Filed under: Switzerland
Geneva’s banking industry has notched up “significant growth” over the past two years, with employment in the sector climbing almost ten per cent. The canton’s 140 banks now employ more than 18,000 staff, reflecting the increased demand for asset management as a result of a buoyant global economy and higher commodity prices.
“We are certainly benefiting from a positive environment within our traditional corresponding countries, whether in Europe, North or Latin America, the Middle East and the expansion in Asia. That generates new wealth and service opportunities for existing customers,” Steve Bernard, director of the Geneva Financial Center, told swissinfo.
“You also have the oil factor for Middle East and east European customers, who have seen their wealth increase tremendously, and part of this is handled by Swiss-based banks.”
Since January 2005 the number of people employed by the Geneva banking sector has risen from 16,300 to just over 18,000. Leading private banker Pictet & Cie, which employs 2,200 people worldwide, says it will have created 300 jobs by the end of the year – 60 per cent in Geneva. The bank is due to move into new headquarters in the city later this year and already needs additional office space, according to spokesman Frank Renggli.
The Geneva Financial Center estimates that the volume of assets under management in the city now stands at SFr1.5 trillion ($1.22 trillion). Swiss-based banking establishments currently manage around SFr4.5 trillion. Chantal Bourquin, spokeswoman for the Geneva Private Bankers Association, admitted that these were “good times” for the body’s members. She said growth among members was not a new trend but acknowledged that this year may have outstripped previous ones.
Bernard said the vast amounts of money being placed in Geneva mirrored the revitalised fortunes of the Swiss banking sector as a whole, which was hit by the global slump post-September 11. In addition, the industry had to weather a period of uncertainty as the European Union sought to lift banking secrecy in an effort to clamp down on tax evasion.
Withholding tax
This was resolved by a deal that came into force in July last year which preserved banking secrecy in exchange for the levying of a tax on interest earned by EU residents with Swiss bank accounts.
“The difficulties we had with the EU when we were negotiating the bilateral agreements are behind us. There is no question mark at least for the next ten years and we see the pressure turning to other centres,” Bernard said.
On Monday the EU announced it would be targeting financial centres in Asia, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, as part of new efforts to clamp down on tax evasion. Zurich is traditionally seen as Switzerland’s banking centre but Bernard stressed that Geneva was not a junior partner but a complementary one, with a strong reputation in private banking and trade finance.
“Geneva is certainly a smaller financial centre than Zurich in terms of numbers of employees. But I believe it is roughly on a par when you talk about asset management and it’s definitely ahead in terms of trade finance,” he said.
Filed under: Switzerland
Increasing numbers of the rich and famous could soon be moving to Switzerland following the removal of residency restrictions on European Union citizens, but experts say wealthy foreigners are also still attracted by the country’s famous tax breaks and its high quality of life.
Switzerland – whose population is made up of 20 per cent foreigners – is already home to thousands of prosperous immigrants and it is estimated that at least half of the country’s 300 richest people come from abroad. Some, such as Ingvar Kamprad, founder of furniture empire Ikea, are among the world’s richest businessmen. Others come from the world of entertainment, such as singers Phil Collins and Tina Turner, or sport, like motor-racing driver Michael Schumacher and former tennis champion Boris Becker. But due to the lifting of settlement and labour restrictions on EU citizens, they may soon find their privileged haunts on the shores of Lake Zurich or Lake Geneva becoming more crowded.
“Since June 2004, European citizens have not needed a work permit in order to take up residence in Switzerland,” said the Federal Migration Office’s Mario Tuor. “They just need to prove they have the funds to support themselves.”
Previously there were a lot of legal restrictions to settling down in Switzerland, with even the wealthiest of Europeans being refused residency in more than 50 per cent of cases.
Tax regime
One of Switzerland’s most famous attractions remains its relaxed tax regime for rich non-Swiss citizens.
But François Micheloud, who runs a relocation firm for foreigners coming to Switzerland, says this is not the only reason for the country’s popularity. “It is true that Switzerland would not attract many foreigners if it had a tax regime like that of Finland. But nor can it be regarded as a tax haven,” he told swissinfo.
“A billionaire trying to avoid tax is more likely to move to Monaco or the Bahamas,” added Micheloud, who has advised people from 90 different countries, including Britain, France and Scandinavia. Micheloud says there are other factors – often under-rated – which make Switzerland so attractive. One of these is its central position in Europe. This factor is particularly important for Scandinavians, who, living so far north, are a long way from the Mediterranean holiday resorts and suffer from lack of sunshine during the long winter.
Swiss efficiency
Another plus point, particularly appreciated by the British, is Swiss efficiency. “In Britain, my clients tell me, many public and social services have deteriorated over the last 20 or 30 years,” said Micheloud, adding that the Swiss health system is particularly valued.
The consultant says that the British also feel more secure in Switzerland. “They believe that their children will be able to grow up in a friendly environment, without bullying or violence in schools,” he said.
Micheloud’s French clients are mainly attracted to the Swiss shores of Lake Geneva, an area which is geographically and culturally close to France. It is also quieter and has more privacy. But what impresses the French the most is the Swiss sense of civic duty. And this goes much deeper than the traditional Swiss reputation for order, cleanliness and care for the environment.
Moving experience
“Some of my clients have been surprised to find that children in Switzerland are openly friendly towards adults. That’s how it was in France 50 years ago, they say, and they find it quite moving,” explained Micheloud. The French are also attracted by the simplicity of life in Switzerland with its smaller towns, lighter traffic and less bureaucracy.
Overall, Micheloud is convinced that the advantages of life in Switzerland are manifold. “Many Swiss people are unaware of it, but our country offers a quality of life that is hard to find elsewhere,” he told swissinfo.
“For many foreigners, the idea of living out their days in Switzerland is the height of social success.”
