Internal: Archive

Senate approves free trade deal with Mexico

This content was published on Jun 19, 2001 The new bilateral agreement, drawn-up within the framework of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), ensures that Switzerland will get more access to Mexican markets from July 1, matching the current levels enjoyed by the United States and the European Union. Mexico is Switzerland’s fourth most important trade partner in the Americas, after the United…

Swiss back banking secrecy

This content was published on Jun 18, 2001 Seventy-two per cent said that the country should not yield to international pressure to abolish financial privacy, according to the survey, released on Monday. “Protecting an individual’s financial privacy is a very worthy cause. The Swiss acknowledge its importance and continue to give it their overwhelming support,” said Urs Roth, the association’s chief executive. As…

Philip Morris HQ moving to Lausanne

This content was published on Jun 18, 2001 The company is the third American tobacco giant to relocate its headquarters to Switzerland. Philip Morris said the move would benefit Lausanne. “New jobs will be created here,” said spokesman Rémi Calvet in an interview with French-language newspaper “24 Heures”. However he didn’t specify exactly how many new posts would be created. He added that…

Profits jump at Saurer

This content was published on Jun 18, 2001 “Saurer Group enjoyed positive business development in the first four months of 2001,” the company said in a letter to shareholders. Saurer said the increase in profits was down to continuing internal growth, as well as acquisitions. However, analysts were disappointed with the numbers at Saurer, which came in lower than most had expected. Saurer,…

Switzerland dropping behind in solar stakes

This content was published on Jun 18, 2001 Only 51,000 square metres of solar panels were sold last year, registering no gains compared with 1999. From 1993 to 1997, solar installation output increased one megawatt per year. And more recently, that figure doubled thanks to federal subsidies from the government’s Energy 2000 action programme. Last year’s lack of enthusiasm is blamed on a…

Sulzer Medica warns earnings could be hit by implant recall

This content was published on Jun 18, 2001 Reiterating earlier statements, Medica, which is due to be spun off from Swiss industrial group Sulzer on July 10, said it believed it was likely that costs linked to both cases would exceed the limits of existing insurance cover. It said that as per June 1, about 800 lawsuits had been filed. More than 1,900…

Sabena to present salvage plan to shareholders

This content was published on Jun 18, 2001 Sabena’s chief executive, Christoph Müller, is expected to outline how he intends to restore the airline to profitability. His plan will be closely scrutinised by the Belgian government, which holds a 50.1 per cent stake, and the Swissair Group, which holds the remaining 49.9 per cent. Müller said in April that he expected Sabena to…

Daniel Vasella named businessman of the year

This content was published on Jun 17, 2001 Ninth in the rankings in 2000, Vasella secured a quarter of this year’s vote. Swatch’s Nicolas Hayek came in a close second and the bronze medal went to the former president of UBS, Alex Krauer. The Swissair Group’s Mario Corti, who has been battling to get the loss-making airline back on its feet, also put…

War of words breaks out over collapse of Air Liberté-AOM

This content was published on Jun 16, 2001 Air Liberté-AOM filed for bankruptcy on Friday after last ditch efforts to solve its financial crisis failed. The loss-making carrier said it had sufficient funds to continue operations for the start of the peak holiday season at the end of June. In a statement on Friday, the Swissair Group, which owns a 49.5 per cent…

Booming Geneva grapples with housing crisis

This content was published on Jun 16, 2001 No one is in any doubt that new homes need to be built, and quickly. But opinion is divided as to what kind of homes these should be, and where they should be built. The housing crisis will undoubtedly be the most divisive issue during cantonal elections this October. “Geneva is a small territory, and…

Internal: Archive

Popular Stories

Most Discussed