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Fear of poverty increasingly disturbs the Swiss

This content was published on Dec 12, 2005 The results of the “Worry Barometer” 2005 from the Credit Suisse banking group also reveal that other pressing concerns are healthcare, pensions and foreigners. The annual survey was conducted by research institute gfs.bern. Among the 1,000 Swiss voters taking part, 71 per cent cited being unemployed as their greatest worry. This is an increase of…

Canton votes to become a tax paradise

This content was published on Dec 11, 2005 On Sunday 86 per cent of voters in Obwalden backed new tax laws which will benefit all citizens but especially those earning more than SFr300,000 ($230,000). As a result of the resounding yes vote – by 8,623 to 1,368 – taxes will go down for individuals, and companies will enjoy the lowest taxation in the…

Swiss trains struggle to stick to the timetable

This content was published on Dec 11, 2005 A year ago, to much fanfare, the Railways rolled out an ambitious revamp of its services, with shorter journey times and many more trains. But passengers relishing the prospect of faster commutes, and less time spent in stations, were soon hearing apologetic announcements about delays and cancellations. Then, on a sweltering day in June, the…

Rail passengers face the last puff

This content was published on Dec 11, 2005 Public transport authorities have ordered a general smoking ban, which will also include enclosed spaces such as waiting rooms and ticket offices at railway stations. Those who insist on smoking on trains will face a penalty of SFr25 ($19). The smoking ban on trains comes six months after the Swiss umbrella organisation, the Public Transport…

Climate treaty gets second wind

This content was published on Dec 10, 2005 More than 150 nations, including Switzerland, agreed early on Saturday to launch formal talks on mandatory post-2012 reductions in greenhouse gases. These talks will include Kyoto outsiders such as the United States and developing nations. Washington had long resisted taking part in the talks. However, days of backroom bargaining at the United Nations conference had…

Business leaders want tougher negotiators

This content was published on Dec 10, 2005 The thorny issue of agriculture must not obscure the vital interest at stake at the conference for an export-driven country like Switzerland, economiesuisse says. “We call on the official Swiss delegation in Hong Kong to battle first and foremost for competitive Swiss companies and jobs, and therefore pursue the proactive interests of the Swiss economy,”…

Options tabled to improve Swiss image abroad

This content was published on Dec 9, 2005 These could go as far as merging organisations including Presence Switzerland, Switzerland Tourism, Location Switzerland and swissinfo – the internet platform that informs Swiss abroad. Economics Minister Joseph Deiss said that because of increasing competition from abroad, promotion of Switzerland was more important than ever. The government last year spent SFr88 million ($67.6 million) on…

Government turns down national health scheme

This content was published on Dec 9, 2005 The proposal, which was launched by the centre-left Social Democrats, wants to set up a single non-profit insurance system based on an individual’s income. The plan is still expected to be put to a nationwide vote at a later date. The interior ministry said on Friday that the cabinet would rather stick with the status…

NGOs sceptical of WTO negotiations

This content was published on Dec 9, 2005 Ahead of the sixth ministerial conference of the WTO in Hong Kong, Swiss campaigners believe no agreement would be preferable to a bad agreement. The Hong Kong conference, which gets underway on Tuesday, is not expected to produce anything noteworthy. This prospect gladdens a sizeable portion of Swiss non-governmental organisations, which are distrustful of the…

Chemical firms will pay to clean up waste site

This content was published on Dec 8, 2005 Cantonal authorities and environmental organisations called for the clean-up in 2000 after the companies had dumped chemical and industrial waste at the site between 1961 and 1975. An agreement signed on Thursday between the Basel Chemical Industry (BCI) and the Jura government has now unblocked a clean-up project for the site, which had been frozen…

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