News

The Federal Tax Administration (FTA) has adjusted its VAT practice on the following topic: securities. The FTA is verifying the refund of existing securities. Considering the large volume, it is required to process these claims in stages. Requests for a prioritized refund cannot be considered. Thank you for your understanding.

It is hardly surprising that green spaces in noisy cities offer people respite from stress. However, a comprehensive study by Empa and WSL shows for the first time for Switzerland how much these recreational spaces actually affect physical and mental stress management.

The director of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Florian Schütz, will be attending the RSA Conference in San Francisco from 28 April to 1 May. The conference is one of the leading events in the field of cybersecurity bringing together representatives from industry, society and government to discuss a host of cyber-related topics. Florian Schütz will be accompanied by Ambassador Benedikt Wechsler and will take part in various panels and bilateral discussions with representatives from industry and international organisations.

From 28 April to 9 May, the Swiss Armed Forces will take part in the world’s largest cyber defence exercise, Locked Shields 25. Around 40 participants from the Swiss Armed Forces, the Federal Administration, the cantons and operators of critical infrastructure will be taking part. As part of the exercise, the teams will defend fictitious IT infrastructures against cyberattacks by a fictitious adversary.

In 2023, the Swiss health care system cost CHF 94 billion, 2.4% more than the year before. Over 60% of health system financing came from households’ own pockets or health insurance premiums. According to estimates by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the rise in costs is likely to exceed 3% in 2024.

A new preliminary report is available on the website of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board STSB.

The head of Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Ignazio Cassis, visited the People's Republic of China on 24 and 25 April 2025. His visit marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Switzerland established official relations with China in 1950, making it one of the first European countries to do so. In addition to an official meeting with China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, Mr Cassis' visit focused on efforts to modernise the free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries in order to improve market access for Swiss companies.

Speech by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), at a reception for representatives of Swiss business at the Consulate General in Shanghai, China – Check against delivery

The Rail Transport Commission RailCom publishes its activity report today, in which it emphasises the importance of participation to ensure fair access to the rail network. It also reports on its ongoing proceedings and on its new chair, Dr Barbara Furrer, who has taken over from Patrizia Danioth Halter.

Swiss NGOs help implement the Federal Council’s International Cooperation Strategy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with their expertise, knowledge of local contexts, and networks. For the 2025-2026 period, the SDC has earmarked core contributions totalling CHF 235 million for Switzerland’s contracting partners.

The Offset Register currently comprises seventeen offset obligations in the amount of CHF 5.27 billion, which must be awarded by foreign suppliers to Swiss companies. Of this, offset transactions in the amount of around CHF 2.69 billion have been carried out as at the end of March 2025.

Uzbekistan's first modernised maternity units were officially inaugurated today. The units were updated through a project funded by assets belonging to Gulnara Karimova, which had been definitively confiscated in Switzerland and restituted to the population of Uzbekistan. The aim of the USD 43.5 million project, implemented by the UN, is to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates by strengthening the capacity of healthcare facilities and improving the monitoring and care of mothers-to-be, young mothers, and babies.