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Exploding the myth of the Polish plumber

This content was published on Aug 22, 2005 swissinfo went to Warsaw to track down the real thing and find out whether the scaremongering was justified. Will Switzerland really be flooded with plumbers from Poland if it opens its job market to workers from the new European Union countries? Or will the wave of construction going on across the former eastern bloc guarantee…

Business touts growth benefit of labour accord

This content was published on Aug 22, 2005 Business says the economic arguments in favour of the accord are compelling for Switzerland, which has seen lacklustre growth for more than a decade. Key representatives of the Swiss business community, along with government and union bosses, say a yes vote to extending the free movement of people accord will give the domestic economy a…

Swiss hope to profit from Libyan trade

This content was published on Aug 21, 2005 Switzerland and Libya are due to sign a double taxation accord in 2006. A lowering of Libyan customs duties is also on the cards, say officials. Deiss, the first Swiss cabinet minister to visit the country, was holding talks with the Libyan government in a bid to boost bilateral relations and promote business ties with…

Finance Minister calls for VAT changes

This content was published on Aug 21, 2005 Merz also said he was in favour of withdrawing the country’s request to join the European Union if September’s vote on extending an EU labour accord was accepted. VAT currently stands at 7.6 per cent, but there are exceptions – for example, the hotel sector only pays 3.6 per cent – and many exemptions. The…

European science urged to get more competitive

This content was published on Aug 21, 2005 The European Union has charged the European Research Council (ERC) with promoting and supporting scientific projects as it attempts to catch up with the United States. The ERC comes into operation on January 1, 2007. Zinkernagel, a professor of experimental pathology at Zurich University, said one of the main aims of the council would be…

Swiss Federal Railways receives heritage prize

This content was published on Aug 20, 2005 It is the first time that Switzerland’s National Heritage Society has awarded the prize to another public institution instead of a town or village. The Swiss Federal Railways won the award for its careful respect of its old buildings and the use of top architects for its new ones. Interior Minister Pascal Couchepin handed over…

ABB asbestos settlement given go ahead

This content was published on Aug 20, 2005 The engineering concern said that it could now present its proposal to claimants in the case – which it hopes will be resolved by the end of the year. The maker of industrial robots and electric motors said in March that it had clinched a deal to settle all outstanding claims, which stem from the…

Finance minister lobbies Swiss abroad

This content was published on Aug 19, 2005 Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf Merz presented in Munich on Friday the government’s position on extending the Swiss labour market to citizens of new EU member states. “Greek specialities in the beer garden” says the sign outside Munich’s Swiss House. Inside, Hans-Rudolf Merz is trying to convince his audience that Switzerland must vote “yes” on September 25.…

Leica Geosystems moves into neutral on offers

This content was published on Aug 19, 2005 It is a move that officially ends Leica’s support for a white knight or friendly bid from Danaher following a hostile offer from Hexagon. In a statement on Friday, Leica Geosystems explained that it was taking a neutral position after Hexagon raised its offer on Monday from SFr440 ($345.7) in cash per share to the…

Music industry counts the cost of piracy

This content was published on Aug 19, 2005 But tracing the perpetrators who – often unwittingly – infringe the copyright laws is no easy matter. It takes just a few mouse clicks upload or download music to and from the internet and there are many websites offering these services. But although the practice is proving popular among music fans, the music industry maintains…

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Exploding the myth of the Polish plumber

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Business touts growth benefit of labour accord

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Swiss hope to profit from Libyan trade

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Finance Minister calls for VAT changes

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European science urged to get more competitive

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Swiss Federal Railways receives heritage prize

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ABB asbestos settlement given go ahead

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Finance minister lobbies Swiss abroad

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Leica Geosystems moves into neutral on offers

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Music industry counts the cost of piracy

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