Competitiveness package: over 90% implemented or underway

Context

TL;DR

• More than 90% of the 60 measures have been implemented or are being implemented.
• 16 measures are in force and 39 are being implemented.
• The package aims to reduce regulatory burdens for businesses.
• At least 20% of Swiss companies can benefit from the relief.

Key facts

• What → package for the competitiveness of the Swiss economy
• Status → 16 measures in force, 39 being implemented, 5 not implemented or partial
• Estimated beneficiaries → at least 20% of companies in Switzerland
• Time frame → just under one year after adoption
• Source → Federal Council; news reported by Keystone-ATS

Just under one year after adoption, the package for the competitiveness of the Swiss economy presents, according to the report adopted by the Federal Council, a positive balance. More than 90% of the 60 measures have already been implemented or are being implemented. The news was reported by Keystone-ATS.

The stated objective is to ease the regulatory burdens currently weighing on businesses and limit additional ones as much as possible. In the executive's statement, the estimate of the number of beneficiaries indicates that these relief measures could affect at least one in five companies in Switzerland. The measures concern different sectors and obligations, as shown by the distinction between those already introduced and those still being implemented.

The report at a glance

The breakdown is precise: 16 measures are already in force, while 39 are being implemented. Five, on the other hand, have not been implemented so far or have only been implemented in part. Adding the first two categories gives 55 measures out of 60, a proportion consistent with the phrase “more than 90%” used in the report.

The Federal Council thus distinguishes between what is already operational and what is still progressing. For the five measures not implemented or only partially implemented, the available text does not indicate their names or provide a timeline. The positive balance reported by Keystone-ATS therefore concerns the package as a whole, while the details show that the process is not complete for all 60 measures.

Operational details

Measures under implementation

The report does not focus the measures on a single requirement. The part still under implementation covers imports, taxation and packaging, with different estimated groups affected. The comparison below brings together only the figures indicated in the source.

Figures and requirements

The first comparison concerns frequency: for 25 000 businesses, VAT settlement may change from quarterly to annual. The report presents this measure as a future possibility because it includes it among those under implementation. The figure therefore concerns the settlement frequency indicated in the source.

A second comparison concerns the group affected. The simplifications for importing timber from the EU are associated with approximately 36 000 importers, while the new rules on beverage packaging are indicated as capable of reducing burdens for approximately 35 000 companies. The two figures are on almost the same numerical scale, but refer to different measures and activities.

The same criterion applies to the approximately 45 000 companies for which the obligation to submit annual accounts will be abolished. The source therefore provides separate figures, useful for understanding the scope of the individual measures, without presenting them as an overall total of companies. The package thus combines import simplifications, a different VAT frequency, and the reduction or abolition of specific requirements.

Key points

Measures already introduced and limitations of the overview

The report cites three groups of measures already introduced: relief measures for the aviation sector, climate compensation initiatives and road-signage works. In the first case, the intervals between inspections have been extended for a number of companies that may be as high as 500. For the 184 climate compensation projects, reporting can now be completed within four years.

Road signage also falls among the operational measures: under certain conditions, night and Sunday work is possible without authorization. The wording does not eliminate every requirement: the report expressly links this possibility to compliance with conditions, without specifying them in the available text.

Reading the overview therefore requires keeping three pieces of information separate: the overall share, the status of the individual measures and the estimated number of beneficiaries. More than 90% has been implemented or is being implemented, but five measures have not been implemented or have been implemented only partially. At least 20%, meanwhile, is the estimated share of companies in Switzerland that can benefit from the relief; it is not a share referring only to aviation, VAT or packaging.

The report does not provide a single total for the companies involved. The groups listed for importers, companies and aviation companies are associated with different measures, and the text does not clarify any overlaps. Nor does it identify the five measures that remained unimplemented or partial. These are the informational limitations of the overview reported by the Federal Council.

Source: swissinfo.ch