Tag Archive: Business

Swiss trade unions sound alarm about rising cost of living

2022-04-22

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2022-04-22

Trade unions say middle- and lower-income workers in Switzerland are facing a “shock” in 2022, with wages unable to offset rising inflation and health insurance costs.

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Easter march through Bern addresses war in Ukraine

2022-04-21

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2022-04-21

The traditional Easter march has taken place in the Swiss capital, Bern. This year the “Walk for Peace” focused on issues including the climate and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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Impact of Swiss finance sector on country’s GDP waning

2022-04-21

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2022-04-21

The contribution of Switzerland’s finance industry to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) has decreased over the past ten years.

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Swiss to decide individually on Russian commodity deals

2022-04-20

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2022-04-20

Switzerland will decide case by case whether to curtail traders' purchases from Russia's state-controlled companies under European Union sanctions. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) which is in charge sanctions confirmed the Swiss policy to follow in principle the EU measures, which aim to limit commodity deals to those deemed "strictly necessary" from mid-May.

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Swiss bail-out plan aims to prevent electricity crunch

2022-04-16

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2022-04-16

The government has decided to prepare a bail-out plan for Switzerland’s main electricity companies to prevent an energy shortage.

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Swiss property market faces bleak future despite record values

2022-04-14

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2022-04-14

The Covid-19 pandemic has failed to rattle the Swiss property market. Prices for apartment buildings have hit a record high. But now the war in Ukraine and rising interest rates threaten to turn the tide.

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New Swiss bank pitches itself as digital, but not robotic

2022-04-09

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2022-04-09

Switzerland’s shrinking banking universe has been bolstered by a new wealth management entrant, Alpian, which is aiming for the sweet spot between digital and human-centric services. Alpian has just secured a Swiss banking license along with a CHF19 million ($20.5 million) capital boost from the Italian banking group Intesa Sanpaolo.

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Ukraine war no threat to Swiss banks, says financial watchdog

2022-04-07

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2022-04-07

Switzerland’s financial market supervisor FINMA says the Russian invasion of Ukraine isn’t a wide-scale threat to Swiss financial firms’ business ties to Russia.

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Bankruptcies rise as coronavirus bail-outs phase out

2022-04-05

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2022-04-05

The number of companies and individuals declaring bankruptcy rose 9.1% last year, which coincided with a gradual withdrawal of state-backed financial support during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Ukraine refugees struggle to exchange cash into Swiss francs

2022-04-04

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2022-04-04

Thousands of Ukrainian refugees are finding that Swiss banks are refusing to convert the cash they brought with them into francs.

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Switzerland backs European plans for joint gas storage

2022-04-02

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2022-04-02

Switzerland has signed a declaration along with six other European states in favour of pooling gas storage facilities. Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands signed the declarationExternal link on Wednesday, pledging to work towards coordinating storage efforts on a regional level.

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Most Swiss would support tougher sanctions against Russia

2022-03-29

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2022-03-29

A new poll shows that a majority of the Swiss population would be in favour of tougher sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine, even if it results in higher energy costs in Switzerland.

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Swiss web TV channel to broadcast in Ukrainian

2022-03-28

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2022-03-28

Diaspora TV Switzerland launched a new service in Ukrainian on Sunday to help meet the information needs of refugees arriving from the war-torn country.

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Ukraine urges Switzerland to clamp down on Russian money

2022-03-28

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2022-03-28

An advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the Swiss should be more proactive in looking for Russian funds. But according to a legal expert, current regulations do not allow authorities or banks to do more active searches beyond what’s in their current registers.

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Switzerland sounds out Qatar over gas supplies

2022-03-24

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2022-03-24

Switzerland plans to open negotiations with Qatar over the potential delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies. The Alpine state is scouting for new energy suppliers, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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What the Ukraine war means for Switzerland’s energy policy

2022-03-23

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2022-03-23

The war in Ukraine and consequent threat of energy insecurity is forcing many countries to reconsider their existing policies. The ripple effect has also reached Switzerland, which is already reassessing its gas supply for the coming winter. 

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‘Next winter will be difficult in Europe without Russian gas’

2022-03-22

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2022-03-22

The United States wants to cut its dependence on Russian fuels. But Switzerland and Europe cannot completely do without Russian gas, says René Bautz, the CEO of Gaznat, which supplies high-pressure gas to western Switzerland, and president of the Global Gas Centre platform for the natural gas sector.

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Blockchain heavyweights leverage Swiss start-ups for growth

2022-03-21

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2022-03-21

Switzerland is anchoring the European and Middle East expansion of one of the world’s fastest growing cryptocurrency exchanges. The Bermuda-based FTX group is building its regional headquarters on the foundations of a small, yet successful, Swiss company that was established just two years ago. Like many projects I encounter in “Crypto Nation” SwitzerlandExternal link, Digital Assets came together in rapid time, surfing on the rising value of...

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Swiss economic prospects for 2022 dampened but not decimated

2022-03-17

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2022-03-17

The Swiss economics ministry has downgraded its growth forecast for 2022 due to the war in Ukraine. But it still predicts a solid post-pandemic upswing.

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Russian clients have up to CHF200 billion in Swiss banks

2022-03-16

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2022-03-16

Swiss banks hold between CHF150 billion and CHF200 billion ($160-$214 billion) in assets belonging to Russian clients, according to the Swiss Bankers Association.

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