Internal: Archive

Foreign tourists dig deeper into their wallets

This content was published on Jun 18, 2009 The Federal Statistics Office said on Thursday that foreign tourists spent SFr15.6 billion in Switzerland in 2008 despite the economic downturn. That is an increase of 6.7 per cent on 2007. The bulk of the spending came through overnight stays, for which visitors paid SFr8.3 billion in hotel, spa and other holiday accommodation. The scenic…

Central bank leaves interest rates unchanged

This content was published on Jun 18, 2009 The Swiss National Bank (SNB) said the risk of deflation was weak, with forecasts for 2009 hovering at -0.5 per cent. The bank expects inflation rates to turn positive in 2010 at 0.5 per cent and at 0.3 per cent in 2011. The target range for the three-month Libor rate – the interest one bank…

“We do not want to protect tax criminals”

This content was published on Jun 18, 2009 In an interview with swissinfo.ch, Roth said he hopes the US and Switzerland will agree to a revised double-taxation treaty that reflects the standards of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) model tax convention. Bankers in Switzerland say that secrecy is not the industry’s only selling point. But as the government renegotiates double-taxation…

Government unveils new stimulus package

This content was published on Jun 17, 2009 The cabinet on Wednesday called on parliament to approve three-fold measures worth SFr750 million ($688 million) that aim to meet the challenges of rising unemployment and higher health insurance premiums. A first stimulus package of SFr1.5 billion was announced in November last year, and a second of more than SFr700 million followed in March. “The…

Government wants new stimulus package

This content was published on Jun 17, 2009 The cabinet decided the money was needed for measures in 2010 to ease rising unemployment, the economics ministry said on Wednesday. Unemployment is expected to go above five per cent next year. One measure is to set aside money to create temporary jobs for the long-term unemployed in non-profit organisations, and for specialised work in…

Delaware: tax haven or just “advantageous”?

This content was published on Jun 17, 2009 Thousands of companies here do nothing other than allow their owners to avoid paying taxes in other jurisdictions. Welcome to Delaware, one of the United States’ onshore tax refuges. As US President Barack Obama pursues offshore jurisdictions like the Cayman Islands, Luxembourg and Switzerland – all accused of helping people and companies avoid US taxes…

US scientific decline opens door to Swiss

This content was published on Jun 17, 2009 The US decline in the scientific domain is relative but significant. Significant enough for the US Congress to pass a law in 2007 designed to ensure the country’s supremacy in research. There has been a globalisation of innovation in a post-American world, according to Robert Wuebker, doctoral student in environmental technology management at the Rensselaer…

UBS suggests giving IRS anonymous client data

This content was published on Jun 16, 2009 The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been seeking information on 52,000 UBS account holders in an effort to find tax cheats. UBS has so far refused to release the information because it would violate Swiss law. But during a conference call last week between US District Court Judge Alan Gold and lawyers from the IRS…

US must chase disappearing dollars, critics say

This content was published on Jun 16, 2009 It is the latter that most directly affects Switzerland’s institutions. As the US continues to accrue an elephantine debt, the hunt for missing money has led some ideological rivals to find common ground. J.D. Foster, a senior fellow and tax policy specialist at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington DC, sympathises with…

Aid agencies make case against banking secrecy

This content was published on Jun 16, 2009 With a meeting in Berlin among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) unfolding later this month, aid organisations from Switzerland, Luxembourg and Austria united on Tuesday to argue the benefits behind an automatic exchange of banking data. Groups including Alliance Sud, an association of Swiss development agencies, say that wealthier nations should provide…

Internal: Archive

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

Sign in and personalize Swissinfo

Internal: Archive

More

Foreign tourists dig deeper into their wallets

More

Central bank leaves interest rates unchanged

More

“We do not want to protect tax criminals”

More

Government unveils new stimulus package

More

Government wants new stimulus package

More

Delaware: tax haven or just “advantageous”?

More

US scientific decline opens door to Swiss

More

UBS suggests giving IRS anonymous client data

More

US must chase disappearing dollars, critics say

More

Aid agencies make case against banking secrecy

Popular Stories

Most Discussed