Tax, pensions, asylum seekers and fines big and small

Rejected asylum seekers cannot be deported if they risk inhuman treatment in their home countries. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Almost every article published by swissinfo.ch contains a percentage, an age, an amount of money or some other figure. Here’s a round-up of some of the most interesting statistics to appear in the past week’s stories.

Monday

2

Two ministers for a two-pronged package: Ministers for the interior and finance, Alain Berset and Ueli Maurer, launched a government campaign in favour of the upcoming national vote on a reform of the corporate tax and pension systems.  They warned that rejecting the package in May could harm the Swiss economy.

Tuesday

42 million

Swiss industrial giant ABB was selected by Indian Railways to provide converters for electric locomotives that it will manufacture in India. It is the company’s largest traction equipment order in India and is worth $42 million (CHF42 million).

Wednesday

3.7 billion

A French court found Swiss bank UBS guilty of illicit solicitation and laundering of the proceeds of tax fraud, imposing a hefty fine of €3.7 billion (CHF4.2 billion). The bank was convicted of illegally helping wealthy French clients evade tax authorities in France.

Thursday

34

Of the 38 persons whose asylum applications were recommended for rejection by the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) in 2017, 34 still remain in the country. The security authorities know their identity and where they are staying, said the Federal Council in response to a parliamentarian’s request for information.

Friday

500

The fine in Swiss francs given by a military court to a former Swiss army officer who fought in a Christian militia against Islamic State in Syria. He was found guilty of undermining Switzerland’s defensive capabilities by joining a foreign army and also given a suspended three-month jail sentence.