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EMS Chemie hit by strong Swiss franc

This content was published on Dec 11, 2003 The company, which is owned by right-wing politician Christoph Blocher, said net profits had decreased to SFr108 million ($72.8 million) compared with the corresponding period in 2001. The result came alongside a 3.7 per cent drop in sales for the first six months of 2002 to SFr620 million. Blocher said the profit fall was due…

Kyrgyzstan’s globetrotting dolls

This content was published on Dec 11, 2003 Their success was made possible by craftsmanship and creativity, a village-style factory and a plane ticket to Hungary. “Twenty years ago there was nothing in this area. I used to come here to shoot birds,” remembers Ura, our friendly driver, speaking in stilted French, which he probably hasn’t used since. We are in the dusty…

Helping small business fight corruption

This content was published on Dec 11, 2003 In an effort to help them, a number of Swiss aid groups are working to boost the independence of fledgling enterprises by providing advice and credit. “Our members have long forgotten the communist mindset,” Sergei Lissunov, an adviser with the Bishkek-based Business Professional Network (BPN), told swissinfo. “We also don’t work with businesses that benefited…

Parliament agrees record spending cuts

This content was published on Dec 11, 2003 The House of Representatives and the Senate ironed out differences over funding for research, childcare facilities, tourism and ministers’ salaries. Parliament had been divided on the budget cuts, with the centre-right parties wanting deeper cuts, while the centre-left Social Democrats said the measures went too far. Both Houses and the finance ministry said on Thursday…

Glarus weaves its heritage into a theme trail

This content was published on Dec 11, 2003 In fact, the canton has successfully marketed the Glarus Industry Trail, which is nearly 40 kilometres long and seeped in 250 years of history. The old factory buildings that line the main valley in canton Glarus are evidence of a once thriving textile industry. Many of the old buildings are now manufacturing centres for plastics…

Summit leaders put spotlight on human rights

This content was published on Dec 10, 2003 Global leaders were also warned of the need to ensure respect for human rights and freedom of expression and opinion. More than 50 heads of state or government and around 13,000 representatives of civil society, international organisations and the private sector are attending the three-day event. Swiss President Pascal Couchepin officially opened the summit at…

Merz takes fast track to the top

This content was published on Dec 10, 2003 Only elected to the Senate in 1997, Merz has quickly become one of the rising stars of the Swiss political scene. A self-confessed conservative, Merz speaks a language that hits home with much of the electorate, appealing to both the man in the street and business leaders. He is comfortable in front of the camera…

High costs mar Swiss business environment

This content was published on Dec 9, 2003 “Doing Business in 2004” found that Switzerland was amongst the countries with the least bureaucracy, ranking in the top ten of the 130 countries surveyed. The findings come amid moves to make Switzerland more attractive for start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study considered criteria including the complexity of starting and winding up…

Seed funds for Swiss space tech transfer firms

This content was published on Dec 8, 2003 Its goal is to give help at an early stage to those wanting to start new ventures based on technology developed for space research – Swiss teams are invited to participate. As a long time member of ESA, Switzerland has completed a great deal of research and development in space technologies. In fact, some 60…

Summit delegates clear free speech hurdle

This content was published on Dec 8, 2003 During last-minute talks over the weekend, negotiators agreed on wording in draft documents to be presented to world leaders later this week. Throughout preparatory meetings ahead of the summit, the issue of free speech created deep divisions between government delegations. The United States, Switzerland and the European Union had been pushing for an information society…

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