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More Swiss living in towns

This content was published on Aug 29, 2000 For the first time since 1981, population growth was stronger in Swiss towns than in the countryside. The latest demographic figures, released on Tuesday, showed that overall the urban population increased by 0.6 per cent in 1999, while rural areas recorded a smaller 0.5 per cent rise. The new data bucked the trend observed between…

Post Office takes lead in job creation

This content was published on Aug 29, 2000 The fourth survey of job-creating companies by the business publication, Bilanz, shows the American fast food chain, McDonalds, knocked off the top spot for the first time. It fell to fifth position after taking on just over 500 people in the same time period. The booming telecommunications sector took second and third position. Diax added…

Von Roll sees profits fall despite improved sales

This content was published on Aug 29, 2000 Net profit came in at SFr1 million ($580,000) compared to SFr4 million for the same period last year. Sales grew by nine per cent to SFr870 million. New orders were slightly up at SFr923 million. The company said one-off financial charges and a higher tax burden brought down net profit. It attributed the improved sales…

Threat from gene technology tops agenda at organic farming meeting

This content was published on Aug 29, 2000 The gathering, which kicked off on Monday in Basel, is the world’s largest of its kind to date, with over 500 scientists and experts attending. Experts, farmers’ representatives and consumer organisations are holding four days of talks at the 13th Scientific Conference of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). The meeting, sponsored by…

Dairy farmers warned to cut costs

This content was published on Aug 29, 2000 That’s the conclusion of a study by the Federal Institute of the Rural Economy, released on Tuesday. It warned that Swiss dairy producers would need to cut their prices by around 25 to 30 centimes per kilogramme of milk over the next 10 years, if they are to compete with European Union producers. The study,…

Clariant reports stable figures

This content was published on Aug 29, 2000 First-half net profit edged up to SFr281 million ($164 million) from SFr277 million for the same period last year. The Basel-based company says profit margins have been hit by the cost of its takeover of the British chemical company, BTP. However, it said it expected an improved situation for the second half of the year.…

Swisscom’s operating profit tumbles

This content was published on Aug 29, 2000 The figure of SFr1.1 billion is down a third on the corresponding numbers for the previous year. Sales, however, were up by 33.4 per cent due to the full consolidation of the German mobile operator, debitel. Net profit almost doubled to SFr2.4 billion on asset gains made through the sale of Swisscom’s one-third stake in…

Bluewin to offer on-line shopping access

This content was published on Aug 29, 2000 Primus Online’s shopping network will become available in the autumn through the address www.bluewin.ch. Primus Online has already set up a similar venture with an Austrian internet provider to establish itself as one of the leading e-commerce companies in the German-speaking world. Bluewin, owned by Switzerland’s largest telecommunications operator, Swisscom, will hold 51 per cent…

Energy ministry plans to double amount of wood used for energy

This content was published on Aug 28, 2000 In the initial phase of the energy programme, the ministry announced that the wood from the trees that were destroyed in December’s Hurricane “Lothar” would be turned into firewood. This phase would run until 2003 and cost SFr45 million. The aim of the programme is to increase the long-term sales of firewood. The ministry said…

Out & About in Switzerland: Crans Montana is for early birds

This content was published on Aug 28, 2000 People willing to get up at the crack of dawn can join an outing, which the tourist office calls: “A morning on the alpine pasture of Colombire”. It all starts on the Alp at six o’clock when participants, weather permitting, will be rewarded with a view of the sunrise over some of the majestic 4,000-metre…

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