Switzerland, like the UK, charges households an essentially unavoidable broadcasting fee. The money raised is used to fund public news and entertainment. However, the fee is divisive. Some view it as a necessity to ensure the public is well informed. Others see its unavoidable nature as an affront to personal liberty. A public vote to […]
Electric vehicles to be taxed next year in Switzerland
From 1 January 2024, electric vehicles (EV) will be taxed like their petrol and diesel equivalents, announced Switzerland’s Federal Council this week, reported RTS. Cars imported into Switzerland suffer a 4% tax. EVs are currently exempted from this tax. From the beginning of next year all cars including EVs will be taxed. The exemption, introduced […]
Price cuts on 350 medicines in Switzerland
With the ever rising cost of of Swiss healthcare, the government has been hunting for savings. This week it announced that it has ordered price cuts on 350 medicines from 1 December 2023, reported RTS. On average the drugs on the list will cost 10% less and deliver an overall expected saving of CHF 120 […]
Future vote to ban fireworks gets enough signatures
Fireworks are a common festive spectacle in Switzerland. But for some their noise outweighs their benefits. This week, a group announced it had collected more than the 100,000 signatures required to launch a referendum on the subject, reported RTS. In the 18 months allowed, the group collected signatures 137,429 signatures, which it submitted to the […]
Swiss village hits back at cow bell haters
The sound of cow bells is an integral feature of Switzerland’s image, conjuring up idilic alpine scenes of cows roaming freely, chomping on grass. However, these same clanging bells can be less than idilic when you’re trying to sleep. In the small Bernese town of Aarwangen several poorly rested newcomers have complained. Town locals, shocked […]
Swiss occupational pensions to feel squeeze from higher rate
Switzerland’s occupational pensions, known as the 2nd pillar, are feeling the squeeze of lackluster returns and an aging population. This week, the government added to the strain by setting the minimum rate pension managers must pay pension holders at 1.25% for 2024, a 0.25 percentage point rise over last year, reported RTS. Inevitably, the announcement […]
Swiss finance minister wins 2023 obfuscation award
Every year, investigativ.ch, an association of investigative journalists, bestows an award on the public figure it deems to have exercised the lowest levels of transparency during the year. This year the award went to Karin Keller-Sutter, Switzerland’s minister of finance, for the secret decision making process surrounding the fire sale of the bank Credit Suisse […]
Swiss inflation returns in October
Consumer prices increased by 0.1% in October 2023, reported Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO) this week. Rising prices in October represent a reversal of the 0.1% fall in September 2023. October’s rise in inflation kept the annual rate of inflation at 1.7%, 0.3 percentage points below the Swiss National Bank’s (SNB) preferred maximum of 2% […]
Second chance applications push asylum numbers up by 32%
During September 2023, 3,966 asylum requests were made in Switzerland, a month on month rise of 32%, reported RTS. According to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) the rise is partly due to secondary applications. Typically, applying for asylum is a one shot game. However, the situation in Afghanistan has been degrading so quickly that […]
Serious sporting accidents on the rise in Switzerland
The number of serious sporting accidents in Switzerland continues to rise, according to BPA an accident prevention agency. Over the last 10 years the numbers of accidents from hiking and mountain biking have risen by close to 50%. Every year around 430,000 people are injured while engaging in leisure and sporting activities. Among these injuries […]
