In Switzerland, pension rules make it more expensive to employ older workers. The amount employers must contribute to 2nd pillar contribution-based employee pensions increases with age. Workers under 35 only cost an additional 3.5% of salary. From 55, workers cost employers an additional 9% – workers aged 35 to 44 cost employers an additional 5% […]
Majority favours later retirement for women, according to survey
In Switzerland, the official retirement age for women is 64, a year earlier than it is for men. A poll by gfs.bern shows that around two thirds are in favour of raising the retirement age of women to 65. Only 16% are against the idea, with a further 18% somewhat against it. Men (78%) are […]
Longest lunar eclipse of the century arrives this Friday evening
On 27 and 28 July 2018 the moon will be in the earth’s shadow. The moon will spend one hour and 43 minutes in the earth’s shadow. The last time this was exceeded was in 318 when the moon spent one hour and 47 minutes in the earth’s shadow. The spectacle will only be visible […]
Switzerland’s special tax deals less attractive from 2021
Foreigners who don’t work in Switzerland can benefit from special tax deals known as lump sum taxation, or forfait fiscal in French. Instead of paying tax on their worldwide income and assets their tax is calculated based on their living expenses. When someone becomes Swiss they automatically lose eligibility. The regime, which generated CHF 767 […]
Geneva set to vote on maintaining public spending in the face of company tax reform
An initiative entitled: zero losses, was filed this week in Geneva. It aims to ring fence current public spending in the face of future company tax reform. The initiative gathered 9,147 signatures, more than the 7,840 required. Under pressure from the OECD and the EU, Switzerland is being forced to make major changes to its tax […]
Economiesuisse warns of economic dangers of vote against foreign judges
The business and industry association Economiesuisse says the up-coming vote on 25 November 2018 on self-determination puts the Swiss economy at risk. The Swiss People’s Party led initiative entitled: Federal law instead of foreign judges, aims to cement the primacy of Swiss law over international law by adding a clause to Switzerland’s constitution. The Federal Council, […]
Sales of glyphosate down by nearly a third in Switzerland
Sales of the controversial synthetic herbicide glyphosate dropped by 31% in the two years from 2014, according to Switzerland’s Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG). In 2014, 296 tonnes of the chemical were sold in Switzerland. By 2016, sales had fallen to 204 tonnes, a 31% fall. FOAG attributes some of this decline to increased mechanical […]
Gotthard tunnel queue stretches 14 kilometres
Last Saturday morning, a queue of traffic stretched 14 kilometres from the northern entrance of Switzerland’s Gotthard tunnel, according to RTS. At its peak, waiting time reached 2 hours and 20 minutes. The Gotthard tunnel is the main road link between Zurich and Milan. The obvious alternative is the San Bernardino pass. Normally this route […]
Drop in emergency benefits paid to asylum seekers in Switzerland
In 2017, 8,499 asylum seekers in Switzerland were given emergency financial assistance costing CHF 64 million, according to Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). For new asylum seekers, emergency financial support lasted an average of 137 days. The total number receiving emergency financial assistance fell by 18% compared to 2016. The cost was also down […]
Swiss meat processor, Bell, invests in synthetic meat
This week, Bell, a Swiss meat processor, announced an investment in Dutch synthetic meat start-up Mosa Meat. Mosa Meat, a leader in the market of cultured beef, was co-founded by Mark Post of the University of Maastricht, who is considered to be the global pioneer in the production of cultured meat. Rather than a meat […]
