Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

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New Swiss Rail Timetable Speeds up Cross-Border Trips

2020-08-28

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2020-08-28

Swiss Rail
Next year the train connections from Switzerland to Germany and Italy will be faster. On Wednesday the Swiss Federal Railways unveiled the timetable for 2021. In addition to various inland tweaks, the new schedule brings swifter links from Zurich to Milan (3:17) and Munich (ca. 4hrs). From Zurich there will be ten direct trains to Milan; from Basel, five.

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Belgium Investigates Credit Suisse over hidden Bank Accounts

2020-08-27

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2020-08-27

Credit Suisse
The investigation by federal prosecutors is at the information-gathering stage, looking for evidence of money laundering and whether the Swiss bank acted as an illegal financial intermediary, a spokesman for the prosecutors said on Monday. However, no formal charges have been brought.

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First Skydive from a Solar Electric Plane Accomplished in Switzerland

2020-08-26

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2020-08-26

First Skydive from a Solar Electric Plane
The world’s first skydive off the solar-powered electric plane SolarStratos has been completed successfully in western Switzerland. SolarStratos took off from the aerodrome in Payerne at 7:40am on Tuesday with two people on board: test pilot Miguel Iturmendi and co-pilot Raphaël Domjan.

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Why is Switzerland so expensive?

2020-08-25

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2020-08-25

Why is Switzerland so expensive
You might have experienced it first-hand, or even just heard the legendary tales: Switzerland is eye-wateringly pricey. But do the people earning a Swiss wage see these sky-high costs the same way? Get this question and many others answered in this episode of ‘Switzerland Explained’ by SWI swissinfo.ch.

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Shoppers in Basel must wear face masks to reduce Covid-19 risks

2020-08-23

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2020-08-23

Basel City has become the first German-speaking canton to require customers to wear face masks in shops to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

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How do you separate the good companies from the bad apples?

2020-08-22

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2020-08-22

Our regular analysis of what the biggest global companies in Switzerland are up to. This week: dubious gold origins, luxury watch straps, and vaccine deals. Gold refineries are under scrutiny for sourcing gold from Dubai traders with questionable ties to illegal mines in Africa. But is it fair to lump all refineries into one basket of bad apples?

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Why is Switzerland one of the most expensive countries?

2020-08-21

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Everybody seems to agree, Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world, but why is that? The anecdotal evidence is there, and in the press, the big Swiss cities are constantly ranked among the most expensive cities in the world. Zurich and Geneva regularly make it into the top ten. And the Swiss are very much aware of these price differences. A study published at the beginning of 2020 concluded that Swiss businesses and...

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Neo-banks challenging Swiss financial sector

2020-08-20

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2020-08-20

New digital banks are popping up in Switzerland without a single branch or counter.  One of them, Zurich-based Neon, is staking its success on doing more with less and has attracted 30,000 customers.

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How I built my own Swiss watch – in a day

2020-08-19

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2020-08-19

Imagine assembling your own Swiss mechanical watch and taking it home with you at the end of the day. swissinfo.ch tried out the popular new concept run by Jura start-up Initium.

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Families face large differences in tax rates across Switzerland

2020-08-18

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2020-08-18

A comparison of tax rates across different cantons and cities found that Zug – home to many multinational companies – offers the most attractive tax regime for families.

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Pressure mounts on Swiss refinery Valcambi over questionable gold origins

2020-08-17

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2020-08-17

Industry associations are calling on Switzerland’s largest gold refinery to clarify the origins of its gold purchased from Dubai traders.

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Swiss luxury watch retailer Bucherer to shed jobs

2020-08-16

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2020-08-16

The leading Swiss luxury watch and jewellery company Bucherer has announced it plans to slash 370 of its 2,400 jobs worldwide due to the coronavirus crisis hitting tourism.

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Free trade deals save Switzerland billions, study finds

2020-08-15

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2020-08-15

Swiss consumers and importers saved CHF2.5 billion ($2.7 billion) in 2018 thanks to lower customs duties as part of free trade agreements, a study has revealed.

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Banks braced as pandemic poses biggest test since financial crisis

2020-08-14

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2020-08-14

During the depths of the coronavirus crisis in Europe in late March, Sergio Ermotti remembers sitting in his home study in Lugano, reflecting on the latest financial meltdown to engulf his career as a banker.

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Swiss government wants extra CHF770 million to tackle coronavirus

2020-08-13

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2020-08-13

The Swiss government has asked for an extra CHF770 million ($841 million) in funds to tackle the coronavirus fallout. This comes on top of the CHF31 billion in bailout funds approved by parliament since March.

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Traditional working model hampers Swiss women’s careers

2020-08-11

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2020-08-11

Swiss women are losing out when it comes to achieving managerial positions compared to their male colleagues and female peers from other countries. The common Swiss working model of women taking over childcare and men working full-time makes it harder for Swiss mothers to climb up the career ladder.

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Swiss International Air Lines’ turnover halved due to coronavirus

2020-08-07

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2020-08-07

The economic repercussions of the coronavirus have caused turnover at SWISS to fall by 55% in the first half of 2020. With a turnover of CHF1.17 billion ($1.28 billion) between January and the end of June, the carrier suffered an operating loss of CHF266.4 million in the first half of the year, following an operating profit of CHF245.3 million a year earlier.

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Switzerland’s dark business with Ukrainian coal

2020-08-06

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2020-08-06

Pro-Russian separatists are financing their war in Ukraine with coal deliveries to the West. Now the role of Swiss companies in Zug and Geneva is being investigated, according to a report in the SonntagsZeitung. 

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Pandemic crashed demand for hotels and trains

2020-08-05

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2020-08-05

The number of overnight stays in Swiss hotels practically halved in the first six months of the year. Covid-19 also hit demand for public transport, with passengers notching up a third of their normal distances by train in the past three months.

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Murdoch becomes major shareholder in Swiss MCH group

2020-08-04

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2020-08-04

James Murdoch, the son of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, has been elected to the board of directors of the leading Swiss exhibitions group, MCH.

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