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Debate over VAT reform heats up

This content was published on Jul 18, 2007 The Swiss Business Federation (economiesuisse) championed a flat rate of six per cent with no exemptions on Wednesday. But opponents believe this will hit households hard, particularly if health care attracts the levy. In February Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf Merz listed 50 measures to simplify the VAT system and make it more transparent. His preferred option…

Watch exhibition traces history of Swiss Made

This content was published on Jul 18, 2007 The trademark appeared officially at the end of the 19th century but there was mention of it long before as a means of trying to fight counterfeiting. Giving watches a distinctive label began as far back as 1601 in Switzerland. The corporation of Geneva watchmakers united to protect their profession, intending to combat poor workmanship.…

Tax paradise leads Swiss company boom

This content was published on Jul 18, 2007 Canton Obwalden, which drastically slashed corporate tax rates 18 months ago, registered the fastest growth while foreign relocations made up a growing share of the 18,635 new companies. The record figures show an increase of 5.5 per cent in new company registrations from the corresponding period in 2006 according to a study by credit risk…

Army recruitment gets personal

This content was published on Jul 17, 2007 But training a new soldier comes at a great cost to the taxpayer, so the Swiss Army has been using a new method to ensure that those who are unfit for military service are weeded out before they reach boot camp. Before the new recruitment process started being phased in 2003, 20 to 30 per…

Blooming lovely

This content was published on Jul 16, 2007

The power of climate change

This content was published on Jul 16, 2007

Finding the heavenly key

This content was published on Jul 16, 2007 A new cutting-edge experiment aims to discover how exactly cosmic rays and the Sun may influence the formation of low-level clouds, and possibly climate change. More than two centuries ago, the British Astronomer Royal William Herschel noted a correlation between sunspots – an indicator of solar activity – and the price of wheat in England.…

Researchers unlock climate secrets

This content was published on Jul 16, 2007 Beniston heads a research group at Geneva University on climate change and climate impacts. swissinfo: What are the strong points of Swiss research on climate? Martin Beniston: First of all you have up to 70 researchers in paleoclimatology who reconstruct past climates, from several hundred thousand years ago to the last century. Thomas Stocker and…

Key climate report issued

This content was published on Jul 16, 2007 The report released on Wednesday by the Advisory Body on Climate Change (OcCC) details the effects rising temperatures will have on ecology, agriculture, health, tourism, water supply and infrastructure in Switzerland by 2050. OcCC president Kathy Riklin told journalists that the consequences were manageable, but a series of adaptations had to be made. “What’s new…

Starting afresh gives Swiss manager strength

This content was published on Jul 15, 2007 She tells swissinfo about what drives her to take on new challenges when she could sit back and bask in her earlier success with big companies such as Philip Morris and Nestlé. LVMH – or Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy – is a group with a global reach. Some of its brands are instantly recognisable –…

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