Farmers worldwide pre-settle food prices with buyers to avoid the risk of being saddled with their harvest with no one to sell it to. This should remain the case, according to the JUSO (Young Swiss Socialists) party. However, with their initiative: ‘Ban on Food Speculation’, the party aims to ban institutional investors from trading in […]
Swiss share market up despite continued decline in sentiment
19 February 2016 – Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. The SMI is set to close higher this week tracking gains of global equity markets. The SMI recovered almost a third of its year to date losses this week on higher oil prices, hopes of new Chinese economic stimulus and a […]
Swiss vote to ban food speculation. Clever or cuckoo?
Does speculation distort food prices and create hunger? Food shortages are caused by many things, among them, bad weather, wars and supply problems. There is also evidence that speculation amplifies natural price movements, sometimes to a point that limits access to food in poor countries. In a working paper, Stephen Spratt, from the Institute of Development […]
Freelance working on the rise in Switzerland
According to a new study by Deloitte, one in four people in Switzerland works as a freelancer and another 25% would like to next year. Technology and the internet are the main drivers behind the trend. The shift to knowledge intensive careers is allowing greater mobility. 28% already work at least half a day a […]
Swiss watch exports drop further in January
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Swiss watch exports slid for the seventh consecutive month as plummeting stocks and slowing economies damped demand for luxury timepieces in their main markets. The two biggest destinations for Swiss watch exports — Hong Kong and the U.S. — were almost exclusively responsible for the global downturn, the Federation […]
Nestle sees continued sales slowdown
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Nestle SA forecasts 2016 sales below analyst estimates, increasing pressure on Chief Executive Officer Paul Bulcke to find new areas of growth as he enters the home stretch of his tenure. Revenue growth will be similar to last year’s 4.2 percent on an organic basis, itself the slowest pace […]
Government plan to cut Swiss farm aid causes friction in Bern
Some political parties say Switzerland needs to save, but not at the expense of farmers, reports 20 Minutes. Parties upset by planned cuts include the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP), the PDC/CVP and PBD/BDP. The Swiss People’s Party in particular, has a long history of defending farmers’ interests. Some in French-speaking Switzerland still refer to it as the “parti agrarien”. […]
Ticino vote to tax employee carparks gets green light
20 Minutes. The Italian-speaking Canton of Ticino will soon ask voters if the carparks companies give their staff should be taxed. The Canton announced on Monday that more than 24,000 signatures from those supporting the proposal had been collected, enough to put the decision to a public vote on 5 June 2016. The proposal if […]
A good reason to scrape snow and ice off your car before driving
This video was posted by Vaud’s police on their Facebook page. The driver is in the United States however the message is universal. For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Geneva to provide official forms in English. Smart move or English invasion?
This week the city of Geneva announced plans to provide administrative and promotional documents in English and four other languages. The city welcomes nearly 20,000 new residents every year and city officials have decided language shouldn’t be a barrier to accessing public services. After a survey they decided on five languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Albanian, Arabic […]
