The 57-kilometre-long Gotthard base rail tunnel was officially opened on 1 June 2016. It is the world’s longest train tunnel, longer than the Channel Tunnel and the Seikan Tunnel in Japan, which links the Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokaido. The 200 km/h tunnel journey, which starts in the German-speaking Swiss canton of Uri and […]
Phil Collins hits the stage in Lausanne this Friday
Le Matin. Former Genesis drummer and singer, Phil Collins will be performing in Lausanne on Friday, 3 June 2016 to raise money for the charity, Little Dreams, which he started with his former Swiss wife Orianne. The 65 year-old singer drummer has been suffering from health problems and has rarely been seen on stage over […]
Is making profits good for Switzerland’s state-owned companies?
Initiative: In favour of public services Despite being majority owned by the state, Swisscom, Swiss Rail, and Swiss Post are all profit-driven: the Swiss government owns 51 percent of Swisscom and 100 percent of Switzerland’s rail and post businesses. For backers of the initiative, seeking profit stands in the way of these enterprises providing good levels […]
Are Swiss drivers being unfairly milked by the government?
Initiative: In favour of fair traffic financing Currently, not all of Switzerland’s fuel tax is allocated to improving and expanding Switzerland’s infrastructure, some of it flows into the overall Federal budget. Restricting fuel taxes to the road The Swiss People’s party (UDC/SVP) along with representatives from a broad selection of parties and interest groups, want all tax gained […]
Swiss growth unexpectedly slows
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Switzerland’s economy barely grew in the first quarter as government spending fell for the first time in a year. The slowdown to 0.1 percent followed expansion of 0.4 percent in the last three months of 2015 and fell short of the 0.3 percent growth that economists had forecast. The […]
New rules make it risky to hire a car in Switzerland and drive it in the EU
Rule makers in Brussels have been busy trying to streamline customs procedures within the European Union (EU). But ham-fisted drafting of the new rules, which came into force on 1 May 2016, has made it risky for EU residents to rent cars in Switzerland and drive them in the EU. In addition, an article on the British […]
SNB shouldn’t scrap its biggest bill, says former central bank president
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Switzerland should be wary of “well-meaning” international pressure to withdraw its 1,000-franc ($1,007) note, according to the central bank’s former president. Concern has mounted globally that big banknotes make life easier for criminals and should therefore be scrapped. While officials in the euro area have announced plans to phase […]
Nestle buys rights to milk-allergy test from French company
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Nestle SA agreed to pay DBV Technologies SA, a French developer of therapeutic skin patches, as much as 100 million euros ($110 million) for the right to sell an experimental test to detect milk allergy, the most common food allergy in children. Nestle will pay the Montrouge-based company 10 […]
Stock markets edge higher as oil price hits US$50 a barrel
27 May 2016 – Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Stock markets around the world are set to close higher this week after investors interpreted a rise in oil prices as a positive sign for the global economy. The Swiss Market Index (SMI) outperformed global markets amid a strong performance from financials and […]
Most Swiss put EU agreements before immigration quotas according to survey
24 Heures. According to a survey conducted by GfS Bern, only 36% of Swiss would support the UDC/SVP’s 2014 initiative against mass immigration if forced to choose between it and maintaining bilateral agreements with the EU, which include an open door policy towards EU nationals. Of the remaining 64%, 47% are against the initiative and 17% […]
