From 1 January 2020, it will be much easier for Switzerland’s 38,000 federal government employees to get paid for working on the train, according to the newspaper Tages-Anzeiger. Until the beginning of this year, working on the train on the way to and from work was only rewarded in exceptional instances and even then it […]
Running a Swiss business – changes in 2020
Every year brings changes for business owners and managers. In May 2019, a majority of Swiss voters accepted a package of changes to the way companies are taxed known as The Federal Act on Tax Reform and AHV Financing (TRAF). Many of the changes flowing from this begin on 1 January 2020. 1. Social insurance […]
Switzerland’s new president for 2020
In Switzerland, the position of president is ceremonial. Switzerland’s executive is led jointly by all seven members of the Federal Council, known as les sept sages (the seven wise ones) by French speakers. Every year, the government issues a photo of the Federal Council. This year the photo (below) presents the executive as a group […]
Swiss parliament approves new 6 billion franc fighter jet purchase
Before Christmas, Switzerland’s parliament approved the purchase of a new fleet of fighter jets costing CHF 6 billion, according to RTS. The plan, which aims to defend Swiss airspace beyond 2030, has now been approved by both Switzerland’s upper and lower houses. Any contract to supply the aircraft will require a foreign supplier to invest […]
Swisscom achieves 90 percent 5G coverage, despite public resistance
Swisscom, Switzerland’s largest mobile operator, announced that it has achieved its plan to reach 90% of Switzerland’s population with 5G signals by the end of 2019. The installed infrastructure will allow it to deliver a basic service, which will be slower than the final version but still 1,000 times more effective than 4G. The first […]
New fines for single use plastic in Geneva
From 1 January 2020, single use plastic products will be banned in the city of Geneva. Offenders will risk fines of at least CHF 100. Offering free single-use plastic bags at retail checkouts will be banned across the canton from 1 January 2020. The law enacting the ban was passed earlier in 2019 by Geneva’s […]
Number on welfare in Switzerland falls for first time in 10 years
In 2018, the number of people receiving social welfare in Switzerland fell from 278,300, or 3.3% of the population, to 272,700, 3.2% of the population. The last time the number fell was in 2008 when it dropped from 3.1% (233,500) to 2.9% (222,600) of the population. The percentage of people on welfare varies significantly by […]
French strikers vow to disrupt new cross-border train service for a long time
Early this week, the union representing French Léman Express train workers issued a press release stating that the current social conflict will be long, according to the newspaper Tribune de Gèneve. The press release concluded by stating that striking train workers are determined to turn the Léman Express into the Nothing Express. In addition to […]
Switzerland’s high prices – a European comparison
Recently published data shows how prices compare across Europe. The data, collected by Eurostat, compares prices across a number of categories of spending in 2018. Average prices across the EU-28 are used as a base. Overall, residents of Switzerland spent 59% more on the same items than an average resident of the EU-28. Switzerland was […]
Swiss visit doctor less often than most of Europe
In 2017, an average Swiss resident visited a medical professional 4.32 times, according to data recently published by Eurostat. Only residents of Denmark (4.30), Sweden (2.77) and Cyprus (2.09) went to see a doctor less often. The average number of visits across those European countries with 2017 data was 6.84. Countries with the highest frequency […]
