Group sales totalled SFr3.96 billion, with revenues of SFr1.8 billion in the fragrances division and SFr2.14 billion in its flavours business (-3.1 per cent and -3.9 per cent respectively compared with 2008).…

Zurich airport steps up commercial drive

This content was published on Feb 16, 2010 Zurich airport wants to be the venue for a new casino and this month chose a Japanese architect to construct an ambitious SFr1 billion ($930 million) 200,000-square-metre hotel, office and business complex. The airport’s operator, Unique, believes the proposed new attractions would add value both for passengers and other users and generate more revenues. “Airports…

Clariant slashes hundreds of jobs in Switzerland

This content was published on Feb 16, 2010 Clariant, based at Muttenz near Basel, said it made a net loss of SFr194 million ($180.65 million) compared with a loss of SFr37 million in 2008. Sales were down to SFr6.6 billion, a decline of 18 per cent in Swiss francs from the SFr8.1 billion achieved the previous year. Its job cuts are part of…

Germans experience tide of xenophobia

This content was published on Feb 14, 2010 Social scientist Marc Helbling says migrants have always faced opposition, but the fact that Germans are often highly qualified means competition over jobs. Their direct manner is also not appreciated. There are now 250,000 Germans in Switzerland, double the number eight years ago. In Zurich alone, where there are 30,000 Germans, there has been a…

Swiss firmly attached to banking secrecy

This content was published on Feb 14, 2010 However, the majority of those questioned said they would be in favour of scrapping the distinction between tax fraud and tax evasion. When asked whether banking secrecy should be abolished, 36 per cent said “no” and 26 per cent said “rather no”. The strongest defenders of banking secrecy were in the 15 to 34 age…

Twittered reporters left flapping their wings

This content was published on Feb 13, 2010 Anne-Paule Martin, a reporter with Switzerland’s French-language public radio, voluntarily sequestered herself along with four other journalists in the beginning of January to try to produce stories using only information sourced from the two platforms. The verdict on their success, and what the services mean for newsgathering, is still out. Twitter has been scrutinised for…

Automatic exchange of information “inevitable”

This content was published on Feb 13, 2010 In an interview published in the Basler Zeitung newspaper, Michael Reiterer rejected outright the withholding tax option put forward by the banks and pro-business parties. “In the long term Switzerland will not be able to resist the European trend towards automatic information exchange,” Reiterer said. The ambassador dismissed withholding tax as an outdated concept. “Its…

Salt favours highway plant invasion

This content was published on Feb 13, 2010 Furthermore, the salt used to de-ice roads in winter has had a severe impact on habitat, driving out such common wayside plants as daisies and dandelions, and enabling salt-tolerant plants to take root. As a result, some plants which used to be found only on the coast are moving inland. Botanist Raymond Delarze, who runs…

Switzerland and France back on track over tax

This content was published on Feb 12, 2010 The Swiss finance ministry said on Friday that France will not request administrative assistance in obtaining information about suspected tax evaders whose details were contained in data stolen from the Geneva branch of the British HSBC and handed to the French tax authorities at the end of last year. Furthermore, although France will pass on…

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Government ends 2009 in the black

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Profit at Givaudan comes with a fine fragrance

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Zurich airport steps up commercial drive

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Clariant slashes hundreds of jobs in Switzerland

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Germans experience tide of xenophobia

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Swiss firmly attached to banking secrecy

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Twittered reporters left flapping their wings

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Automatic exchange of information “inevitable”

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Salt favours highway plant invasion

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Switzerland and France back on track over tax

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