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| 1. SWITZERLAND |
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Switzerland
is a unique country which, like every other nation,
has its own special culture, tradition, and way of doing
things.
The Swiss way
We have four national
languages (French, German, Italian, and Romanche). Switzerland
is a federation of 26 separate states, called cantons.
Our country has a foreign population of 20.4%. The Swiss
traditionally focus on pragmatic solutions and consensus.
As a result, in Switzerland, you will find people of
distinct cultures who speak different languages and
successfully and peacefully work and live together.
This is a model for the world. In addition, our small
size and cultural diversity make Switzerland an ideal
place of testing products before they are introduced
into the global marketplace.
A small, 700-year-old
country with a large, modern economy
Switzerland encompasses
41,288 square kilometres (15,941 square miles) and has
a population of 7.4 million. Because of our small home
market, for centuries the Swiss have been looking for
outsidemarket and have become traders, both exporters
and importers 'par excellence'. Since we have few raw
materials, our business focus has been on high-value-added
products and services. This has resulted in a requirement
for excellent education, research and development. Switzerland's
success rests on the talents, industriousness and productivity
of its people. No other small country has created so
many important multinational companies in the areas
of pharmaceuticals and nutrition, banks, finance, and
insurance, watches and high-quality machinery.
Competitive
Edge
Year
after year, international studies show that Switzerland
ranks well above many other countries, especially
its European neighbors, in such qualities as
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- work ethic (including a low absentee rate
and high productivity)
- labor force skills
- longer working hours (40 to 42 hours per
week) and shorter vacations (4 to 5 weeks per
year)
- lower social charges
- extremely high literacy rate (99%) and high
level of education
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While Swiss salaries
tend to be higher than in some countries, our superiority
in so many categories substantially raises a company's
return on investment. As a result, the true costs of
doing business in Switzerland are highly competitive.
Strong base
In Switzerland,
large companies easily can find many imaginative and
efficient small- and medium-size business that provide
subcontracting and also prove excellent training grounds
for workers. The backbone of the Swiss economy is the
mix between large and small firms, between industries
and services, and between the different types of business
and industrial activities in the country's many regions.
| Switzerland's cachet
is quality |
- in work (highly productive, reliable and
qualified workforce)
- in products (known for their precision and
durability)
- in services
- in its infrastructure (state-of-the art,
efficient, and reliable)
- in living (a beautiful country with many
recreational and cultural opportunities, excellent
schools, and safe home and work environment)
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The compelling choice
In Western
Switzerland, you will find the qualified, productive
people you need, the appropriate and reliable infrastructure,
factories and businesses that are strike-free and dependable,
and a comfortable and safe haven for families. In addition,
the term "Swiss-made" and a Swiss business
address are highly respected throughout the world. All
of these factors, plus the many tax and financial advantages
of being here, make Switzerland the compelling choice
for your business.
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| 2.
SWITZERLAND IN EUROPE AND IN THE WORLD |
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Integration
Switzerland is
legally, economically, and culturally integrated into
Europe. In fact, Switzerland is probably the most European
country on the continent.
European Union
(EU)
Switzerland
has signed numerous bilateral agreements with the
European Union (EU), guaranteeing |
- free exchange of industrial goods
- free exchange of services
- free exchange of capital
- and free exchange of information and access
to investors, managers and specialists
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Economically, we function
much as any other EU country. The important difference,
however, is that Switzerland has retained its political
independence, its regulatory flexibility, and its tax
autonomy. As a result, the Swiss and the companies in
Switzerland have the best of both worlds.
European Free Trade
Association (EFTA)
As a member of
the EFTA, along with Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein,
Switzerland enjoys free commerce with these countries
without restrictive political links.
Duties and Tariffs
Swiss products
flow freely in and out of all EU and EFTA countries,
without being subject to duties or tariffs. Non-European
raw materials, components or finished goods that are
sufficiently processed in Switzerland become Swiss products.
The standard for "sufficient processing" requires
that the non-European (i.e., non-EU and non-EFTA) portion
should not exceed a certain percentage (usually 20 to
50%) of the selling price (cost plus profit margin)
of the processed or finished product.
Unlike most other countries,
Switzerland levies weight-based customs duties on non-European
products, i.e., those that do not qualify as being of
European origin. The weight-based tariff is particularly
attractive for light-weight, high-value-added items,
such as electronics and luxury products. Moreover, as
a nation that depends on exports, Switzerland needs
access to the markets and therefore keep its own customs
duties at very low levels.
Border Control
Unlike certain
members of European Community (countries having signed
the Schengen agreements), Switzerland requires individuals
crossing into the country to go through border controls
for minimal passport verification. This is not an impediment
to travel for business or pleasure, however, and Switzerland
is moving toward a free border system.
Currency
Like several other
European countries, including the United Kingdom and
Denmark, Switzerland has not introduced the EURO. The
standard form of currency is the stable, sound Swiss
Franc. Nevertheless, many shops do accept the €,
and international businesses trade in the EURO daily.
Open Market
Although Europe
is our main trade partner, we also have strong links
with other markets, particularly North and South America
and Asia. By tradition, Switzerland has kept its door
to the world open wide, for business and for culture.
As a neutral nation, Switzerland has access to all countries
and is open to trade with all. We harbour numerous international
and multinational companies and international organizations.
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One
economic region, four cantons
The common features
| Western Switzerland
is composed of the cantons of Vaud, whose capital
is Lausanne, the cantons of Wallis, whose capital is Sion, canton of Neuchâtel, whose
capital is Neuchâtel and canton of Jura whose capital is Delemont. The four cantons share
many common characteristics. |
- The Jura Mountains of cantons Vaud, Neuchâtel and Jura are home
to the finest and most important manufacturers
of Swiss watches. The watch industry in turn
has given birth to the machine tool industry,
with special emphasis on automation and miniaturization.
- In the field of nutrition, Vaud has generated
the world's leading food company, the Nestlé
Group, while Neuchâtel has nurtured the
renowned Suchard companies.
- All the cantons occupy a leading position in
industry as well as in the services sector.
- All cantons have a long and important
education tradition and attract many foreign
students to the universities of Lausanne and
Neuchâtel, to commercial and engineering
colleges, and to international private schools
with English curricula.
- Lausanne is the site of the important Swiss
Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) and the
famous International Institute for Management
Development (IMD), while Neuchâtel is
home to the renowned Swiss National Research
and Development Institute for Microtechnology
(CSEM).Porrentruy, small city of the canton of
the Jura, accomodates the High Teaching School
(HEP). The High School Valaisanne (HEVs) which
gathers three fields: Sciences of the engineer-E,
the Economy and Services and theSocial one is in
Sion in Wallis.
- As appealing places in which to work and
live, Vaud and Neuchâtel both attract
many foreign companies and families, who have
created a strong international community.
- All cantons have excellent modern infrastructures:
| for
transportation: |
What gives all its
dimension to the canton of the Jura, it is its
situation with the crossroads of Germany, France
and Switzerland. In full heart of the axis of
European development Hamburg-Lyon-Barcelone.
The main
motorway and railway systems run through
the cantons, providing easy access to
the Geneva airport (30 minutes from Lausanne, 1 hour from Neuchâtel
and approximately 2 hours for Sion and Delemont).
In addition, the cantons offer fully equipped
local air fields, linking the area with
the country and the world, |
| for
telecommunication: |
state-of-the
art network, |
| for
health: |
renowned
hospitals, |
| for
culture and recreation: |
numerous
opportunities for music, theatre, dance,
festivals, athletic events, and recreational
activities. |
- French is the official language of each canton,
but English is widely spoken. (Swiss-german and french in Wallis)
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| Distinctions |
- Vaud is the canton more populated with approximately 626'000
people. Wallis counts to 278'000 inhabitants while Neuchâtel
counts 170'000 people. The Jura is smaller with some
69'000 residents.
- The town of Lausanne is at 30 minutes of Geneva,
Neuchâtel is closer to Bern, it is necessary to count
30 minutes to connect the two cities. The town of Delemont
is at 40 minutes of Basle.
- Neuchâtel
is a vital link with the German-speaking part
of Switzerland and to the German and Austrian
markets. As French-speaking cantons, both Vaud
and Neuchâtel are well-suited to serving
the French market, but they have all the benefits
of being Swiss.
- The Jura is young. It was born in 1979 from the savage love from
freedom from its inhabitants. It is a country great spaces, horses and
fir trees, and small rich cities of history. The Jura has an industrial
calling, resulting from the clock making tradition. Many small and medium-sized
undertakings control the microtechniques ones. European companies were established
there in the search of a high level labour. With less than 40 minutes the international
airport of Bâle is.
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| 4.
AVAILABLE PROPERTY AND CONSTRUCTION |
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| A. Ready
Base |
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| Western Switzerland
offers a wide selection of |
- available land for construction
- premises to house your administrative,
commercial and industrial activities
- personal and family residencies, all
at attractive conditions
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Numerous real
estate projects initiated by architects receive
an authorization to start construction as soon
as the buyer gives his consent. Such plans generally
are completed rapidly.
The costs of
land and buildings are indicated in appendix 3. |
| B. Purchase
of Real Estate by Foreigners |
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Companies and individuals can buy all land and
buildings not only to be used for their industrial,
commercial or services activities, but also for
residencies of their investors and employees. |
| C. Economic
Development Sites |
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Western
Switzerland supports building up new modern and
complementary activities by a real estate incentive
program. This program comprises about 30 areas
covering around 1,000 hectares. The objective
is to provide strategically located and appropriate
property at attractive conditions for the new
companies.
| The program
consists of two different formulas: |
- In certain areas: the government grants
financial aid to property owners allowing
them to equip and prepare the sites thus
reducing the cost
or
- In other areas: the state or the municipality
are buying themselves land, equip and
prepare it for directly selling the land
to the new companies.
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The profile
of available properties will be shown on the Internet
www.invest-switzerland-vaud.ch
promeco.ne.ch
www.vs.ch
www.jura.ch
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| 5.
A GOOD PLACE FOR LIVING |
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It is
not enough to be an attractive place for work. Western
Switzerland is also an excellent place for living. One
needs the other. What marks the profile of Western Switzerland
are countryside and climate, culture and character.
| A. Topography,
weather and demography |
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Western
Switzerland offers an incredible variety of scenery
and climates in a relatively small area
| Structure |
Altitude above
sea level (approx.) |
Lakeshore
areas
Jura Hills
Central valleys and plateau
Alpine area
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400
m / 1,150 feet
900 m / 2,430 feet
500 - 600 m / 1,350 - 1,620 feet
1,000 to 1,500 m and upward
2,700 to 4,050 feet and upward |
Weather
In the lakeshore
areas but also in the central valleys and the
plateau the climate is comparatively mild, in
the Jura Hills and the mountains somehow harsher
but offering more sunshine. The daily average
temperatures for January and July give a realistic
picture:
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January
( ºC/F) |
July
( ºC/F) |
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Jura Hills and Alpine areas
Lakeshore areas |
1/34
3/37 |
20/68
24/75 |
Temperatures
for the central valleys and the plateau are slightly
lower than in the lake shore areas.
People
Western Switzerland
is also offering jobs and work for the neighbouring
areas not only of our country but also of France.
As economic area Western Switzerland count more
than one million inhabitants.
Countryside:
Western
Switzerland features the following characteristics: |
- The Jura Hills with their wide plains
and large forests: romantic
- The lakeshore areas with their vineyards:
charming
- The central valleys and plateau: solid
and Swiss
- The Alpine areas: challenging and protecting.
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Within one hour's range, Western Switzerland
offers a beautiful variety of style. We can legitimately
say: Feet in the water, Heads in the mountains
and Hands at work.
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| B.
Culture and character |
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Western Switzerland
is also a crossroads for culture. The Ancient
Romans have left their prints, e.g. the Avenches
amphitheatre. The area is rich with historical
sites and monuments, with medieval castles and
churches in Romanesque and Gothic styles. We do
not only have a dynamic economy, but also a very
active cultural life highlighted by many festivals
from classical music to the famous Montreux Jazz
and Nyon Paleo events. The variety of countryside
and climate is complemented by cultural diversity.
| Foreigners
are crediting the Western Switzerland character
with an almost ideal combination: |
- Conscious and hard working like Germans
- Vivacious and imaginative like the
French
- Plus the fine art of living and the
good sense of humour typical for the wine
growing areas.
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A special website informs on monuments, museums
and cultural events.
for Neuchâtel : www.neuchateltourisme.ch
for Vaud : www.vaudtourisme.ch
for Wallis : www.valaistourisme.ch
for Jura : www.juratourisme.ch
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| C.
Sports and Leisure |
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The variety
of the countryside is an ideal base for practising
all sports.
Most typically: |
- The Jura Mountains invite for hiking
and cross country skiing
- The Alps for mountaineering and alpine
skiing
- The lakeshore areas for all water sports
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Many people are surprised by Château d'Oex,
located in the Alps, being the Rome for hot air
ballooning and by the splendid golf courses in
the high mountains areas.
Many smaller towns of Western Switzerland have
succeeded in creating top sports teams (soccer,
ice hockey, etc.) and thus an excellent community
spirit. Lausanne is the seat of the International
Olympic Committee, Neuchâtel is the first
University offering a sports management curriculum
in Switzerland.
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| D.
Human Dimension, tolerance and security |
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Switzerland is not only a typical country of smaller
and medium size companies, but also the country
of the smaller and medium size cities and villages.
Lausanne with about 200,000 inhabitants and the
Neuchâtel agglomeration with a population
of near 100,000 people have an infrastructure
almost like the very big international cities.
Many smaller and medium size towns and villages
are scattered on beautiful locations throughout
Western Switzerland. Our cities and our villages
have a human dimension and are a good base for
individual living style.
Western Switzerland has in our country the highest
percentage of foreign population. Being multicultural
and multilingual is stimulating and enriching,
but requires at the same time tolerance and pragmatic
solutions. Tolerance is the cornerstone of our
multicultural and international community.
Switzerland is a small country and easy to survey.
Switzerland's business is business and work. Our
country stands for solidity and solidity for security
and stability.
It is no surprise that many multinationals and
small companies, investors and scientists, but
also many biggest names of the arts have chosen
Switzerland as their home and family base, thanks
to human dimension, tolerance and safety.
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| 6.
QUALITY, PRODUCTIVITY, COMPETITIVITY |
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| 1. Base |
- Longest workweek in Europe (40-42 hours).
4-5 weeks vacation and 8 official holidays,
annual working hours between 1850-1900.
- As compared to other European countries,
very low social charges to be borne by the employers.
- Good Swiss quality, excellent work mentality,
good work climate, no labour tension, no strikes,
high productivity.
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The labour costs consist
of two elements : salaries and social charges
| 2. Salaries |
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Yearly
total gross salary
including 13th salary
(in Swiss Francs) |
Laborer |
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Little to
no experience
Specialized
Workers qualified in precision mechanics
Workers qualified in electronics |
36,400
- 43,000
37,000 - 50,000
52,000 - 65,000
52,000 - 65,000 |
Administrative Personnel |
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Bilingual
secretary
(1 to 2 years experience)
Experienced trilingual secretary
Junior accountant
Senior accountant
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45,000 - 60,000
50,000 - 65,000
46,800 - 60,500
65,000 - 100,000 |
Engineers |
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Junior Engineer
Senior engineer, bilingual |
58,500
- 70,000
80,000 and up |
Management |
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Junior manager
Manager of small operations
Senior Manager |
78,000
- 95,000
90,000 and up
110,000 and up |
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The salaries quoted
above are paid in 13 instalments at the end of each
month and at Christmas. The employer's part of the social
charges is to be added to these salaries. Please note
that the costs for vacations and holidays are already
included in the above annual salary figures.
| 3. Social
charges |
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| 3.1.
Principles |
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| The
Swiss social system relies on the 4
following principles : |
- Efficiency which needs stability
which requires social peace which
in turn needs an equitable pattern
- Self-responsibility and solidarity
between employer and employee
- Partnership of people companies
and community (state)
- Safety and security
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| 3.2.
The application |
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| a)
The pension plan : Three columns |
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Swiss
federal law provides for a retirement
system, that consists of what is known
as The Three Columns.
First
Column |
Senior
Citizens and Their Survivors
Social Insurance i.e., Social
Security (AVS), and Disability
Insurance (AI). The insurances
cover the vital needs of the insured.
They are obligatory for anyone
who lives or works in Switzerland.
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Second
Column |
Professional
Precaution Law (LPP).
Employees Obligatory Company
Retirement Plan.
This allows the recipient to maintain
his/her standard of living during
retirement. The employer and employee
contribute to the plan with a
required minimum deduction taken
from the employee's annual salary
until a certain total is reached.
This guarantees a retirement savings.
The law applies to every person
with an annual salary of more
than CHF 15,050. This plan is
portable when changing jobs. |
Third
Column |
Private
Savings
In addition, individuals may save
privately through banks, investments,
and insurance for more comprehensive
coverage. This is not obligatory.
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b) Sharing |
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The
cost of most social charges is shared
half/half by the employer and the employee
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c) Health and Security |
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Under
federal law, all companies in Switzerland
must have occupational accident insurance
for their employees.
In Switzerland, minimum health and
hospitalisation insurance is mandatory.
As a rule, virtually all employees
are covered at their own expense.
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| 3.3.
Summary of social charges |
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Percentage
employer |
paid
by
employee |
| Old
age and survivor's insurance (AVS)
Share of administrative cost of AVS
Disability insurance (AI)
Reimbursement of earnings (APG) in
case of military service
Unemployment insurance
Pension fund (minimum)
Family allowance
Insurance against loss of earnings
through illness
Occupational accident insurance
Non-occupational accident and health
insurance
Total |
4.2
0.2
0.7
0.15
1.0
6.8*
1.7
0.8
1.2
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16.75 |
4.02
--
0.7
0.15
1.0
4.2*
--
0.8
1.2
1.4
13.65 |
*depending
on employees average age. The
employer deducts the employee's part of
social charges from the salary.
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| 7.
PROFILE OF THE ECONOMY |
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Representative
international companies and organizations with focus
Neuchâtel and Vaud
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